Fixing

There are a number of things you can pack which are light, small, cheap, and versatile when it . . . → Read More: Repairs]]>

Fixing

There are a number of things you can pack which are light, small, cheap, and versatile when it comes to making repairs on the road.

Para (parachute) cord comes in a variety of thicknesses and colours and can be used for making repairs to bags, clothing, sleeping gear.

Also it can be used for other things such as shoelaces, tying parcels, even making shelters and snares if you are in a survival situation!

Wrap it around something, maybe even replace your shoelaces with the right length piece of cord.

Sewing

Sewing kits are cheap and ubiquitous, but if you don’t have one and need to make repairs you can just ask the receptionist in any moderately priced hotel and you may get one for free, or just buy one in a fabric store.

There is no guarantee that doing either will get you good quality materials, however. The thread can be thin and the needles can blunt quickly, so sometimes it pays to make your own kit.

Choose stainless steel needles and strong thread if you do, put them in a small container (a plastic film container is fine), along with some spare buttons and safety pins.



Safety pins also have many other uses apart from sewing. They can be used for temporary clothing or gear repairs, as paperclips, for hanging curtains in cheaper hotels, lock pick, toothpick, as clothespins,

Sticking

There are two ways of sticking things, tape or glue. The best multi-purpose repair tape is duct tape. These come in smaller travel sizes but you can wrap a length around a pencil or pen.

It can be used for other things too, for parcels, for securing bandages, and so on.

For its size, a small tube of Superglue can be useful for all kinds of repairs, just make sure it doesn’t leak (put it in a small, resealable plastic bag.

Plastic bags

Not really a repair item, although they can be cut up and used for various things, rain covers, waterproofing, or left whole for wet laundry, food sandwiches, etc. Ziploc make a good range of sizes and closings.

Also good for protecting your bag against potential leaks from liquids in bottles. Mandatory these days for carrying liquids on planes.