Have you ever been adventuring somewhere remote and damaged a vital piece of kit? Check out these quick fixes for repairing your gear on the move:
Torn jacket
It’s easy to catch your jacket when you’re out and about, leaving you subject to the wind and rain. A simple solution is to patch it up with duct tape, which should keep you warm and protected until you return to civilisation.
Hole in your boots
There’s nothing worse than wet, cold feet causes by a leaking hole in your boots or a worn out sole. Fortunately there’s a temporary solution – a water resistant adhesive called Shoe Goo available for around £10! Purchase yours from www.shoegoo.asia
Ripped rucksack strap
There are a few options for a quick fix to mend a ripped or broken rucksack strap:
- Pin together with safety pins, although this won’t take too much weight
- Tie the loose ends in a tape knot (which is commonly used for climbing)
For a more durable repair, always carry a small sewing kit and spare nylon webbing with you. Cut the webbing to the appropriate size and sear the edges with a lighter to prevent fraying. Stitch the webbing over the damaged area, being sure to stitch diagonally across the width in both directions and around the edges.
Cracked tent pole
Tent poles can easily become damaged or broken and will usually result in the need to purchase replacement tent poles, or even a new tent. This can be very annoying, particularly if you find yourself stuck in a location with no convenient tent repair kits nearby. It is however, possible to repair them with a few basic tools.
Small breaks and cracks can usually be repaired by sliding a metal repair sleeve (free with most tents) over the split, then wrapping tightly with duct tape. This however, will not offer the same level of durability and strength of an undamaged pole, so a replacement should be purchased as soon as is possible.
Leaking tent
If your tent is leaking water via a tear or rip in the fabric Tenacious Tape from Gear Aid (available in all good outdoors shops) can provide long-lasting results. The product is made from tent fabric and high-strength adhesive to patch up your tent and keep the water out!
If there are no visible holes, rips or leaking seams and instead water appears to be seeping through the tent fabric walls it’s likely that the waterproofing treatment added at the point of manufacture has worn off. To restore a tent’s waterproofing ability it is best to clean and proof the outside of the tent before any big trip with a specialised product, such as Nikwax Tent & Gear SolarProof.
Tent & Gear SolarProof adds Durable Water Repellency to the outside of your tent and protects the fabric against UV degradation. The spray-on product is easy to apply and just one application could double the effective life of your tent! It is also ideal for waterproofing and protecting all synthetic weatherproof textiles, so alongside tents it can be used on awnings, marquees, rucksacks, panniers and camera bags.
Check out our blog regularly for more great hints, tips and advice!