paddymade water bucket

[johnjam]

G'day everyone
I just stumbled across this site last week while I was researching 2 man UL tents .
It looked like a great site so I joined !
I live in Sydney , and In a nutshell , I was into a bit of bushwalking and rockclimbing when I was a young bloke , but then dropped out what with work and family etc .
Still took the boys away occassionaly , but it was pretty spasmodic .
Anyhow , now I'm an old fart , and got more a bit more time , I'm slowly getting back into things .
And I've still got stuff from 40 yrs ago !
The reason for this message is that I still have my Paddy Pallin water bucket .
You older blokes would remember these . It's made out of Japara , has a zipper on top , and two handles , and holds about six litres .
They were supposed to ooze a bit of water ,so the outside was always wet , and the evapourating water would cool the water inside .
Trouble is , this buckets just like me , and showing it's age .
Instead of the water oozing out , it leaks out pretty quickly .
There's no physical wear / damage / abrasion to the material , it's more like the japara has forgotten to swell when wet ( and I've soaked it for days in a tub trying to revive it )
I rang up Paddys ( and another store ) to ask advice , but they basically suggested I throw it away , and buy a new plastic one .
Trouble is , I haven't used it that much , but I have used it for forty years and I'm attached to it .
Does anybody have any suggestions on how I can revive it , or oil it , or externally coat it , or whatever ?
Thanks John

[corvus]

You could use if you can find it the re coating cream for Japarrah which from memory really stank (metho and lanolin ??) or chance the poisons in "Atsko Silcone Water Guard (by Sno Seal) " great to waterproof packs ,or just get over it and hang it up for display because why would you need a 6 lt water bucket now , I had the one that hung from the front of the 4wd worked on the same principal I also used an external H framed pack, an A framed tent and lit fires to cook on ,from one old fart to an other times have changed

[tas-man]

Welcome aboard John from another "old fart"
I donated my 1970's NZ oilskin japara and Paddy Pallin oilskin water bucket to Launceston's Queen Victoria Museum when I first moved to Tassie in 1994. That year they had mounted a local exhibition of Bushwalking History and Equipment, and were calling for items to be donated to expand their collection. My Japara jacket was getting tatty but the water bucket was still in good condition, but was unused for many years. I used to reproof my japara oilskin every summer with a mix of linseed and terebrin (approx. 9 parts linseed : 1 part terebrin I think) and then hang it out in the sun for a few days to let the linseed "set" and become dry enought to put away. If your Paddy water bucket is japara, you can reproof it this way and it will continue to serve you well! Here's a Paddy Palling 1970 catalogue page that shows the item for all those "young 'uns" that have grown up in the age of gortex and wine bladders

Paddy Pallin equipment catalogue C1970

[Son of a Beach]

I'm a (relative) youngster and have only seen these buckets in use once on a winter trip where I discovered their cold weather shortcomings. It had been left outside on the verandah of new new Pelion Hut overnight (can't leave it inside, as it seeps water slowly). Not only had the water inside frozen over on top, but the entire thing was frozen solid on the outside, couldn't be opened, and was actually frozen to the deck like it had been welded there!

[sthughes]

Here's a Paddy Palling 1970 catalogue page that shows the item for all those "young 'uns" that haver grown up in the age of gortex and wine bladders

You "old farts" had it so easy! A top of the range sleeping bag for only $35.35! It cost me almost that much for a good pair of socks the other day!
Did you buy your cheap wine in canvas buckets to?
But really though - an empty wine bladder weighs nothing and packs up to next to nothing - way to go I reckon .

[kanangra]

I have one of those. Used it only recently. Attracted some comments. I note that I have the de-luxe model; it comes complete with zip closure. A bargain at $2.25!

[Tony]

This is a picture of my Paddymade water bucket but I think it is from the 80's.

water bag.JPG (35.44 KiB) Viewed 12924 times

The second picture is of my Oily Japara Jacket which I brought from Paddys Canberra in 1975, I still have a one person nylon A frame tent which I also got from Paddys at the same time, the tent weighs in at for the time a super light 1 kg. In 1975 I spent three months tramping in New Zealand mainly South Island, I lived out of my pack and tent, the highlight of the trip was, I spent a week in the wilds of Stewart Is.

Oily Japara Jacket.JPG (66.76 KiB) Viewed 12923 times

Tony

[Son of a Beach]

Good to see you've go the Trangia set up in the shed ready to make a cuppa any time you need it, Tony.

[kanangra]

Ah there was nothing quite like the smell of one of those jackets. Sadly mine is long gone. I still have my Paddymade wall tent though. Bought it for my first Tassie trip- The Western Arthurs in 1978 I think it was. Ah those were the days. Ian Crawford came on that trip. Sadly he was lost a few years later during a flash flood in Claustral Canyon.

[Singe]

Here's a Paddy Palling 1970 catalogue page that shows the item for all those "young 'uns" that have grown up in the age of gortex and wine bladders

"A boon in camp"

If there were a Boon in camp, I reckon you'd want six liters of beer, not water

[johnjam]

Thanks for the tip Tas man . I'll have a go at reproofing it for old times sake .
But *&%$#! hell , you really make a bloke feel old , telling him his toys are now in a museum !
As a matter of fact , re the Paddy Pallin ad ,I still have all that stuff from the 60's ! My Hotham sleeping bag is pretty tatty and the zipper is almost fallen off , but its still handy as a warm throw-over rug . The A frame tent is still in good condition , and I still have the old H frame pack I bought in the 60' second hand !
But I'm not a complete Luddite !
I actually planned to get back into Bushwalking etc about 4 years ago , but various injuries have made it a bit of a slow process . You know how it is -three steps forward and two steps back .
But in the meantime I've been building up my stock of new gear via birthday and chrissie presents . ( It pays to tell them exactly what you want ) My sons have bought me a One Planet pack , and some Scarpa boots , and my girlfriend bought me a Macpac sleeping bag . And recently I pointed out to her that I was more use to her alive rather than dead , and so she bought me a Steripen !
And I've just ordered a UL tent from the US .
So I'm slowly coming into the 20th century .
Whoops . I mean the 21st century .
Cheers John

[sthughes]

Looks like buckets are making a come back. Here's a new one that looks to be in the spirit of the the old canvas ones... http://www.seatosummit.com/products/display/72

[juney]

My local Paddy Pallin (Brisbane) has a couple of these old style water buckets.....only they're full of sand and used as 5kg weights for pack fitting. It'd never occured to me that they had a previous purpose. I feel so "younger generation". Love seeing the old catalogues.
Cheers,
Juney.

[juney]

Hi Johnjam,
Just had a thought. There is a spray on nikwax product called "wax cotton proof" it was $24.95 for 300ml (a few months ago). the label says "ideal for Barbuor and Driza-Bone". I think Barbour is japarra. Should be ideal.
Cheers,
Juney.

[rcaffin]

I still have my Paddy-made water bucket and my Paddy Pallin green japara 2-man wall tent - both in good condition.
Both retired though.

Cheers

[Tony]

Hi Roger,

I still have my Paddy-made water bucket and my Paddy Pallin green japara 2-man wall tent - both in good condition.
Both retired though.

Cheers

Some pictures please.

Tony

[Son of a Beach]

Hi Roger,

Some pictures please.

Tony

My thoughts exactly... I'd love to see some pictures of these in use, if you have some old shots handy.