Any suggestion on using feathers in the rain beside the obvious plastic bag to cover them?
thanks
You can buy a powder to dip them in to waterproof them. I can't recall the names of the makers but someone else here will or I am sure you can find it on one of the sponser's sites like 3 Rivers.
If you bare shaft tune your arrows correctly they'll shoot with very little feather steerage anyway. Also, the more forward of center you get your set-up the less steerage you need.
I believe some folks use some sort of tire treatment from Wal-Mart for waterproofing feathers.
Here's what Kustom King offers:
http://www.kustomkingarchery.com/Waterproofing-Powder/productinfo/9201/
Fletch-Dry works pretty good. It's a powder. Put some in a sandwitch bab and put the end of your arrow in, shake and remove the excess. It will dry out your hands...and your lips if you get it on them when you shoot the coated arrows.
never had any real problems with wet feather fletches, my arrows bare shaft well. a few hand snaps of a soaked arrow and the bigger part of the feather's wetness whips off.
for expected wet hunting, i love the hooded safari tuff quiver.
i did some wet comparisons of turkey and goose feathers last year - the canada goose feathers almost never got watersoaked like the turkey feathers. the down side of goose feathers is the dark gray color is hard to track in flight, dunno of any method of coloring goose feathers, and if so would that coloring process affect its water resistance.
I use fletch dry as well, good stuff, been out hunting in everything from terential downpours to heavy snow, no problems. That and like Todd said if your shafts are tuned right you dont need much feather in the back! But I always do my best to keep them dry, as I dont practice with them wet
If you wrap the fletching with press and seal food wrap it will stay dry and will slip right off over the fletching with a lite pull
Harry
I have always used a silicon gel that is used for fly fishing. I don't have the name as the label fell off. By rubbing it on feathers are impervios to water and it lasts a long time.
I use food grade silicone spray,it dries fast and has no smell.
Just fletch some arrows with natural goose feathers. Not hard to come by and are made by nature to keep water out.
Here's a hint. I used to own a fly fishing store. A cross product is Hairline Watershed liquid fly dubbing. Odorless, colorless, beads water. Beyond simple to apply. Rub it in with fingers, let air dry.
http://www.mwflytying.com/materials/watershed.html
The Water Shed for fly tying works great.
I've wrapped all my feathers with an Arrowmaster Quiver. Seems to keep the water off...
I have not tried it but have read Tire Black works well and is cheap
Any good silicone spray works fine.
I've tried everything I've ever heard of,nothing worked well enough to bother with in NZ's rain.
If I know it's going to be real bad,I sometimes trim 5" feathers down a little an make em' low profile.
I've also found darker colours hold up better,with Red being about the best.
All in all though,if they fly bare shaft,they'll fly wet as well.
Camp Dry spray....
Fletch dry works good for me
If it's raining that hard I stay home.Feather you buy are cut and died from goose feathers they have a natural oil in them.Or you can buy power.Or if you bare shaft your arrows wet feathers won't matter.I've shot feathers for 30 years it reallt dosn'tmatter.
QuoteOriginally claimed by Hareline Dubbing:
Watershed is one of the most exciting new products ever produced. Nothing compares to this product!
LOL! May be a very good product, but that must be the overstatement of the year! No offence ^^
I have only used a catquiver or bag like you said. This seems like the only way to keep them 100% dry.
I have used the Camp Dry spray (last season)Silicone spray for camping stuff - it does work although the feathers really seperate after awhile and are not one "feather" anymore - if that makes sense. By the end of the season they were ugly and virtually useless in my opinion.
I debated using the 3M Spray on them, the same spray I use on My Felt Fedora Hat! its pretty Stinky though, has anyone Used THIS Before??