Recycling bedsheets to make waterproof tarps / cloaks and other objects. Note safety precautions regards ventilation of the workspace and personal protective equipment. Do not emulate the demonstrator by failing to wear effective eye protection (accidental splashing of Napthalene onto skin and/or eyes is sure to spoil your day). Note well the relevant safety data information relative to your State OSHA authority / and product packaging. https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/1322.pdf As indicated in the embedded Youtube clip, 'water proofing' of other surfaces may be achieved by painting on the solution, though the ingredient proportions may vary some, depending on the item being 'water proofed'.
I think there was a backwoodsman magazine article that had similar step by step instructions for those that may have recent magazines floating around.
ADVISORY: Although silicone sealant is regarded as non flammable, Napthalene is regarded as flammable. Items treated using the methods and materials described in the OP embedded video should be used with caution to avoid exposure to combustion.
Made some Tipi's back about 1970, 16 ' ones. Used naptha and wax, worked out ok, but know of 2 others that burned while being waterproofed and 2 or 3 that burned while set up. Don't like it but went to fireproof coatings and wouldn't go back as the one that I saw after it had burned was gone and owner said the heating fire in center spread to liner and then to covering and in about 3 minutes it was gone. They went out under the covering rather than the door and said that if skirt was totally fastened down they probably wouldn't have made it. Lakota used hides for covering on old days, fire proof. Don't like cheap tarps, use them for wood etc, but good tarps are worth the money and can be used for so many things. Properly cared for fire proof cotton tarps will last for years and are well worth the money. Expensive back packing type tarps are very expensive but are really worth the cost is properly cared for. Old type oil skins were made using linseed oil and hanging it to dry and set. Heavy, stiff, burn well, etc, there is a reason rubber became popular when they learned how to make it set. Might well be that silicone would not be a fire problem when finished, but naptha would be dangerous until it evaporated. Would at least want to do it outside and a long way from any ignition source. Don't know about breathing it. I used paint protection equipment and the proper cartridges and worked at a picnic table that was about 75 feet out in a field and hung them on a line that was in the middle of a field. Doesn't do much for survival if you kill yourself before TSHTF, a, lot of the old ways while they work, are not the safest for those with no experience in using them.
I actually think about this quite a bit. A good argument for storing some food even if you're next to wilderness is to avoid the nimrods out learning to shoot at the beginning of a disaster.
