ATSKO's Legacy of conservation

The Sno-Seal Legacy of Conservation

The Sno-Seal name and its inventor, the late, Ome Daiber is associated with one of the longest traditions in modern outdoor sports. Atsko has chosen to carry that tradition forward with the integrity and ingenuity that Sno-Seal has always inspired.

Ome was a conservator and an environmentalist before the word existed. He invented Sno-Seal in 1933 because he knew that an ounce of beeswax would double or triple the life of a mountaineering or ski boot. Any way you look at a product like Sno-Seal it is a net gain for all involved. One ounce of beeswax and a few minutes of effort improve and maintain a boot that required several pounds of raw material. The leather and other materials required chemical processing, transport, labor, finishing and the finished produce requires shipping, storing, selling and the shopping to choose the best item/price.

If an article of clothing or footwear costs $200 and you can extend its life by a factor of 10 with $2.00 worth of Sno-Seal you would enjoy a 1000 to 1 payback. You may also add new functionality for a fraction of the price of a new garment.

As the world explores the expanding limits of sport and science it recognizes that we should practice good stewardship of the environment. It is a right thing to do.

Trying to be Green is a real challenge for a marketer who’s success depends on selling you more than you need as often as possible. This is like trying to justify replacing a 3000 pound automobile to save 100 pounds of fuel per year. Fortunately for us, Atsko/Sno-Seal is intrinsically Green by the very nature of what we do.

The use of our products reduces the environmental cost of everything they are used to restore, and with a huge multiplier effect. Buying an expensive, made in China, insulated DWR Jacket with a Waterproof Breathable lining vs. a similar name brand item from Malaysia is a small difference to the environment. However, if one of those Jackets is cared for correctly with Atsko/Sno-Seal products it can provide the user comfort and satisfaction 10 or 20 times as long as if neglected or treated with inferior products.


How can a marketer appear to be concerned about the environment while trying to sell more of its treasure? They can charge more for their products and promise that a token part of after Tax profits will be spent on the environment. They can mount an advertising campaign to teach you how Green they are. They can even join organizations that will certify their Greenness. If there can be no environmentally redeeming virtue in their business they can buy Greenness. Other organizations will sell them credits or shares in renewable energy or tree plantings to offset some portion of their impact on the environment. But anything that eliminates the need to repurchase their products can only hurt their bottom line.

What’s good for you, your clothing, your wallet and for the environment may be at cross purposes with the manufacturers, marketers and dealers who would like to sell you a new wardrobe each year. They would benefit if you used expensive, imported, and ineffective products to care for your clothing and footwear. Expensive care products that don’t work very well discourage proper maintenance and make replacement more attractive.

Conserving the environment ultimately comes down to every decision made by every individual. Buying and using clothing and footwear involves many decisions that impact the environment. The highest impact decisions and the ones you have most control over are the choices about how to care for it and maximize its useful life.

As a manufacturer of products, to care for existing clothing, footwear and gear we are fortunate that all of our products enable you to actually reduce your overall impact on the environment. The only products that actually help “save the planet” are products that eliminate unnecessary use of resources without using more to do so.

Atsko/Sno-Seal is in the enviable position of making products that actually save more than they cost.

Atsko chooses to offer products that are effective, efficient, economical and long lasting. They require more instruction and understanding and, even a bit more effort if you fail to consider how increased durability reduces the need for reuse.

Not everyone has made a commitment to get personally involved in saving the planet, but our customers are rewarded by superior performance and less frequent reapplication. More importantly, they will also save more money and resources than the entire cost of our product. By properly using the right detergent or repellent, they can save a sleeping bag or jacket from the landfill and enough money to make a serious contribution to saving or enjoying our planet.

We know that enjoying maximum performance will make proper care with Atsko/Sno-Seal products a lifelong habit that will minimize your impact on the environment. But the first step is up to you. Choose to restore and maintain your clothing and footwear with Atsko/Sno-Seal products. Become part of our 64-year legacy of Conservation.