Episode 139 | Repair Kits

[Backpacking Light]

Companion forum thread to: Episode 139 | Repair Kits

Learn how to build ultralight repair kits using context, consequence, and capability. Ryan Jordan compares short-term and expedition trips and addresses how to fix shelters, packs, footwear, lighting, and water treatment without carrying excess gear.

[Chase Jordan]

What have been your most common (and most obscure) gear repairs you’ve done in the field?

[Megan W]

I found this episode really thought provoking, thank you.

Most of my repairs have been clothing (and I only bother if im going to be walking in heavy scrub and I don’t want the tear to catch). Have repaired a tent anchor point.

My most obscure repair wasn’t hiking but I can’t resist including it. 3 of us went sea kayaking. 1 had a collapsible kayak. We only found out that they did not know how to put it together AFTER the tourist boat dropped us at our start point 🙄. No instructions carried either.

One of the aluminium tubing struts broke as we were trying to put the kayak together. We repaired it with a sawn-off, whittled down toothbrush jammed inside the tubing, then 2 tent pegs as external splints and sports tape. Worked really well. Still makes me laugh.

Was the one and only time I used the saw on the elaborate pocket knife I had back then.

Cheers

[Bill Budney]

That sewing awl is a nice package.

I have made sewing awls from sewing machine needles and heat moldable plastic for a handle. Stuck into a pencil eraser for carrying. It is light and it works, but the Chicken Tramper awl is so much neater, with carry space for two needles and a bobbin.

[Terran]

Quilt with 10 years+ painters tape patch.

[tkkn c]

Most common field repair I have made is sole delamination repair.   Fixed by wrapping shoe in  duct tape.  Second most common, deflated inflatable pad (I live and hike in the desert).   Never really satisfied with the pad field repairs.

[David Hartley]

No major repairs to date here – only minor tears or holes fixed with tenacious tape – a minor tear in a sleeping bag that got caught on something sharp, repairing a hole in a pack pocket where a mouse chewed, etc. I do however always bring a spare hip belt buckle and spare pack strap buckle. Maybe a failure is not very likely, but our trips are always 1-3 weeks in duration and planned pretty far in advance, and that tiny bit of extra weight is worth it to me to mitigate something that could negatively impact the trip.

[Jerry Adams]

I (accidently) threw a rock at my inflatable pad and made a 1 inch tear.

I fixed it with tenacious tape.  It held but deflated after a couple of hours.

I removed that and sealed with a piece of nylon and seam grip polyurethane.  Same thing – deflated after a couple hours.

I sprayed soapy water all over it looking for a slow leak.  With about 100 pounds of stuff on it to help reveal the slow leak.  I’m pretty sure it wasn’t leaking through the patch.  Couldn’t find any leak.  Bought new pad.

So the tenacious seemed to work but the experiment wasn’t totally conclusive.  Next time I’ll definitely try the tenacious tape again.

[Ryan Jordan]

I (accidently) threw a rock at my inflatable pad and made a 1 inch tear.

I feel like there’s more here.

[Jerry Adams]

It’s a bad idea to encourage old people to tell stories : )

I tied the bear hang line to a rock and threw it over a branch.  Unfortunately it landed on my pad which was laying on the ground self inflating.

I did not get angry at the pad and throw a rock at it : )

[Author]

Posts