Keeping your Rain Gear Waterproof Season after Season

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The author and her favorite rain jacket.

Have you seen the forecast for the next few days? I know a large percentage of my readers live in the northwest, and if you haven’t looked yet, the rain is coming. 

I got my first cycling specific rain jacket that actually fit in January of 2021. Prior to the Pearl Izumi WXB Monsoon Rain Jacket, which I’ve raved about to anyone who will listen (and was just featured on Insider.com as one of my go-to Plus Sized Gear finds for cycling), I used casual rain jackets from Old Navy, rain capes, and fleece jackets - just about anything to attempt to keep myself dry. Spoiler alert - they don’t work that well.

Well, as the seasons change again and we head into the rainy season, I realized I had no idea how to properly care for my rain jacket to make sure it’s as water repellent as possible! I assumed you just pull it out of the closet when the rain starts and voila…you’re ready! 

Turns out that might not be the case. Rain gear, just like all the rest of your gear, needs to be taken care of to stay in good working order.

I learned all this recently as I’ve partnered up with Nikwax NA, makers of some of the best (and most sustainable) technical fabric wash, waterproofing materials, and gear protectants on the market to learn how to keep my favorite new rain jacket in tip-top shape for years to come. 

I’m gonna share with you what I’ve learned, so you can keep your gear in great shape too:

You’re supposed to both CLEAN and RE-WATERPROOF your gear!

Just like our clothes, our outer layers get gross. Road dirt, grime, grease from our fingers, body oil, and just dirt from daily life builds up on our rain jackets, which actually attracts more water to the fabric. I’ve definitely noticed this on my gear, especially around the collar (where it touches my face), near the hand openings, and by the zipper. These spots always seem to lose their water repellency the fastest and now I know why!

Before Cleaning/Waterproofing

The water is sitting on the surface, kind of absorbing into the fabric.

The first step in taking care of your gear is to clean it with a technical wash. Using a regular detergent (which I’m totally guilty of) actually attracts water to the fabric instead of repelling it, the whole point of wearing a rain coat!

I used (and recommend) Nikwax’s TechWash - you add it directly to the washing machine (just like detergent) and run a regular cycle. Easy peasy! 

****Quick note - if you live in a building with a shared laundry facility, make sure you clean out the detergent hole before putting in the TechWash! If not, the detergent will basically deactivate the TechWash, making it pointless.****

Clean, then waterproof your gear.

Step 1. Clean

You wouldn’t wax a dirty car. Why would you waterproof a dirty jacket? Clean that baby!

You wouldn’t wax a dirty car. So why would you waterproof dirty gear? When it's put this way, it makes way more sense. So, after you wash your gear with the TechWash, run it through another cycle with the wash-in waterproofing (or use the spray on waterproofing.) Hang it up to dry (no heat needed to activate!) And you’re ready to go!

Step 2. Waterproof

After you clean it, then you can waterproof it. Run another cycle with the TX Direct Wash-in and you’re done!

You should clean your gear 5 times more often than you waterproof it!

Ok, this one was mind-blowing to me. Maybe I’m a gross person because I don’t think I wash my rain jacket 5 times in a season. But after learning this, I will definitely be washing my rain jacket and technical gear MUCH MORE OFTEN!

Clean your technical gear, base layers, wool, and footwear using the proper cleaners!

One size does NOT fit all when it comes to this and we should not be using standard laundry detergent to clean our gear! (Again, I’m definitely guilty of this…)

We all know that funky smell that happens when people wear their rain gear or base layers and don’t clean it properly. Don’t be that person. Nikwax makes specifically designed base layer wash, wool wash, technical gear wash (for tents, etc), and a sandal wash for our nasty Crocs, Chacos, etc. 

Nikwax products are pretty dang sustainable - and have been since the beginning!

Over the past few years, I’ve definitely switched many of my cleaning products away from harsh chemicals and more towards natural ingredients. Truth be told, I think I use more vinegar and baking soda than is healthy, but that stuff works. So I was heartened to learn about Nikwax’s sustainability efforts, including using all water-based products, never using PFCs, and having a goal of using 100% recycled plastic in their bottles by the end of this year.

Super importantly, their chemicals are also non-persistent in the environment, which means they don’t stick around - because they’re water based, we won’t be breathing in or ingesting NikWax for years to come.

The Greenest Gear is the Gear you Already Own

Honestly when you think about it, it's surprising how much money we spend on our outdoor gear, and how little time and energy we spend to maintain it. If we all took a little more time, effort and yes, investment into keeping our existing gear in good shape, we’d all need to consume a lot less gear overall. 

So, in addition to riding my bike more this winter, my goal is to be a lot less gross and take better care of my gear. I’d love for you to join me in this effort! 

Recommendation Round Up: Bikes, Clothing, Shoes

Let’s talk about recommendations! This is the number one question I get across the board – on Instagram, Facebook and here on my blog  - what bike/clothing/shoes should I get?

Well, I’ve finally rounded up all of my favorites into one place! I’ve also added in a few of my favorite tips - like don’t wear underwear with your bike shorts! Did you know that?

Check them out here and please, share widely!

Bike Recommendations

Bike Clothing Recommendations

Tops & Bottoms

Rain Gear

Shoes

Bike Accessories - Saddles, Pumps and other fun gear!

As we get closer to bike camping season, we’ll start to talk camping gear, bike bags, and much more.

What else do you want to see reviewed? Let me know in the comments!

Why I love using a trainer to ride indoors

I had an indoor bike trainer a few years ago – it made a really good door stop and dust collector but I really didn’t ride it much… it was hard to set up, loud, and I had no idea what sort of resistance level I was working with. If you asked me what brand it was I couldn’t tell you – I had bought whatever seemed decent in an attempt to keep riding through the Seattle winter. Clearly I didn’t listen to my friends and all the internet advice that told me to spend a few extra bucks for a Smart Trainer. I ended up hating the trainer and hardly ever riding it.

Fast forward three years and I’m back on the trainer game, this time off to a much more successful start. I’ve got the Saris M2 Smart Trainer and have already logged nearly 200 miles indoors! While it’s not a replacement for carefree days outside in the sun, it’s a darn good backup when it’s raining, too smoky to breathe, or you know, a global pandemic.  Read on for details on how you can win a Saris trainer….

Ready to jump on the trainer!

Why I love my trainer

Here’s a few other reasons why I’ve become a convert to using a Smart trainer:

• Easy to set up

• Connects with online cycling apps like Rouvy and Zwift, where you can ride in real-time with friends and strangers!

• Realistically simulates real-world riding, including hill climbing and descending

• It’s actually a really good work out!

Setting up your trainer

A quick word on the setup. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I am literally the least handy or mechanically inclined person in the world. My curtains literally fell down a day after I put them up. So when I say this trainer is easy to set up, I’m not lying. From box to riding, it was about 15 minutes, including the digital connections! It’s got fancy integrated cadence, speed and power data and dual ANT+ FE-C and Bluetooth sensors, so you really don’t need any other connections too.

I do think a lot of people would do a double-take at seeing my touring bike on a trainer, but you know what, ride what you got, right? Full disclosure, I bought a cheap road bike that I intended to use as a trainer bike, but it’s really ill-fitting. So with a quick tire change (**very important – make sure if you’re using a trainer you’re using either a smooth tire or a tire intended for use on a trainer!**), I was able to use my Surly on the M2 trainer. Sure I don’t need the racks and fenders and safety pizza, but why not ride my favorite and most comfortable bike?

It’s honestly kind of funny – when I’m riding outdoors I hardly ever pay attention to speed, watts, cadence – I’m out there to ride.  But indoors, I guess because there isn’t scenery to look at or bakeries to stop at, the stats are pretty fun.

The Saris M2 is a “wheel-on” trainer, so you can use your current set-up (as long as your tires are smooth.

I’m really looking forward to continuing to ride my trainer and improve my fitness with it. Most winters, I don’t ride very much and then every spring, it’s a bit of a slog to get my legs back into riding shape for touring and bikepacking season. I’m hopeful that riding indoors will keep build my endurance and stamina throughout the winter so when the good riding weather comes around again, I’ll be able to go further and recover faster!

Want to join me in the trainer fun? Well, lucky you, I’ve partnered up with Saris and Machines for Freedom to help promote the Ultimate Indoor Cycling Giveaway! Go here and enter to win a slew of really amazing prizes including:

* MP1 Nfinity trainer platform
* H3 direct drive smart trainer
* TD1 trainer desk
* 1-year subscription to ROUVY
* PLUS! Machines For Freedom Essential Cycling Short
*The Luxe Cropped Base
*The Summerweight Long Sleeve Jersey in the new Moonlight Print
*The Twilight Jacket
* AND! New Insulated Water Bottles in Palmera to stay hydrated!

Kailey Kornhauser and I will also be hosting a series of Friday rides at Noon PST on Zwift we’re calling “All Bodies on Bikes.” These will be no-drop virtual rides where we can sweat together virtually! Find me on Zwift (Marley Blonsky), follow me, and I can invite you to the meetups!

Good luck and see you on the trainer!!  

Giveaway link: https://www.saris.com/page/saris-x-machines-giveaway

My 5 Must-Have Camping Gear Items

I was catching up the other day with a friend who I hadn’t seen since April and we got to talking about our summers. He asked me what my favorite trip was and I had a hard time choosing. For some reason it feels like I haven’t gone anywhere, which is frankly not true at all. I’ve gone around the globe.

From the Dalles to Sweden to the San Juans to Montana, summer of 2017 has been one for the record books for me. I slept outside more than I have other summers, did more multi-night camping trips, and pushed myself further.

Rolling into our dream spot on the Deschutes River in May

All of this camping gave me a great opportunity to get really really familiar with a few pieces of gear that are now in my pack every time I go camping.

There are some pieces of gear that rotate depending on whom I’m going with, the weather, and how I’m getting there. These include my stove, sleeping system, and tent. If it’s super nice out with no rain in the forecast, I might forego a tent and sleep on a ground cloth. If I’m with my boyfriend, we’ll take the bigger tent and big stove. If it’s going to be cold and I’m going solo, I’ll take the insulated pad, warmer sleeping bag, and tiny stove. All sorts of variables going into picking these things.

But there are a few specific pieces of essential gear that absolutely must come with me EVERY SINGLE TIME. This is regardless of weather, destination, or company:

1.       Fozzils Folding bowl/cutting board combination

This bowl/cutting board combo is exactly what it sounds like. Folds up into a bowl, lays flat for a cutting board. I *think* it comes in a 2 pack, which is perfect for prepping on one, and then eating in the other. For any weight weinies reading this, each bowl is 1.4oz (40grams), so pretty damn light for a cutting board & bowl!

2.       GSI Drip coffee maker

This is another folding contraption, and while there are fancier ones out there, this GSI Collapsible coffee maker does the job perfectly. Collapses super small, never retains odors/colors/stains, easy to use with a variety of filter sizes when I inevitably forget one and have to borrow from somebody.

3.       Black Diamond Headlamp

Just like the coffee maker, there are fancier versions of this out there, but I arbitrarily picked the $20 headlamp a few years ago at REI and have been happy with it ever since. The battery lasts forever, it’s easy to operate, dims when I want it to, goes to red light for reading/not blinding people. Overall, just a functional headlamp.

4.       Paradox baselayer

Underwear are particular for every person. Wool underwear are like underwear, just longer, and more people see them, at least if you go camping with me. So, take this recommendation with a grain of salt. I absolutely LOVE my Paradox baselayer from Paradox that I got at Costco four years ago. They’ve got a few holes in them from embers around the fire and have been on countless trips. But goddamn do I love them. Perfectly soft (even from the first wear) and just the right weight that they’re great as a single layer on warm nights, or as a base layer on cold nights.

5.       Ditty bags (Waterproof and non. I have both.)

The secret to enjoying camping is staying organized. Knowing where my snacks are when I get hungry, socks are when my feet are cold, and Tylenol is to beat the hangover before it starts is the magic that keeps me coming back. Staying organized also makes packing and unpacking a breeze. The only way I’m able to do this is with ditty bags. I use these for everything – food, clothes, underwear, toiletries, bike tools. Everything.

So what are your go-to pieces of gear? (Also, sorry for the ads/affiliate links. I’m trying it out- let me know any feedback. Also, you should buy from a local shop and not Amazon, but if your'e gonna buy from them anyway, use these links and I'll get a very very very tiny %.)