Did you know that keeping clothing in use for an extra 9 months can reduce related carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30%? Many of our Staffletes have a piece of equipment or garment that has a rip, running thread, or stain on it which means they’re pros at extending the life of your gear. Casey and Jen are sharing some of their favorite tips to repair your gear’s life.

Patching Gear with Tenacious Tape: 

Patching small holes in technical outdoor equipment with Gear Aid’s Tenacious Tape! Tenacious tape is made of magic (I’m almost positive) and can fix nearly anything! I once used it to repair a hole in my hydration bladder on a long bike ride. I didn’t have an option to dump water and I accidentally punched a small hole in the bladder and the water was leaking fast. I always keep tenacious tape in my bike pack for stuff like this, it was a lifesaver. Here’s how I patched my wife, Allie’s, Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket.

Materials:

Gear Aid’s Tenacious Tape & the gear you’re repairing. Allie’s Patagonia Nano Puff has a hole in the sleeve–not a huge deal but some of the Primaloft insulation was coming out:

Nikwax waterproofing and cleaning solution for technical gear

Nikwax works for all technical materials including down, fleece, synthetic insulation materials, wool, etc. I will be cleaning my synthetic 20 degree sleeping bag. Using Nikwax tech wash helps restore the sleeping bags loft for maximum warmth. Cleaning with Nikwax tech wash allows for the water-repellant solution to bond to the fibers of the bag making for a bag that stays drier for longer periods of time. Plus, it’s super easy to use since you can use it in your washing machine!

For Top Loading Washers:

1. Place maximum 6 garments in the washing machine.
2. After the machine has filled, 5floz/150ml for 1-3 garments, 8floz/250ml for 4-6 garments. Add an additional 50ml for hard water areas.
3. Set cycle to Heavy and Warm. 1-3 items: low water level, 4-6 items: medium water level.

Front Loading Machine Wash:

1. Remove all detergent from detergent dispenser.
2. Place maximum of 2 garments in washing machine.
3. Add 3floz/100ml of Tech Wash®. Add an additional 50ml for hard water areas.
4. Set cycle to Synthetics and Warm.

How to repair a wetsuit tear:

Items needed: 

• Wetsuit cement/neoprene cement 
• A brush applicator (optional, recommended)
• Junk mail or newspapers 

The drying time may vary depending on the product you’re using so be sure to double check that and follow their suggested times. 

Here are the steps: 

1. Acknowledge your athletic prowess; you are such a beast that you couldn’t sacrifice your swim time to stop and get out to use the facilities.
2. This project is going to be a stinker and not because you just had a bowl of chili. The neoprene cement needs to be used in a space with good ventilation. Find an outdoor space and lay your junk mail or newspapers out. 
3. Ensure the neoprene suit you are repairing is clean and dry. 
4. Shake/stir the neoprene cement well before using. 
5. Squirt or put a small dollop of the neoprene cement onto your newspapers or junk mail. Only as much as you think you will need because it will start to dry up quickly. We will add more to a separate area on the paper as we need more.  
6. Apply the neoprene cement on both edges of the tear. (Using a small brush to apply it makes it easier.) This will be the base of our repair. Allow to dry. The product I’m using says 5 minutes. Use this time to look at photos of yourself in a wetsuit and marvel at how great you look. 
7. Squirt/put another small dollop of neoprene cement in a different spot than the first one you did. (The original squirt/dollop will be too tacky or dry to use by now.)
8. Apply a second coat on top of the now dried first coat and allow to dry for an additional 10 minutes. I know...only another 10 minutes to marvel at how great you look in a wetsuit is not enough time to appreciate the greatness but that’s all the time we have. 
9. Press and hold the edges of repair together. I like to do this for about 1 minute. You can also gently pinch the edges together.

The tear in my wetsuit is at the neck which is an area that is repeatedly stretched and stressed when I don and doff it so it’s a bit more prone to tearing again. The following steps are optional but I find it makes the repair job stronger. 

10. Put a 3rd dollop of neoprene cement in a different spot than the first 2 you did.
11. Paint a layer over the tear that extends beyond the tear itself so that it bridges both sides of the neoprene. Let it dry then repeat this on the other side of the tear as well as the edge.