On-The-Go Gear Repair

Whenever you’re hiking the trails, the best outcome is a day full of smiles, sun, and delicious snacks. But what do you do when a zipper won’t zip, a strap starts to fray, or your favorite puffy jacket gets a tear? Rarely, the only thing you can do is cut the trip short and go fix the problem, but often there are some quick fixes to keep the adventure going all day long.

We’ve compiled a list of common “on the trail” gear emergencies and how you can fix them with a few tools and a little prep.

The most important first step for “on the go” gear repair is to be prepared with a hiking repair kit before you go out. There are plenty of options for replacement buckles, zipper pulls, and quick adhesive patches at outdoor gear stores; and we recommend having one or two of them in your kit in order to tackle unexpected repair problems.

Other than some premade items like buckles and adhesive patches, the rest of the repair kit can usually be sourced from things you have available in your house or that already exist in a personal first aid kit.

Check out our list of everything you’ll need for “on the go” gear repair:

Small Gear Repair Kit

-small scissors

-small needle & thread

-gear repair tape or duct tape

-hand sanitizer

-lighter

Optional:

-loose zipper pull

-multi-tool w pliers

-spare buckle

Common Gear Repairs:

Puffy hole: Often due to snagging a branch or stray campfire embers.

Puffy Hole Repair

Clean the area with rubbing alcohol to remove dirt
Cut out some patch material. Make sure to cut the patch larger than the hole and round the edges
Apply patch to the hole

Zipper not closing: Zipper pulls often are the first part to wear out and deform on a piece of gear.

Simple Zipper Pull Repair

Sometimes this issue can be fixed by re-bending the zipper pull back into shape.
Gently squeeze the zipper pull with a multitool to reform the zipper pull
Test the zipper to see if it closes