This post is part of the Backpacking Gear for Beginners course.
Why do you need a repair kit?
Stuff happens. Gear can wear out on the trail or accidents can happen that breaks gear. A repair kit is like your first aid kit but for gear.
List all your gear and possible issues
Make a list of all the gear you are taking and list out issues you can see happening with it. For example:
- Tent
- Hole in the fly or mesh
- Zipper breaks
- Pole breaks
- Jacket
- Hole
- Hiking boots
- Lace breaks
- Trekking poles
- Pole breaks
- Backpack
- Fabric tear
Once you have a list of your issues, look for items that can help fix it.
Look for multi-use
Since we don’t want to take a lot of weight on the trail, try to find repair items that are small and can do multiple things. Duct tape and thin paracord are good examples. They can do many things and don’t take up much space. I like to wrap duct tape around a water bottle or trekking pole so it’s always available.
Common repair kit items
Some common repair kit items are:
- Duct tape
- Need and thread
- Thin paracord
- Tent pole sleeve
- Safety pins
- Batteries
- Stove repair kit
- Air mattress repair kit
- Cable ties/Zap straps
