Gear Repair and Maintenance

The Black Diamond FirstLight Tent is a four-season, two-person tent that weighs 2 lbs 9 oz. It’s a single-wall, free-standing tent that is a snap to set up, which is important in freezing weather when you want to get out of your cold damp clothes and into warm dry ones. …

If you want to save money and prolong the life of your backpacking gear, it pays to maintain it and repair it by yourself. Here are the commercial products I use to fix my gear as well as the replacement parts I scrounge or purchase to restore it. If you …

I have torn holes in the side pockets of many backpacks, enough that I now ding manufacturers in product reviews that include them on backpacks because they’re not durable enough. External mesh pockets are nice to have, but the only “safe” place to put them so they don’t get ripped up …

Buying a backpacking or camping tent is a big investment, but you can extend your tent’s lifetime and get many years of use from it by spending a little time on tent maintenance, repair, and cleaning. While there are many types and styles of tents, the techniques and tools required …

When you buy a tent or tarp made with silnylon, it’s best to seal the seams using Gear Aid Silnet Silicone Seam Sealer in order to make them waterproof in the rain. While many manufacturers offer this as an add-on service, but you can also do it yourself. Tents that are …

It really sucks when you get sticky tree sap on your hammock or tarp suspension system. It’s hard to get off and it spreads other parts of your hammock setup quickly because it’s all stuffed together when you pack up, making it tacky to the touch. Always check for oozing …

Whenever you get back from a hiking and backpacking trip, it’s important to hang up your tent, backpack, footprint and other gear and let it dry off so that mildew doesn’t form on it. But mildew can also grow on gear that is stored in a damp place like your …

One of the main reasons people don’t reproof the DWR (Durable Waterproof Repellent) coating on outdoor clothing, hiking boots, and camping gear is that it’s inconvenient and requires multiple steps. For example, if you want to reproof a waterproof/breathable Gore-tex shell, it’s best to wash it first and then spray …

Regular cleaning of synthetic insulated jackets and sleeping bags is recommended to maximize their performance and warmth. However, the use of lightweight exterior shell fabrics requires delicate handling. Here are cleaning and gear maintenance tips to help you clean and restore synthetic insulated garments, quilts, and sleeping bags for optimal use. Synthetic …

I’ve been using Sno-Seal for over 30 years, ever since my father bought me my first pair of leather Raichle boots in Switzerland when I was 16 years old. I’ve used it on a wide range of leather shoes since them, from cross country skiing boots to hiking boots and …

Tenacious Tape is the bees knees for patching rips and burns in hard shells and insulated jackets, inflatable sleeping pads, tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks. I’ve used it many times since to repair the gear and clothing I like and want to keep using. Tenacious Tape comes in two forms: as …

Do your trail runners or trail shoes smell like really bad breath? Do your housemates make you keep them outside because they smell so overpowering, like Dog-sh*t? Does the smell remain even after regular rinsing? Do you own a separate pairs for work and socializing because the trail running/hiking pair can’t be …

Waterproof breathable rain jackets are not permanently waterproof. Instead they’re coated with a chemical formulation called DWR, which stands for Durable Water Repellant, that causes water to bead up on the jacket surface when it rains and roll off. The problem is that this DWR coating rubs off after a time, …

When I went backpacking last weekend, I experienced ideal conditions for developing hypothermia. I was hiking through heavy mist and light rain, which grew heavier as the day wore on. Temperatures were in the low 40’s F and the wind was blowing at about 20 miles an hour. After a …