Custom Ballistic Nylon chaps question

I'd try seam sealer liquid on the threads. That is what we used to use on camping equipment before the invention of tape and stitch welding.

IMO unless the chaps material is PU backed, it will never be waterproof. You can get it water repellent with spray on like Nikwax but IMO it doesn't last very long.

I used to use Kenyon seam sealer with good results. I did some looking and it’s still available.
OM

patm said:

I'd try seam sealer liquid on the threads. That is what we used to use on camping equipment before the invention of tape and stitch welding.

IMO unless the chaps material is PU backed, it will never be waterproof. You can get it water repellent with spray on like Nikwax but IMO it doesn't last very long.

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Hey patm,
They are PU backed, but he hose test and soak test allowed water to get to the inside. Do you think that makes a difference in what spray [ like nikwax ] I should stray away from? Maker mentioned anything chemical based would degrade the PU and make them worse.

Seam sealers are a good options if I decide to try any of the waterproofing sprays. At this point, I may just wear the rain pants under the chaps but over the carharts. I understand from the testing and research and others that the sprays are a temp band aid fix at best.

Thanks

Omega Man said:

I used to use Kenyon seam sealer with good results. I did some looking and it’s still available.
OM

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OM,
That work for both the tent sealing and zippers on the B nylon IYO?

brownie0486 said:

OM,
That work for both the tent sealing and zippers on the B nylon IYO?

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I don't know. I do some sewing here and a lot of the sewing is repair work. There are some fabric adhesives (currently have Beacon Fabri-Tac in stock) that may work.....It can be a bit messy. I have generally found that the sewed areas fairly watertight. Areas that seem to hold or "pond" water brings the leaks in.
HTH
Gary

Thanks OM,

brownie0486 said:

Chaps protect the legs, ballistic nylon chaps are highly abrasion resistant and soften the impact, unlike dungarees. They also provide warm in colder weather besides keeping debris from nicking/banging shins.

.

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I can understand your thoughts on chaps.
On our 1988 trip to Alaska we did not ride in much rain but had a lot of wet roads.
A lot of days we did not need rain jackets but wore our rain pants to keep the mud and crud off our leather pants.
Chaps would also help in the wet road condition.

This picture of Debbie shows the amount of dirt we would get on our pant legs.

Lee said:

I can understand your thoughts on chaps.
On our 1988 trip to Alaska we did not ride in much rain but had a lot of wet roads.
A lot of days we did not need rain jackets but wore our rain pants to keep the mud and crud off our leather pants.
Chaps would also help in the wet road condition.

This picture of Debbie shows the amount of dirt we would get on our pant legs.

View attachment 68074

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That's one of the biggest reasons to wear them. Make camp, take the chaps off and I'm not covered in mud splashed up or ruining a nice rain suit lower Lee. Now if I could only get them waterproofed to boot, I'd be one happy camper [ sorta speak ]. That picture is worth the 1K words of why I'm wearing them.

Thanks for sharing sir.

brownie0486 said:

Likely 90% of all motorcycle riders wear nothing more than T shirts and dungarees in the summer. Do you chastise 90% of the riders who wear no protection as well?

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Yes, of course.

If your ATGATT isn't equivalent to what Valentino Rossi wears racing MotoGP, you're unprotected. There are cordura suits that come close. Most don't comprehend facts as simple as if your gloves cost less than $200, they're inadequate.

In fact I feel unprotected riders should be uninsurable riders ... the alternative is too much entitlement.

lkchris said:

Yes, of course.

If your ATGATT isn't equivalent to what Valentino Rossi wears racing MotoGP, you're unprotected. There are cordura suits that come close. Most don't comprehend facts as simple as if your gloves cost less than $200, they're inadequate.

In fact I feel unprotected riders should be uninsurable riders ... the alternative is too much entitlement.

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Maybe a little too elitist for my tastes. But to each their own opinion, of course. I've ridden decades without armor on everything but a Beemer, with two pretty bad ride offs, one at 65mph on the highway in a T and dungarees/sneakers.

Older and wiser, I wear the armor religiously, but I'm not going to dress up like an off road motocross rider either. It's not all or nothing, it's about how one chooses to armor if at all. They're still entitled to ride unprotected and take worse injuries or die than otherwise might have been their fate.

I'd think there's some well heeled down to earth Beemers guys and gals here who armor up according to locale, traffic, off and on road conditions and anything in between. One makes their choices and lives or dies with those same choices. It's not my life to live, it's theirs. It's also theirs to die if they so choose on two wheels.

brownie0486 said:

I'd think there's some well heeled down to earth Beemers guys and gals here who armor up according to locale, traffic, off and on road conditions and anything in between. One makes their choices and lives or dies with those same choices. It's not my life to live, it's theirs. It's also theirs to die if they so choose on two wheels.

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I agree. Helmet is 100%, even just moving the bike from the house to the carport. Voni makes me do that! Gloves 99%. Aerostich jacket 98%. Riding pants 98% including Aerostich Roadcafter, some First Gear vented pants, and some Kevlar lined jeans with knee armor. Boots 99% of the time but they might be my cowboy boots.

I have, and occasionally use, a First Gear mesh jacket when it is the 80s or low 90s and the ride is short. On real trips or our all-summer rideabouts I don't wear mesh because it is too likely to promote dehydration. I am more inclined to use partially mesh pants even on trips when temps are between 70 and 94. Above or below that it is the Roadcrafter pants for me. That 94 degree F temp is my normal skin temperature so air warmer than that is warming, not cooling even if I sweat a bit.

PGlaves said:

I agree. Helmet is 100%, even just moving the bike from the house to the carport. Voni makes me do that! Gloves 99%. Aerostich jacket 98%. Riding pants 98% including Aerostich Roadcafter, some First Gear vented pants, and some Kevlar lined jeans with knee armor. Boots 99% of the time but they might be my cowboy boots.

I have, and occasionally use, a First Gear mesh jacket when it is the 80s or low 90s and the ride is short. On real trips or our all-summer rideabouts I don't wear mesh because it is too likely to promote dehydration. I am more inclined to use partially mesh pants even on trips when temps are between 70 and 94. Above or below that it is the Roadcrafter pants for me. That 94 degree F temp is my normal skin temperature so air warmer than that is warming, not cooling even if I sweat a bit.

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brownie0486 said:

Hey patm,
They are PU backed, but he hose test and soak test allowed water to get to the inside. Do you think that makes a difference in what spray [ like nikwax ] I should stray away from? Maker mentioned anything chemical based would degrade the PU and make them worse.

Seam sealers are a good options if I decide to try any of the waterproofing sprays. At this point, I may just wear the rain pants under the chaps but over the carharts. I understand from the testing and research and others that the sprays are a temp band aid fix at best.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay in responding, I've been gone for the long weekend.

If the material is PU backed, it shouldn't need to be sprayed, it should be waterproof. If the material leaks, it isn't waterproof and Nikwax or other sealants will render it water repellent for a while.
However, any holes you create in the waterproof material, by cutting and stitching, will leak if you don't use seam tape while sowing the pieces together. That is why I suggested seam sealer. I remember using it on tents, backpacks and jackets, way back when.

The results were good, it lasted for a while but aesthetically speaking it was kind of ugly. We were young and we didn't care. LOL
Maybe there are newer compounds that are easier to apply or have better aesthetic results, I don't know. I haven't used the stuff in years. But that is the only thing I can think of that will render the stitching waterproof.

patm said:

Sorry for the delay in responding, I've been gone for the long weekend.

If the material is PU backed, it shouldn't need to be sprayed, it should be waterproof. If the material leaks, it isn't waterproof and Nikwax or other sealants will render it water repellent for a while.
However, any holes you create in the waterproof material, by cutting and stitching, will leak if you don't use seam tape while sowing the pieces together. That is why I suggested seam sealer. I remember using it on tents, backpacks and jackets, way back when.

The results were good, it lasted for a while but aesthetically speaking it was kind of ugly. We were young and we didn't care. LOL
Maybe there are newer compounds that are easier to apply or have better aesthetic results, I don't know. I haven't used the stuff in years. But that is the only thing I can think of that will render the stitching waterproof.

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Thanks Pat, I've got the seam sealer for the tent already, might try that on the chaps on the inside and see how that works out as I have it.

Friedle said:

Consider buying some real riding pants that are waterproof or GoreTex lined if you are concerned about staying dry in the rain. What don't chaps cover?? Your groin, hips and ass. I like all those parts of my body, they all provide useful functions. For the same price you paid for chaps you can get a real pair of pants. Save the chaps for riding horses through mesquite, that is what they were designed for doing. BUT, it's your ass (literally) on the ground so do what ever you think is best for you.

Friedle
ATGATT

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My thoughts exactly. I've seen pictures of riders who went off wearing chaps. I have no idea how they sat on a toilet seat for weeks or months with ground up flesh on their buttocks.

A suggestion to the OP...if you want to get the answer you're looking for ...try a Harley forum.

daboo said:

My thoughts exactly. I've seen pictures of riders who went off wearing chaps. I have no idea how they sat on a toilet seat for weeks or months with ground up flesh on their buttocks.

A suggestion to the OP...if you want to get the answer you're looking for ...try a Harley forum.

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Another ass hat heard from that has NO input to the question posed about waterproofing nylon while also apparently finding it necessary to take a dig at another group of riders who choose to ride another type of M/C.

I seriously dislike elitist BS. We ALL ride something, not everyone wants to ride a Beemer. And many people ride all manner of bikes besides Harley's wearing chaps. Like I mentioned, I've been down hard twice, once at speed without ANY protection and I've still got an arse to sit on for the trip to Ak. that's coming up. If nothing else, this thread has brought to light who some of the ass hat elitists are. And riding pants with armor would NOT have prevented the broken bones in that high speed crash. Nor ever prevent being T bones and having a leg taken off, or going over the bars head first into a cage nor a broken neck etc etc. I'm much more inclined ot worry about those injuries than losing any skin the road may claim.

Harley forum wouldn't be able to answer the question posed either, they wear leather chaps primarily, not custom made ballistic nylon. Of course Friedle even mistakes chaps for pants in his post. And he should know better at his age of 60+ years of age.

I would turn the chaps inside out. I would use seam sealer on the inside of all stiched seams. I would then I would then spray the inside of the chaps with a decent waterproofing spray intended for tents and such such as Scotch Guard or Nikwax Spray. Once that had dried I would turn them back outside out and re-spray the outside with the same spray. This is what I do with every tent we buy, and what I would do with the chaps.

p.s. I wear full riding pants - Aerostich Roadcrafter usually, but if you like chaps that is your choice. Ride safe and well.

PGlaves said:

I would turn the chaps inside out. I would use seam sealer on the inside of all stiched seams. I would then I would then spray the inside of the chaps with aa decent waterproofing spray intended for tents and such. Once that had dried I would turn them back outside out and re-spray the outside with the same spray. This is what I do with every tent we buy, and what I would do with the chaps.

p.s. I wear full riding pants - Aerostich Roadcrafter usually, but if you like chaps that is your choice. Ride safe and well.

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Good idea, as I have the seam sealer and the nikwax spray waterproofing already. Wouldn't have thought to turn them inside with seam sealer, excellent idea sir,

thanks

ETA,
Just seam sealed them and they'll dry overnight. Tomorrow I'll coat the outside with the nikwax spray. Even if they aren't totally waterproofed, they will be better than not having done the seam seal.

Can you let us know how well it works for you?

WalterK75 said:

Can you let us know how well it works for you?

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The seam seal? Sure can sir. But I'm really hoping we're one of the lucky groups that head north that catch little to no rain during the trip.

It works great, when applied properly, for tent sealing the seams which I have to do on the tent before I get out of here as well.