if u want underwear or lingerie. vietnam is the place to buy for sure. half the thai price and better selection and no elastic rot

12 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

Rubber degrades fast in high temperature combined with high humidity. I'm not sure but I think the rubber produced in the SEA is different (something added) to last longer in a tropical climate. 

Correct, I still have boxers I bought in pratunam 15 years ago.

6 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Correct, I still have boxers I bought in pratunam 15 years ago.

i wonder if mites of some sort might live here? tiny things u cant see that would eat rubber

7 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

Have I read this correctly? You only rotate your boxers once a month! 

Follow a career that doesn't involve reading, a painter, a farmer, that sort of thing.

Edited February 8, 20188 yr by simoh1490

15 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

Follow a career that doesn't involve reading, a painter, a farmer, that sort of thing.

Then he would paint the farm with kero.

21 hours ago, yogavnture said:

i wonder if mites of some sort might live here? tiny things u cant see that would eat rubber

Hi definitely.

I had a pair of expensive adidas golf shoes that I left under the stairs in a little cupboard. Disintegrated.

The issue is heat and humidity:

 

 

Had nikes for 8 years. Can't see how normal heat would make a difference.

 

Don't put your shoes in the oven.

Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Hi definitely.

I had a pair of expensive adidas golf shoes that I left under the stairs in a little cupboard. Disintegrated.

i had some high end diving flippers. disiningrated. as well. and i have a 4000 dollar rubber inflatable kayak i actually fly home with me in off season so it wont happen to it. i swear their are microscopic somethings that chew at rubber.  heat breeds them 

On 08/02/2018 at 12:28 PM, yogavnture said:

i think i might be wearing it backwards. and i am getting a rash though. i think its the heat and humidity

I've been to the doctor, it isn't heat or humidity 

You will need antibiotics and cream to get rid of that rash 

59 minutes ago, yogavnture said:

i had some high end diving flippers. disiningrated. as well. and i have a 4000 dollar rubber inflatable kayak i actually fly home with me in off season so it wont happen to it. i swear their are microscopic somethings that chew at rubber.  heat breeds them 

See tyre comments. It's time not regular weather. 

7 minutes ago, Justfine said:

See tyre comments. It's time not regular weather. 

With respect to my rubber bands, as I was surprised how quickly time passed.

 

However, you might reasonably expect that an increase in temperature of say 10 degrees might half the working life of anything, and the effect might be more significant for some materials than others.

 

It's my experience that electrical goods don't last as long here.  Some people attribute that to poor local manufacturing quality, but I believe most of the local production is exported.  It is possible that the same factories run different quality control for exported and locally sold goods, but I am slightly sceptical of that, but might also be the case that international buyers oversee quality more rigorously, and products which fail their inspections are sold locally to more price-sensitive less quality-discerning local buyers.

 

Most bicycle tyres seem to last reasonably well here - with the exception of one brand, which I don't know the name of; I don't think I have any left, and have switched to a different brand that I need to cycle ten km to buy; anyway, most brands seem to last until the tyre is worn out, but that brand that was less long-lived started to fatigue and crack after only a few thousand km.

 

SC

Sounds like guesswork. I've never heard of this before. I know people with products in hot and cold climates. No mention of increased deteriation.

4 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Sounds like guesswork. I've never heard of this before. I know people with products in hot and cold climates. No mention of increased deteriation.

From: http://spaggiarigomma.it/Apps/WebObjects/Spaggiari.woa/wa/viewSection?id=6599&lang=eng

" 

Rubber products can undergo changes in physical properties. They may even become unusable due to excessive hardening, softening, cracking, crazing, or other surface degradations. These changes may be the result of a single factor or a combination of factors, such as the action of oxygen, ozone, light, heat, humidity, oils, water, or other solvents. Detrimental effects can be minimized however by proper storage conditions.

TEMPERATURE

The optimum storage temperature is between 4°C (40°F) and 26°C (80°F). High temperatures accelerate the deterioration of rubber products. Heat sources should be arranged so that the temperature of stored items never exceeds 45°C (120°F). Low temperature effects are neither as damaging nor as permanent, ...

HUMIDITY

Expressed as a percentage, relative humidity is the ratio of the amount of water vapor present in the air to the greatest amount that could be present at a given temperature. Ideally, the relative humidity in the storage area should be below 75%. Very moist or very dry environments must be avoided. Where ventilation is necessary, keep it to a minimum level. Condensation cannot be allowed to occur. Some materials, such as polyester-based polyurethanes, are hygroscopic (they absorb moisture from the air). This moisture attacks the polymer’s chemicals, resulting in chain scission (division of the polymer chain into smaller, weaker segments). Over time, the material becomes soft and cheesy. In humid environments, this can occur in just weeks, unless precautions are taken.

LIGHT

Rubber products should always be protected from light, especially from natural sunlight. Strong artificial lights with a high ultraviolet (UV) content are also dangerous. Regardless of the source, UV rays can cause chain scission. Use of polyethylene bags stored inside large cardboard containers is recommended. Alternatively, polyethylene-lined craft bags also offer good protection.

"

 

From: http://www.warco.com/articles/shelf-life-vs-service-life-in-rubber-products/

"Bad storage conditions can shorten the expected shelf life. Rubber products should be stored in a dry cool place and should be protected from light, moisture, oxygen, heat, ozone, any chemicals and deformation. Storage temperature should be below 25°C however, below 15°C is preferable."

 

I'm always pleased to help.

Most personal products are going to be kept indoors at less than 25 degrees unless you live in a tin shed.

15 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Most personal products are going to be kept indoors at less than 25 degrees unless you live in a tin shed.

I'm guessing that my indoor temperature is about 28 - 30, since I never run the air conditioning.

 

If you run the air conditioning at home to the same temperature as you have the heating in your Western home country, I would not expect a significant difference in the longevity of underwear elastic.  On the other hand, the elastic bands on my bike lights experience a much higher temperature, and more intense sunlight, than they would experience back in The Old Country.

 

Similarly the washing machine out on the balcony.

 

I think they often add pigment to rubber or polymer components to improve ultraviolet resistance, so maybe I need to spend a bit more and buy proper black mounting bands.  I could maybe get by with cable ties (edit: not so helpful for the chaps struggling with floppy boxer elastic, though.  They could maybe try gaffer-taping them in position - probably less painful than staples).

 

SC

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by StreetCowboy

It never happened to my reebok shoes, hiking shoes & CK underwear in the US, but happened in Thailand.

Modern silicon products are more flimsy than old thick rubber. A lot of watches with these bands break in under a year if exposed to elements like chemical water and sun

11 hours ago, Justfine said:

Carmakers such as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell consumers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life. Tire manufacturers such as Continental and Michelin say a tire can last up to 10 years, provided you get annual tire inspections after the fifth year.

The recommendation in Thailand has always been between 3 and 4 years unless that has changed fairly recently and from experience, that seems about right.

Edited February 10, 20188 yr by simoh1490

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

The recommendation in Asia has always been 3 years unless that has changed fairly recently and from experience, that's about right.

Website link?

Just now, Justfine said:

Website link?

No, just from memory, this topic has been discussed infinitum over the past fifteen years on TVF.

Goodyear Thailand gives 5 year warranties on tyres.

 

3 years? Must be crap tyres.

4 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

No, just from memory, this topic has been discussed infinitum over the past fifteen years on TVF.

Which means nothing.

 

Just now, Justfine said:

Goodyear Thailand gives 5 year warranties on tyres.

 

3 years? Must be crap tyres.

My Vigo came with Bridgstones and that's what they get replaced with, 17 inch jobbies. Despite rotating them every 10k I can't get much more than 40/45k out of them but I don't let them go all the way down to the wear bar. At 12/15k miles a year that's between 3 and 4 years.

4 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Which means nothing.

 

I'm so sorry, I thought you might find the benefit of peoples first-hand experience here in Thailand over the past 15 years helpful! For anyone who is interested in not reinventing the wheel:

 

 

Edited February 10, 20188 yr by simoh1490

1 minute ago, simoh1490 said:

I'm so sorry, I thought you might find the benefit of peoples first-hand experience here in Thailand over the past 15 years helpful!

From random comments? 5555

 

Try buying quality tyres in future.

On 2/8/2018 at 1:22 AM, Neeranam said:

Just do without underwear.

and be very careful when zipping!!!!

Just now, Justfine said:

From random comments? 5555

 

Try buying quality tyres in future.

What do you buy for your Click!

3 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

My Vigo came with Bridgstones and that's what they get replaced with, 17 inch jobbies. Despite rotating them every 10k I can't get much more than 40/45k out of them but I don't let them go all the way down to the wear bar. At 12/15k miles a year that's between 3 and 4 years.

Lower end Bridgestone tyres are normally rubbish. Had them before. Would never buy again.