Fix or Return? What would you do?

[Kier Selinsky]

My son Mickey purchased, thanks to sales of Quick Mick Cozies, an REI Sub Kilo 20* down bag. We just got back from our 3rd trip with it, and the bag has been perfect for him. Unfortunately though, we found a small tear of about 1 to 2 cm's, probably the zipper getting snagged. He bought the bag on sale, and it's still available.

Should we repair it? And how?

Or is a repair not worth it and I should just exchange it?

I don't mind taking the time to repair it if there's a solid, reliable way to do so.

Thanks!

[Ken Thompson]

Kenyon repair tape. Works just fine.

If you damaged it why exchange it? Defective is one thing. Don't mean to rant, just curious as to how people think.

[Steven Paris]

Keir,

If needed, you have Rainy Pass Repair in Seattle. That might be overkill for a small tear, but it is supposedly one of the best gear repair shops around.

[Brian Johns]

Could be user error. Could be design flaw. I have personally never had nylon ripped by a zipper. I would take it to REI and let them decide if, based on what you do/don't know, if its covered unde warranty. Either way, imwould probably let REI handle repair or replacement.

[Kier Selinsky]

If you damaged it why exchange it? Defective is one thing. Don't mean to rant, just curious as to how people think
I consider it a material defect if a quick zipper snag causes a tear like that. He's extremely careful with his gear, so I know it wasn't misuse. First time I've ever seen that, especially on a brand new piece of kit.

Thanks for the repair tape and Rainy Pass Repair suggestions – I'll check those out!

[Erik Basil]

Tenacious Tape will fix it, permanently and easily. You'll have plenty left over for emergency repairs in the future, too.

If you return it, REI will take it and the next guy will use Tenacious to fix it, with only REI losing on the deal. Personally, just as I repaired the Patagonia down I zipper-snagged, I think we should all fix things we damage rather than return them. Bonus: tenacious tape won't allow another snag in the same location. They sell it at REI, about 5 bucks, comes in colors or clear.

[Dena Kelley]

REI has the most liberal return policy in the business. I have no doubt they will take it back and refund you, or exchange it. They will then repair it, and sell it at a discount in their bargains section to some lucky soul.

My personal choice would probably be to repair it and keep it.

[Kier Selinsky]

thanks guys – i think my pref is to fix it, based on the PITA factor involved in taking it in. how permanent is the tape solution? would sewing it shut be better?

[Jerry Adams]

You could just pull the fabric together and put a bunch of stitches through it

That would make it less wide there, which may or may not be a problem

[Nico .]

We had an REI Halo mummy bug for my gf that sustained damage from a trip. There was one hole in the fabric near the zipper, possibly from a zipper snag (we're not really sure) and another hole in the inside of the hood where a seam came apart.

We took it into our local REI to see about getting it repaired. Turns out they use Rainy Pass Repairs in Seattle to do their sleeping bag/down garments repair work.

We didn't ask for a replacement or anything, just wanted to see if they could help us get it repaired. REI ended up taking responsibility for the seam tear and we paid for the "zipper snag" tear. REI also took care of all of the shipping and coordination with Rainy Pass; we simply paid our share of the repair price (about $30 as I recall) when the bag was fixed and back in REI's posession.

I was pleased with the outcome; it seemed like a fair solution and I was glad to avoid the troubles of mailing the bag myself.

[Ed Hayes]

Another vote for Rainy Pass, if you want to have it repaired.

I agree REI will take it back. If you think the tear was due to poor material, then take it back. If you think you caused it, it up to you. REI will likely take it back regardless. If I caused the damage, I'd probably go the Rainy Pass route…IMHO.

[Ryan Spurlock]

im not looking to instigate anything but you pay a premium price making purchases through REI. because of their return policy. if your not willing to return things i wouldnt purchase from REI. you can get a better deal through an online retailer and have no return policy.

[Kier Selinsky]

Thanks for the extra info on the Rainy Pass, guys. I'll give them a call and see what they're prices are like.

Ryan – while I'm not happy about the hole, I'm sure it didn't just pop open. I think it's probably 50/50 responsibility. Could have been better materials, and my son could have been more careful. I do buy from REI for the guarantee, but try to use it judiciously. For example, if there wasn't a good way to repair the bag, I'd take it back. If we get into the colder months and find that it doesn't come close to the temp rating, then I'll take it back. If there's some other catastrophic failure, I'll take it back. But I'm not going to pull that trigger on every little thing that goes wrong. The way I see it, we gotta meet REI halfway so that we can continue to enjoy that perk without making it too costly for them to provide that benefit.

[Katy Anderson]

If you have needle and thread at home sewing a small rip closed wont take you more than 5 minutes. Have your son do it, good lesson in gear maintenance.

[Roger Caffin]

Or 3M9485 tape and some matching nylon fabric.

I repaired a blown seam on a quilt this way on a trip about … 4 years ago, or was it 6? The repair was to last just until I got home.
Ah well, it's still there. I see no reason to do anything about it.

Cheers

[Kier Selinsky]

Katy – any special thread he should use? I would guess that sewing would be the cleanest fix.

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