Your repair kit is just a few small items that can come in handy if you need to make field repairs out on the trail. Think of scenarios such as a tear in your tent, a puncture in your sleep pad, or a hole in the bottom of your pack from sliding down a rockface. The repair kit is another part of your gear that can vary quite a bit from person to person depending on the gear they have and personal preference. For instance, if you don’t have any gear that inflates (like an inflatable sleep pad, or pillow) then you won’t need a patch kit for such items.

 

I usually carry the patch kit for my sleeping pad, some duct tape wrapped around a lighter (you can also wrap it around items like water bottles or trekking poles), and some zip ties. I also carry a Leatherman but it doesn’t go in with my repair kit and I usually have a couple of safety pins in my med kit which can also be used for repairs.

 

Items you may want to consider for your repair kit could include:

• the patch kit that came with your inflatable gear,

• tent patch kit,

• buckles and cord locks,

• needle and thread,

• paracord,

• zip ties,

• duct tape,

• Tenacious Tape (exceptional at patching fabrics),

• Aquaseal (great for patching all kinds of inflatable gear),

• safety pin,

• tent pole repair sleeve,

• scissors,

• a multi-tool if not already stowed elsewhere.