KIWI Outdoor Survival Kit (Product Review)

Recently, the folks at KIWI sent us their Outdoor Survival Kit to do a product review for our readers. In addition, they are going to do a Giveaway of one KIWI Outdoor Survival Kit to one of our readers (More details to follow soon on the Giveaway and upcoming Photograph Contest).

About the Outdoor Kit: The Outdoor Survival Kit includes KIWI Camp Dry Heavy Duty Water Repellent, it creates a tough waterproof barrier and is perfect for use on your boots. The kit also includes KIWI Camp Dry Performance Fabric Protector, which is a non-silicone formula that repels water, dirt and oil stains without discoloring fabrics. The kit also includes KIWI Saddle Soap, which is specially formulated to thoroughly clean, soften and preserve smooth leather and also contains a quality wax for added protection as it cleans. Lastly the outdoor kit includes KIWI Outdoor Laces. KIWI's outdoor shoe laces are braided for extra durability. You can check out KIWI's Facebook Page for more product information as well. Below is our reviews on the Different Products:

KIWI Camp Dry Heavy Duty Water Repellent: Ashley and I have used Kiwi Camp Dry Heavy Duty Water Repellent on several occasions. We regularly use this product if we need a way to make our regular hiking shoes water proof for a hike. This is a product that works and is a cheap temporary way to provide needed water protection on a hike. One notable hike I used this product on was Mt. Whitney. At the time I was looking for an option to make my hiking shoes water repellent. Because of the wet year we had in the 2010 California rainy season, there was still plenty of melting snow on Mt. Whitney, to the point where we used ice axes on certain sections of our hike. I followed the directions on applying the Heavy Duty Water Repellent and the product performed great while hiking on Mt. Whitney. My hiking shoes repelled water, as advertised. One negative to this product is there is a smell with the initial spray, which usually goes away within a day, possibly a little more. When using the product, make sure to apply it a day or so before your hiking trip. Once the product drys out, there is no odor. The silicone bonds to the leather/fabric of your hiking boot to create an extremely tough water barrier, while still allowing the article to breath. The package says you could spray this on articles of select types of outdoor clothing, however, I have not done that and don't necessarily feel comfortable doing so. This is, however, a great affordable product to make your hiking boots temporarily water proof.

KIWI Camp Dry Performance Fabric Protector: Ashley and I have used this on our tent on several occasions when backpacking. We have also used it on our shoes as well. This is a non-silicone polymer and does not have the same initial odor problems as the Heavy Duty Water Repellent. There is no odor with this product and it is not silicone based like the previous product, and thus it has more applications. It did a good job of repelling water from getting inside the tent. The product also can be used on other apparel such as jackets, pants and performance gear. It did not discolor the clothing we tested it on. In reality the only use that I see Ashley and I using this product is on our shoes, our tent to protect from outside moisture, and our backpacks. This is another great affordable product that makes fabrics and other materials temporarily waterproof.

KIWI Saddle Soap: This is a hiking shoe cleaning product that is perfect for those of you that have leather based shoes. It took my Merrills from dusty and worn looking to new in a couple of minutes of cleaning. I followed the instructions on the container and applied the Saddle Soap with a damp cloth to clean the shoes. With relativity little effort my hiking boots were looking like they once did. Best of all the Saddle Soap will help protect your shoes from the elements. Applying the Saddle Soap is a similar to applying shoe polish. This product works and we definitely recommend it to others.

KIWI Outdoor Laces: Who doesn't need a backup pair of shoe laces. Neither Ashley or I took out the laces of our hiking shoes to test this product out, but we did pull the laces out of the packaging to get a look at them. They appear well made and will work well with your hiking shoes. Both Ashley and I have used KIWI replacement laces on other athletic and dress shoes in the past and they have always performed well. From our experience, KIWI makes great shoe care products that protect your shoes and increases their lifespan.