How to water proof breathable hexon

Hey guys, I kind of went diy crazy last year and made a bunch of hammock prototypes. Im happy with the end result, but now I have quite a bit of breathable cloth- hexon etc - that I really have no use for. I would like to experiment making a back pack specifically to meet the needs of hammock campers. So..... is there a way to easily treat thus breathable cloth so it would be water proof and be used to make a backpack ?

Would Nikwax work?

I made a tarp out of water proof fabric but it started leaking everywhere. This is how I fixed it.
I use “kitchen and bath Silicone ultra. White lighting W21101010” available at Menards OR Mainstays brand sold at Walmart.
I used 7 OZ of clear Silicone Kitchen and Bath calk. I mixed it with 28 ounces of camp stove fuel. It will take a lot of mixing to get it mixed up. I used a paint roller and laid the tarp out flat then hung it to dry.
Before sealing it was 25.4 ounces. After sealing 32.2 ounces adding 6.2 ounces.
You can also use low odor mineral spirits but the smell goes away with camp fuel but not with mineral spirits.
I used the leftover to waterproof a pair of leather gloves and a pair of boots.

Some ultralight packs, such as Gossamer Gear's Murmur, don't use any sort of waterproofing with their very light materials. The idea is to simply use a pack liner in the form of a trash compactor bag or a Nylofume bag, etc.

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Originally Posted by MagicPaddler

I made a tarp out of water proof fabric but it started leaking everywhere. This is how I fixed it.
I use “kitchen and bath Silicone ultra. White lighting W21101010” available at Menards OR Mainstays brand sold at Walmart.
I used 7 OZ of clear Silicone Kitchen and Bath calk. I mixed it with 28 ounces of camp stove fuel. It will take a lot of mixing to get it mixed up. I used a paint roller and laid the tarp out flat then hung it to dry.
Before sealing it was 25.4 ounces. After sealing 32.2 ounces adding 6.2 ounces.
You can also use low odor mineral spirits but the smell goes away with camp fuel but not with mineral spirits.
I used the leftover to waterproof a pair of leather gloves and a pair of boots.

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That sounds great- thx!

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Originally Posted by cmoulder

Some ultralight packs, such as Gossamer Gear's Murmur, don't use any sort of waterproofing with their very light materials. The idea is to simply use a pack liner in the form of a trash compactor bag or a Nylofume bag, etc.

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You know, I thought I had read that somewhere. I thought it was ray jardine but Im pretty sure his packs are water proof. I use a rain coat that covers the whole pack, so that just might work! ( I use either the parcho or the packa). Thx!

There are large dry bags for kayakers and rafters that have built-in shoulder straps. They are like my old Lowe “green bag” mountaineering pack, but with waterproof material and a roll top. Though they wouldn’t “measure up” to UL standards, they don’t have to be treated. It’s their job to be waterproof for their whole lifespan.

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Originally Posted by stevebo

You know, I thought I had read that somewhere. I thought it was ray jardine but Im pretty sure his packs are water proof. I use a rain coat that covers the whole pack, so that just might work! ( I use either the parcho or the packa). Thx!

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Parcho looks nice! Wish I was a DIYer when it comes to sewing... crazy useful in this activity.

Something I forgot to mention, the Lightheart Gear Hoodie Pack Cover. The big advantage here is that you don't get water between the pack and your back.