What's new

What are your thoughts on waxed canvas

what are your thoughts for packs and other gear? I have a big waxe canvas that my father in law used to cover something very oily so I can’t use it for anything else but it was coving my mill and lathe when the roof chose to leak heavily above them for most of the winter and spring. A knee replacement kept me out of the shop for several months. I was very impressed with how well it protected the machines. Since then I have noticed lots of stuff made from it but not sure how well it holds up in the long run.

How does it handle the heat?
 
I camped with an old J.C. Higgins waxed canvas tent for many years. It was heavy, but it remained waterproof even in some of the worst coastal weather. Camping in the eastern mountains in the heat did not bother it either, though they tend to hold the heat.
Just like this one:
C9A3845F-1DF4-4013-BB36-FAD0FBE48DF3.jpeg
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
The current dressings that I've seen suggest using a hairdryer to help spread it and work it into the fibres, so I'd be particularly vigilant if you want a dressing that doesn't run in the heat.

The only waxed canvas I have is a Barbour style (not brand) jacket which I use in the cooler wetter months. It's great for short durations and low energy expenditure, but when the body temperature rises, it can get a little sweaty.
 
Never seen a wax canvas that wouldn't weep in the heat. Modern ones are way better than the old waxes that were used.

But other than being heavy, waxed canvas will turn nearly everything that hits them. But they are expensive to buy and require maintenance to
 
Never seen a wax canvas that wouldn't weep in the heat. Modern ones are way better than the old waxes that were used.

But other than being heavy, waxed canvas will turn nearly everything that hits them. But they are expensive to buy and require maintenance to

I'm lost. Turn them what?

I was not thinking about anything to wear. Just a pack.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I'm lost. Turn them what?

I was not thinking about anything to wear. Just a pack.

Think he means "turn away any rain, snow or sleet" that hits them.

Can say, the waxed canvas ball cap or western-style hat is a good look. 1930's bush pilot, Alaska, outback kinda thing.


AA
 
I'm lost. Turn them what?

I was not thinking about anything to wear. Just a pack.
Classy! A pack sounds great. A tent would be cool but way too heavy. I used to have an expensive waxed canvas parka that was warm and weatherproof. It did require occasional rewaxing. It had a wool liner and was very heavy. I think it was made for riding horses not walking! An ex girlfriend ended up with that.....
 
I'm lost. Turn them what?

I was not thinking about anything to wear. Just a pack.

Hi,

I occasionally wear Filson waxed chaps and a waxed hat for hunting thick cover. They are not only impervious to moisture, rain or snow, but thorns, branches, and burs will get turned aside with impunity. It's like armor.

The downside is they are heavier and hotter than more modern ballistic nylons.
 
There are a few places on the net that sell the waxed canvas as material. I’m discovering that a waxed canvas pack is very expensive. Maybe I will learn to sew this winter. It would not be the first time I had this conversation with the owner of the household sewing machine. I tend to get the death glare. :a13:
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I camped with an old J.C. Higgins waxed canvas tent for many years. It was heavy, but it remained waterproof even in some of the worst coastal weather. Camping in the eastern mountains in the heat did not bother it either, though they tend to hold the heat.

When I was very young, my parents took the family camping in a canvas tent kind of like this one ...

proxy.php


I remember that it would get very, very hot in the sunny weather, and if it rained (as it was not waxed canvas, just plain) it was unpleasant. And we always had to be careful not to knock over the central pole.

I wish my parents had kept it, but once nylon pup-tents came along, well ... they upgraded. They had zippers and bug screens and would dissipate heat after a hot afternoon, and would keep water out better and dry faster ... just couldn't stand up in them.
 
Although I've not seen a waxed canvas rucksack, there is a New Zealand-based firm called Macpac that uses a fabric made from a blend of long staple cotton and polyester, impregnated with resin, to make packs. The Aztec fabric, as its called, is a bit heavy by modern standards, bit it is pretty much waterproof and lasts virtually for ever.
 
Hi,

I occasionally wear Filson waxed chaps and a waxed hat for hunting thick cover. They are not only impervious to moisture, rain or snow, but thorns, branches, and burs will get turned aside with impunity. It's like armor.

The downside is they are heavier and hotter than more modern ballistic nylons.
It’s difficult to beat Filson Waxed Canvas anything. You might, but I’m not sure what or how.
 
I've worn a Filson waxed coat for over twenty years, still going strong, but I've rewaxed it twice.
I much prefer Gortex.
 
There are a few places on the net that sell the waxed canvas as material. I’m discovering that a waxed canvas pack is very expensive. Maybe I will learn to sew this winter. It would not be the first time I had this conversation with the owner of the household sewing machine. I tend to get the death glare. :a13:

Running a sewing machine isn't difficult, very worthwhile to learn. You may, probably will to be honest, run into problems attempting to sew heavy fabric such as canvas on a typical home sewing machine though. The new machines most often have plastic gears that like to strip/shear teeth and don't have enough motor. Many of the older machines were significantly more capable, but not really intended for that type of use. If you have a local upholstery shop, you might drop in to see what they would charge you to make a pack of your design. That will certainly be less frustrating than using an inadequate machine, and very likely less expensive than finding a heavy commercial machine that's in good shape.
 
Top Bottom