Waterproofing non-breathable fabrics

[Mongoose]

What's a good way to waterproof non-breathable fabrics? I have a hat brim and a camera bag, both made of nylon, that need some heavy duty waterproofing. I have Nikwax spray that's meant for breathable fabrics, but it only lasts a few outings before it washes off. Is there something better? Since it's non-breathable it can be something heavy duty.

Edit:
Actually the hat brim is cotton, but the center part is gore-tex/nylon.

 

[DougPaul]

In general, the good coatings must be applied at the factory.

You can buy a product to re-waterproof coated nylon tents, but reports suggest that it doesn't work very well. Don't know how well it might work on a hat (less abrasion than a tent floor).

You could also try other spray-on water "proofing" products, some might work better than others. But I'd generally expect most of them to be short-term and only make the fabric water resistant.

Doug

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I'll second what Doug said.

In the long run, it will probably be cheaper to replace the items than buy sprays, coatings, etc in an attempt to make them waterproof. Short of bronzing, I don't think you'll have much luck.

 

[Gris]

Oil?

My dad has a waterproof CLOTH (canvas?) hat he always takes fly-fishing in mid-southern Chile, where it rains ALL the time. He said it was treated with some kind of OIL...?

 

[Mongoose]

My dad has a waterproof CLOTH (canvas?) hat he always takes fly-fishing in mid-southern Chile, where it rains ALL the time. He said it was treated with some kind of OIL...?

I've seen oilskin/waxed cotton hats. I don't know what kind of oil or wax is used or how it's applied though. If I did, I might add some kind of wax/oil treatment to my hat brim since it's cotton. My hat actually has a gore-tex center part and a cotton brim which is stiff and durable.