Waterproofing a basha/tarp.

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I have 2 US army woodland camo ponchos that really need re-proofing. I've never been too impressed with the PU coating they came with. I've come across a few ponchos in surplus shops (that should have a PU coating) and the coating is so vauge that you can barely see it. I'll do one of the ponchos and report on the colour change which I guess will happen, though US woodland Ponchos seem quite light coloured anyway.
I did come across one US poncho (Post 1st Gulf war) that someone had used paint to add desert colours to the underside, it wasn't a neat finish, obviously done with a brush possibly a whole batch were quickly ordered by a Camouflage considerate CO with pincheded vehicle paint?
Parts of the paint cracked an some had fallen off. I've always wondered if paint was added to silicone it could also double up as waterproofing?
you could potentially have a double colouerd poncho for different scenarios sand/snow, or if you wanted Orange for emergencies!
I'm not a chemist but I'm guessing the complex chemicals would perhaps not allow mixing or may cause an unwanted reaction?

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

A LIVE TEST

I'm currently testing the idea, I've mixed a small amount about a tablespoon of silicon and Turps (which is aparently the same thing).
it mixed very easily with a lolly stick in about 1 minute, and now is clearer than before,

I've put a layer on these scraps of material.
DPM poly/cotton.(actually NBC suit outer material).
sand coloured polyester. as found on sleeping bags/jacket linings.
green nylon polyester as found on sleeping bags/jacket linings.
olive Rip stop nylon similar but not as thick as parachute material.
Ripstop Pertex as found on Buffalo type clothing.
PLCE Cordura lining practically all fallen off.
PLCE nylon stuff sack fabric (found on sides of issue stuff sacks).
ALICE balistic nylon, as found on the ammo pouches.
Ventile just really to see what happens to cotton.

so far the difference is darker as though the material is wet, you can still see all the colours clearly the DPM colours easily.
The sand colour is least effected, the green seems darker, the ripstop seems to have instantly soaked through to both sides.
all of the fabrics appear slightly shiney as you'd expect.

Now leaving it to dry for a couple of hours. I'll report on the results.

 

[Tonyuk]

Silicone diluted with white spirit. Paint some over the seems regularly and it'll keep the water out.

Tonyuk

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

LIVE TEST RESULTS

The results silicon has been out in sunny breeze and is now dry:
out of all of them they all look pretty much the same as the untreated fabric, the colour change is only very slight
The larges colour change i.e. most visible difference is on the ALICE balistic nylon(much darker patch) the PLCE nylon stuff sack fabric which is now darker and shiney and the olive Rip stop nylon, it is the fabric looks like I coated both sides.

for the following the colour change is visible i.e. shiney on the coated side and a slight darkening but not bad:
sand coloured polyester.
green nylon polyester.
Ripstop Pertex.
PLCE Cordura.

And for these two with cotton content you barely tell theres any difference,
DPM poly/cotton.
Ventile.

so in conclusion, it does work well and coats many fabrics, some are more shiney and the more open the fabric particulally nylon the more obvious the effect.