Rab - For the most extreme conditions in the world | Bivi and Shelter Care

Bivi and Shelter Care

storage, cleaning, re-proofing and general maintenance

Our Bivis use eVent® and Pertex® fabrics, for further information on eVent® please visit www.eventfabrics.com and for Pertex® please visit www.pertex.com

For further information on eVent® please visit www.eventfab

Reproofing

Your eVent® fabricated garment contains a durable water repellant finish (DWR) on the exterior of the fabric that serves as a first barrier to penetration of the fabric by external water. This DWR finish degrades over time and will occasionally need to be replenished.

You will be able to tell when this water repellency has degraded because water will cease to bead up on the fabric. Even though the waterproof eVent® membrane is still keeping the water from passing through the fabric, performance will be increased if you maintain the DWR finish with regular treatments. We suggest treating the DWR finish at the same time as your regular garment washings. Once the garment has been washed, we recommend using Nikwax® TX-Direct to completely restore surface water-repellency. It is available in both spray-on and wash-in vers

How to

Regular washing of your eVent® fabricated garment will enhance product performance. Your garment may be machine washed in warm water (40°C) with liquid detergent. You may also use Nikwax® Tech Wash. We also recommend a second rinse to remove all traces of detergent from the fabric.

You may tumble dry your garment in a dryer or drip-dry. The warmth from the dryer will rejuvenate the DWR finish but do not use a temperature higher than the "warm" setting on your dryer since too much heat could potentially melt the fibers of the gar

Remember also to refer to the manufacturer's guidelines. Do not use fabric softeners

Never dry-clean your garment. At some temperatures, the heat from an iron can have a rejuvenating effect on the DWR finish but there is a greater potential for fabric damage if the iron is too hot. We recommend that if you do iron your garment you use a temperature no higher than "warm". (

Reproofing

Your eVent® fabricated shelter contains a durable water repellant finish (DWR) on the exterior of the fabric that serves as a first barrier to penetration of the fabric by external water. This DWR finish degrades over time and will occasionally need to be replenished.

You will be able to tell when this water repellency has degraded because water will cease to bead up on the fabric. Even though the waterproof eVent® membrane is still keeping the water from passing through the fabric, performance will be increased if you maintain the DWR finish with regular treatments. This will help to prevent condensation and prolong the life of your shelter. Once the garment has been washed, we recommend using Nikwax® TX-Direct or Grangers XT Proofer to completely restore surface water-repellency. These are  normally best applied as a spray-on treatment.

How to clean eVent® shelters

Regular cleaning of your eVent® fabricated bivi will enhance product performance. Your shelter is best hand washed in warm water (40°C) with liquid detergent. You may also use Nikwax® Tech Wash or Grangers 30C cleaner. We also recommend a second thorough rinse to remove all traces of detergent from the fabric.

Remember also to refer to the manufacturer's guidelines. Do not use fabric softeners or bleach.

Never dry-clean your eVent® shelter .

How to clean Pertex® Shelters

We now use both Pertex Shield waterproof fabric and Pertex Endurance to make some of our lightweight bivis.

How do I Wash Pertex Endurance?

• Machine or hand wash at 40°C (104°F)
• Use a synthetic setting and mild soap
• Avoid fabric softeners
• Rinse well in cold water
• Cool tumble dry

How do I Wash Pertex Shield

• Machine wash, gentle cycle, 40°C, recommend pure soap or detergent (do not use biological products)
• Rinse well in cold water
• Tumble dry cool setting (to restore water repellency)
• Do not dry clean
• Do not bleach