Camo wrap getting sticky over time.. am I the only one?

[bcgFollower]

Hi,

in my experience the cheap camo wraps (where you get like 15 rolls for 20 bucks...) get sticky very quickly (after ~2 months) and the textile structure disintegrates (felting).
Now I bought the much more expensive McNett "camo form" and the same/similar stuff from Gear Aid (~25 bucks for a 10m roll). To my surprise, they also start getting "sticky", i.e. very yukky to touch just after a few months. This applies to the wrap I applied on my tripod legs but also to the "leftover portion" on the roll that was stored in a dry and dark room. The expensive wrap does no felting though, so the textile structure is still intact and it holds quite well.. but the sticky feeling is really annoying.
Searching the internet I found only very few reports on this issue (most write ), so I'm curious what your long time experience is and if this "sticky-ness" will vanish after some more time maybe? Or did you get rid of it in some way or prevent it from happening in the first place?

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[ajrmd]

Are you referring to the Coban like wrap products? If so, they are made of polyester and polyester urethane (elastane) and coated with a proprietary adhesive. Generally, they are not designe for long term use and it's not surprising that they degrade. FWIW, many plastics can become sticky over time as the result of heat, water absorption, or leeching, in a process known as plasticization. Scrubbing the surface with soap and water or alcohol will generally reduce the stickiness for some time.

 

[Warren D]

Do you use DEET? If so, that will melt most plastics. I've only used the 3M wraps from a variety of sources and haven't had any issues over 2-3 years.

 

[bcgFollower]

Thanks a lot for your answers so far!
@ajrmd : yes I mean Coban like wraps. I will do some tests with alcohol (have some Isopropanyl at home). Thanks!
@Warren D : I never use products like sunscreen or mosquito spray when handling camera gear (learned that lesson with my D5100 many years back.. ). 3M is an interesting suggestion, I will try it, thanks!

What I forgot to write: ~5 years back I bought my first camo wrap and iirc it never got sticky and it works very well up to this day. So it seems to be a brand-related issue (or batch-related?).