PERHAPS MORE THAN WE GET ASKED ABOUT STOVES, ALPINE LUDDITES PACKS & SAMAYA TENTS, WE GET ASKED ABOUT REPAIRING THE STUFF WE USE IN THE FIELD. AS PART OF JUST BASIC EXPEDITION KNOW HOW, BUT ALSO OUR SUSTAINABILITY ETHIC, WE TAKE REPAIR SERIOUSLY AS BOTH A WAY TO KEEP TRIPS GOING AND REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF STUFF, SOMETHING THAT HAS EXPLODED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND IS MOSTLY UNNECESSARY.
PEOPLE NOTICE THE WHITE PATCHES ON LOTS OF OUR GEAR AND ASK IF IT’S GORILLA, DUCT, TENACIOUS, OR RIPSTOP TAPE, TO WHICH WE REPLY IT’S NOT, HAVING FOUND ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO BE EITHER GARBAGE OR VERY LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO GET A JOB DONE.
WHAT WE USE IS DACRON SPINNAKER TAPE. IT DOESN’T HAVE A BRAND NAME, AND COMES IN HUGE ROLLS FROM SPECIALIST YACHT CHANDLERYS. WE FOUND IT ONCE WHEN GETTING SOME DYNEEMA PORTALEDGE FLYS MADE, RECOMMENDED BY HARDCORE SOLO SAILORS WHO EXPLAINED THAT ANYTHING THAT REPAIRS A SPINNAKER THAT CAN PULL A MAXI YACHT THROUGH A STORM WILL HANDLE JUST FINE FOR THE RELATIVELY LOW STRESSES OF CLIMBING GEAR.
SINCE THEN WE HAVE USED IT EVERYWHERE FROM TENTS AND PORTALEDGE FLYS, JACKETS AND BOOT GAITERS, SLEEPING MATS AND PACK RAFTS, PACKS, PANTS, AND GLOVES. IT DOESN’T QUITE MATCH TYVEK TAPE ON PACK RAFTS, BUT ON EVERYTHING ELSE IT IS SO FAR AHEAD OF ANYTHING ELSE WE DON’T CARE WHAT COMES AFTER IT.
THIS STUFF STICKS, INCLUDING TO NOTORIOUSLY SLIPPERY DYNEEMA AND SILICONE COATED STUFF INCLUDING GORETEX SHELLS. USED ON MITTS AND BOOTS IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT STANDS UP TO THE WEAR, BEING ONLY SLIGHTLY BEHIND WOVEN DYNEEMA FOR ABRAISION RESISTENCE. WE HAVE PATCHES ON STUFF GOING ON 8 YEARS OF USE, AND THAT PICTURE ON THE LINK IS IT STUCK TO WOVEN DYNEEMA AFTER 4 YEARS OF USE ON A DAY PACK.
IT COMES IN BIG WIDTHS, UP TO 14′ WE’VE SEEN, AND IS REGULARLY USED FOR THE BIG SPLITS THAT SPINNAKERS CAN GET, SPREADING THE STRESS OVER A BIG AREA. IT’S TIGHTLY WOVEN AND DOESN’T FRAY, AND ABOUT AS FLEXIBLE AS RIPSTOP ie MORE THAN GORILLA, AND AS YET WE HAVE NEVER SEEN IT PEEL, SEPARATE, OR HARDEN AND CRACK LIKE THAT GARBAGE TENACIOUS TAPE.
THE ONLY TWO DOWNSIDES WE KNOW ARE IT’S WHITE, WHICH MIGHT MATTER TO THE FASHIONISTAS, AND THAT SEWING GUNKS UP THE NEEDLE, THOUGH IS EFFECTIVELY NOT EVEN NEEDED. IT’S NOT EVEN THAT EXPENSIVE, AND CUTS EASILY WITH NORMAL SCISSORS. IT HAS NO STRETCH WHICH CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO ITS STRENGTH AND DURABILITY.
THE OTHER DOWNSIDE IS IT WON’T WORK AS MEDICAL TAPE. WE TRIED…
