# waxed canvas versus standard canvas for bags



## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

I have been contemplating buying a Duluth Pack Wanderer for use on outdoor excursions and traveling with the kids, which requires my taking more stuff with me than my trusty Eddie Bauer day pack can handle. On an upcoming trip to South America, I will probably be throwing in everything from my laptop and fleece jacket to a diaper bag, the boys' sweatshirts, toys, DVD player, etc. etc. Invariably, my kids shed stuff, which I have to stuff somewhere. I like the aesthetics of Duluth's stuff, the fact that it's made in the USA using natural materials (it will eventually biodegrade, unlike that Bauer pack, which will remain in a landfill for millenia), and its rep for durability.

Anyway, my question for youz (as they say in Philly) is whether or not waxed canvas is worth the extra $$ over the normal canvas. I don't expect to be hiking in jungles through monsoon season or, more to the point, taking the bag on week-long canoe expeditions. But not having any experience with canvas as a material for bags or clothing, it's not clear to me if it will offer any protection against wetness unless I pony up for the waxed stuff. Thoughts?


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

I would go with the wax if traveling . And climate may be variable. the wax is easy to do after many years of use BtW I recently used a sturdy, unbreakable nice bag about 1 year ago I had my go to bag from Maxpedition. They make very nice bags for middle east contractors They have sturdy packs, luggage, pistol cases I have used all kind of stuff in the service. the state department, CI A are fans of this bag . you cAnt break itchy soak it Take a look may be good for you MaxPedition


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

I have bags made of both untreated cotton canvas and waxed canvas. The waxed canvas performs better when it comes to abrasion resistance and water resistance, but at the expense of weight. 

An 18oz dry canvas material can easily gain a third of it's weight once it's treated with wax. A generous application of a silicone water repellent like Camp Dry on untreated canvas will get you decent results without the weight penalty.

When it comes to abrasion resistance though, the waxed canvas really shines. It turns away thorns and branches, can survive being dragged on pavement, gravel etc. A heavier untreated canvas is also pretty rugged in this regard, but it won't survive unscathed.

It really comes down to how the bag will be treated. I have no reservations about using untreated #8 canvas (18oz) for things like gym bags, totes, dopp kits etc. However, for things that will get beaten and bruised (overnight/travel bags, job site bags and briefcases, hunting/hiking packs etc.) I'll take the waxed cotton. In fact, I'm currently having an overnight duffel made from 24oz waxed twill for when I travel so I can just throw it into the bed of a truck, strap it to a roof rack etc. and not have to worry about it.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

According to the Duluth Pack website, the cotton used is 15oz. Does that make the wax all the more imperative?


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

tocqueville said:


> According to the Duluth Pack website, the cotton used is 15oz. Does that make the wax all the more imperative?


It depends on which fabric weight they're giving you; the before or the after. If you take a look at Martexin's website, you'll see that they list both the unfinished and finished weights of their fabric. A 10oz dry weight canvas turns into a 15oz fabric once it's finished, but it's not any stronger. My experience has been that most retailers of waxed cotton products (read: Filson) will list the finished weight only.

Whether or not a 15oz weight is enough is up to you. For comparison:

-Filson Tin Cloth is 12.5oz finished. 
-Filson Rugged Twill is 22oz finished. 
-A Barbour Bedale is 6oz. 
-An Barbour International is 8oz.


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## cowboyjack (May 18, 2008)

With unwaxed cotton, you will soon have spots worn thin that leak water like a pig.


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## 4dgt90 (Dec 2, 2009)

cowboyjack said:


> With unwaxed cotton, you will soon have spots worn thin that leak water like a pig.


how much water does a pig leak?


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## tda003 (Aug 16, 2009)

To me, waxed has it all over unwaxed for water resistance. However, waxed canvas can rub off clothing, like pants legs, for instance, especially in warm weather or after re-waxing.


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## sbdivemaster (Nov 13, 2011)

This is a suggestion, and only a suggestion, but perhaps worth consideration.

I've been testing out a new product called Otter Wax on various materials and applications - just on my own, not anything associated with the company.

https://www.otterwax.com/

So far, I can't complain; it seems to be a decent product. Since it's fairly new, how it performs over time still needs to be seen, but I expect it to do well over the long run.

Take a look at the website, the tutorials show the wax being applied to different items. The owner has answered questions I emailed to him. Check it out, decide for yourself. I just thought I'd throw it out there.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

What happens to waxed canvas in hot weather or the sun?


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## andy b. (Mar 18, 2010)

It melts. 
Seriously, it softens a bit, and if you had applied a liberal coat of wax in the winter and didn't use the item much, it would probably get wax on things in the summer and dirt would tend to stick to it. In actual use, if you applied wax, then wiped off the excess, then used the item, by the time the heat of summer got to it, the wax would of course soften a little, but most of the wax should have been worked into the fabric and any excess would have been worn away in use. I wouldn't leave a waxed cotton jacket sitting on a suede jacket in a hot car, but otherwise I never noticed any problems with it.

You probably wouldn't wear any waxed garments in the summer, as the fabric isn't very breathable, but a waxed canvas bag should have most excess wax worn away from daily use.

Andy B.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

andy b. said:


> It melts.
> Seriously, it softens a bit, and if you had applied a liberal coat of wax in the winter and didn't use the item much, it would probably get wax on things in the summer and dirt would tend to stick to it. In actual use, if you applied wax, then wiped off the excess, then used the item, by the time the heat of summer got to it, the wax would of course soften a little, but most of the wax should have been worked into the fabric and any excess would have been worn away in use. I wouldn't leave a waxed cotton jacket sitting on a suede jacket in a hot car, but otherwise I never noticed any problems with it.
> 
> You probably wouldn't wear any waxed garments in the summer, as the fabric isn't very breathable, but a waxed canvas bag should have most excess wax worn away from daily use.
> ...


...but if the bag is only going to get casual use, will it make a mess?


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## memphislawyer (Mar 2, 2007)

Tocq: Wonder what you got. I need a duffle for weekends out of town, say a Thursday night to Sunday afternoon, something with say two pair of shoes, 4 pants, 4 or 5 shirts, couple of sweaters, tshirts, boxers, socks and dopp kitt. So medium to large, but I am also torn between waxed canvas (say a Gustin bag) or regular canvas (got my eyes on a Beckel Bag out of Oregon, like $84 with strap). I have something for airplanes, and I have something for longer trips, but weekends, say from my house to my daughter's, something to throw in the trunk. Sure, I want it to last, so the abrasion thing sticks out, but its not like I will go camping or into the mountains but yes, maybe a lake house, lol

Thought I would update this and see what you did and see if in 2+ years anyone else had this.


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## gaseousclay (Nov 8, 2009)

sbdivemaster said:


> This is a suggestion, and only a suggestion, but perhaps worth consideration.
> 
> I've been testing out a new product called Otter Wax on various materials and applications - just on my own, not anything associated with the company.
> 
> ...


Gustin has a pic on their Instagram of a customer's rewaxed trucker jacket (he used Otterwax) that looks pretty cool. I haven't tried the stuff but it supposedly uses natural ingredients, compared to Filson wax which is paraffin based

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mistabutters (Jul 10, 2014)

Personally I would go with the waxed canvas. It's going to hold up better than normal canvas plus be a bit water resistant. And with something from Gustin, you aren't going to have to worry about the wax coming off and staining anything. The final reason is character. I own a couple waxed canvas bags and a couple standard canvas, and the waxed canvas just develops so much character over the years.


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## memphislawyer (Mar 2, 2007)

Mista, thank you. I missed out on the black Gustin bag so if you, or anyone else, knows some waxed canvas around the $100 to $149 mark, let me know. I can wait until later this month but sure would like to have it by January 5th to take to Nashville.


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## Bradley.Kohr.II (Oct 12, 2012)

Sail cloth bags tend to be fairly water resistant/abrasion resistant/etc as well - and very light.

I use a pelican hard case these days - I have one for week long trips and will be getting another for shorter ones, but that's to take airline handling.


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## memphislawyer (Mar 2, 2007)

Thinking of LL Bean because of the guarantee

Either the large adventure duffle here: https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63913?feat=63929-pprrright

or canvas one here:

Ideas?


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