Wondering about "Zipper Failure"?

[Greg Mihalik]

Details in next post …

[Greg Mihalik]

I’m sure there are lots of ways for zipper to fail, but in my case 3 out of 4  #3 zippers sliders on my Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 gave up the ghost within 5 days of each other due to accumulated crud in the slider.

This is a pretty solid mass that was layered on the “septum” of the slider. In addition, both sides of the “septum” had a groove.  I assume the outsides of the “channels” were similarly worn. It would no longer “mate” the coils together.

I doubt if we have 50 nights in this tent. This is not my first rodeo with #3 zippers on Big Agnes tents. The are marked “YKK 3C”. When they fail again I’ll replace them with #5 zippers. (Not from Big Agnes.)

 

 

[jscott]

BA zippers are flat out horrible. I learned this after a zipper failure on the front vestibule fly on a relatively new Fly Creek UL1. I liked the tent other than that, so REI gave me a new one (it was within the one year warranty) and off I went. This time, I was scrupulous about cleaning the zipper. Another fail. And another. Again,always with me cleaning the zippers and being careful on the trail.

The zippers are tiny and not up to the task. BA needs to upgrade their fly zippers at a minimum.

[Jerry Adams]

I had a #3 zipper on a tarp door, lots of tension across it.  After a couple years it failed so I replaced with #5.  I think high tension uses are better with #5.

For clothing, sleeping bag,… I use #3 zipper without problem

I have gaiters with #3 zippers.  They get clogged with sand and dirt, probably better to use #5.  Hard to get them to zip sometimes.  I wash in machine after each trip to wash away the grit which helps.

I have an REI fleece vest with #5 zipper.  I use around yard.  A lot of use.  After years, the zipper sometimes separates in the middle after I zip it.  I think it’s just at the end of it’s lifetime.

[J-L]

How will you replace the #3 zippers with #5 zippers? That would require sewing on a new zipper coil, not just replacing the slider.

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