Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Scarpa boots and Nikwax

I bought a pair of Scarpa SL M3's a few years ago. I have to say it is the best boot I have ever used for packing a heavy load. Scarpa recommends Nikwax and that is all I have used on them. I hunt dry country and Nikwax has worked fine the few times I have had the boots in wet conditions. I just got back from elk hunting in Colorado and Nikwax is a joke!

It snowed two days and both days it started out as wet melting snow. The Scarpas ended up saturated and turned to blocks of ice overnight. I had another pair of boots but they weren't my packing boots and I had an elk to pack out of the canyon.

Will one of the good beeswax based leather conditioners destroy my Scarpas? What do you use on Scarpas?

I could have told you that Nikwax is crap and is a "sales add-on" in stores where profit takes precedence over sound customer service and helping people to enjoy the outdoors.

The ONLY product to use on contemporary leather boots is Obenauf's Heavyduty LP and it is made in Idaho and available on the net.

I have worn highend leather work and mountain boots pretty much constantly for over 50 years in BC and actually retired from the major boot fitter's job at Canada's largest gear retailer, after many years in forestry. So, I have tried them all and Obenauf's is the best I have every used.

Follow the directions given, DO NOT heat your boots in an oven or use a "heat gun" as this may well damage them and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results.

I wish that they would make this a "sticky" as I have posted this info. many times.

I have the same boots and have used Nikwax from new as directed. It doesn't seem to last too long, I reapply as needed which may be once a year or several times depending on use.

I did use Sno Seal on a pair of boots many years ago and didn't care for the results. IMHO the leather dried and cracked prematurely. I felt I should have gotten a few more seasons use from the boots.

I second Kutenay's Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP recommendation.

I have used it on lots of boots and it works great. I have used it on both pairs of my Goretex lined Vasque Sundowners ( ones made in Italy, before they screwed up by sending production to China) and it works great. The boots still breath OK ( maybe slightly not as good if there was no treatment at all) and keep your feet dry. I do not really trust Goretex per say, but I trust Obenauf's.

I have used Sno- Seal on some boots with various results depending on desired application. It works good on Leather uppers of LL Bean rubber bottom boots and SS is actually LL Beans recommendation for those, or at least it used to be as they put in a little sample pack of SS when shipping the boots. But I do not like SS on leather boots that I want to breath, as I do not think it does as well as Obenauf's, or Montana Pitch Blend. BTW- MPB is an OK product, but Obenauf's is a better product than MPB.

I live in a place that is WET and we have lots of people that work outside in the woods for a living. At the local logging supplies and clothing/ boot place- that sells also to lots of other outdoor workers and outdoorsmen; recommends Obenauf's and is their best seller- because it works. Put on correctly, the moisture never even gets to a point of saturating the leather. When the leather gets fully saturated in a wet environment; that is where you have trouble getting it dried out. And when your inner part of your boot is equally wet from perspiring, then- as they say in Brooklyn,- "Fuggetaboutit".

Note: - I have used Nikwax once ( because years ago that's what the REI fella that sold me a pair of leather Goretex boots, my first ever GT boots, said is what I needed); well, that was the last time. Hunted in them on a wilderness wet weather hunt, and the Asolo's ( I had another name for them that rhymed with that ) got soaking wet and never dried out the whole trip. After that I decided I would go back to the traditional type of wax/ oil based boot dressing that I had used since I was in scouts.

Both the Asolo's and the Nikwax ended up being returned to REI upon my return from that trip. Was not really sure which one was the major culprit- but the boots and that product together failed; and they were new boots. I figured if the Goretex on the new boot could not even back up the Nikwax treatment, well then they were not to be trusted. I know that I have used Obenaufs's with other older Gortex lined boots after the Goretex has given up the ghost, and the Obenaufs's kept my feet dry.

I think of Nikwax as being more of a DWR product. It is OK for clothing, not as good for boots.

BTW- that local logging supply company I mentioned above, sells Nikwax for waterproof breathable clothing, but even they do not have it as one of their boot dressings they sell. They sell a variety of different outdoor and work boots and they sell a ton of them.

has anybody seen a heavy application of obenauf's break down and soften a leather boot prematurely? anybody using obenauf's on kennetreks?

Sold the scarpas and purchased merrell wilderness. Not looked backed. Too many seams on the scarpa.

I have used Obenauf's HD LP heavily on my Wesco work boots. The leather is softer than new but not broken down by any means. This pair is about to go in for their third rebuild as the soles are shot and leather insoles are crumbling away leaving exposed nails. The uppers that have been treated with Obenauf's a couple times a year since I got them in 2003 and they look great for the wear they have been subjected to.

Oh and my heavy application is boots left in sun to warm leather then slathered liberally with the Obenauf's then left in hot sun in black yard waste trash bag to soak it in.

When my new Goretex Zamberlan's warrant it they will be getting Obenauf HD LP as well.

I even did a leather saddle bags and a golf bag in Obenauf's. Great stuff and I cannot recommend it enough.

I have used nikwax for the last time...based on all these threads and will make the switch to Obenauf's Heavyduty LP

Has anyone used Danner's branded Boot Care for waterproofing?

I am wearing a pair of Scarpa Concordias that I bought in January, 2001, and have worn very extensively since then. I have treated them ONLY with Obenauf's, as the gentleman above does his boots and they are still in fine condition. I have many pairs of mountain boots, wear them every day, all year due to orthopaedic issues and I have never had a problem using Obenauf's.

I have had highend Euro boot seams rip after SnoSeal, won't use thie crap and Montana is OK, but, wet snow just eats it....Obenauf's is the best I have ever used for any leather....don't know about GT boots, wore some, hate them and will not buy them, again.

Obenauf's it is! I was never sure that watery Nikwax would do the job but that is what Scarpa recommends. I was given some Snow Seal but I keep hearing bad things about it.

Thanks for the info!