Keep going when the going gets tough
BY CRAIG MACARTNEY
Accidents happen, so campers
need to be able to repair gear on the spot, in the field, to keep it working until they can get back to civilization. Anything you really need is available at outdoor stores: nylon repair tape patches ($1.50), plastic grommets ($1.50), a McNett field repair kit ($5.75) and duct tape. It all fits easily into a small pocket in a backpack.
Rips and holes
Tents, tarpaulins and backpacks
get lots of wear and can develop rips and holes from campfire embers or metal frames. Many can be repaired with duct tape by pulling the two ripped pieces together and running one or two lengths of duct tape down the problem. For bigger tears, nylon repair tape patches are perfect. As before, align the sides of the tear and stick the patch directly over the rip, with at least 2.5 centimetres (an inch) of overlap. Patch both sides of the fly or tent wall to be safe. If the rip is near a tent fly pressure point, simply double up the patches.
Broken buckles
Tying straps together works for a
while, but the best solution involves needle and thread from your field repair kit. With this you can replace a damaged buckle with a less essential one cut off from elsewhere on your pack. Remove the broken buckle, loop the nylon strap over the new one, and sew it in place. And you can cure a sticky zipper
by rubbing a bar of soap up and down it as lubricant. Avoid oil, which may stain fabric.
14 ottawaoutdoors
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Ripped out grommets
Tarpaulin corner grommets sometimes rip out from stress. Replace them with plastic grommets in your repair kit. You snap the two grommet pieces on either side of the tarp five to eight centimetres (two to four inches) away from the tear. Then poke a hole through the tarp in the center of the newly placed grommet. Now you’ll be able to hang your damaged tarp worry-free. For high wind, use two grommets close together.
Damaged tent poles
Bent or broken tent can damage
the tent fly. Try gently bending aluminum or other metal poles back into shape. (Fibreglass poles won’t bend back, and may shatter.) Wrap damaged areas in duct tape to cover sharp burrs. You may want to splint a broken or badly bent pole with sticks wrapped in duct tape to add
strength. «oo
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