How to Repair Holes in Your Gear

Small holes in the fabrics of the following products can be repaired using Gear Aid Seam Grip +WP: 

Small holes in the fabrics of the following products can be repaired using Gear Aid Seam Grip + SIL:

How do I repair a hole in a Dry Sack?

All of our dry bags / sacks can be repaired using a product called Gear Aid Seam Grip +WP (available at all good outdoor and hardware stores). This will work on holes up to about 1/2″ (15mm) across or tears up to about 1 1/2″ (40mm) long. 

• Clean both sides of the fabric around the hole with isopropyl alcohol
• Stick a piece of masking tape on the outside of the dry sack
• Turn the dry sack inside out
• Secure the dry bag / sack so it is level
• Drop a blob of Seam Grip on the hole on the inside of the fabric; make sure that the Seam Grip overlaps the hole by about half an inch/15mm
• Do not let any other part of the Dry Sack touch the Seam Grip until it dries – it will stick and will not be removable
• Allow the Seam Grip to dry: 12 – 24 hours (you may want to dust the repair with climbing chalk or talcum powder before you pack the sack away to avoid the repair sticking to the remaining fabric)
• Repeat if necessary
• Turn the Dry Sack right sides out and peel off the masking tape.

The abive technique can be used to repair tent rainflies, tarps, Folding Buckets and Kitchen Sinks and 2017 and newer Ultra-Sil Daypacks/Dry Daypacks

How do I repair a hole or tear in my Ultra-Sil Pack Cover / pre 2023 Ultra-Sil Stuff Sack / Upre-2023 Ultra-Sil Compression Sack?  

If the hole is small enough to only require sealant, here’s what to do:

• Clean the fabric with isopropyl alcohol
• Stick a piece of masking tape over the hole
• Apply the sealant to the side opposite to the masking tape and allow to dry (at least 24 hours)
• Peel off the masking tape, apply sealant to the other side of the fabric and allow it to dry
• Allow the silicone to dry for at least 24 hours before packing the cover back into its stuff sack; it’s a good idea to dust the repair with climbing chalk (or talcum powder) to make sure the sealant doesn’t stick to the rest of the pack cover

If the hole or tear is large enough to require sewing, here’s what to do:

• First clean both sides of the fabric around the hole/tear with isopropyl alcohol
• If the edges of the hole/tear are ragged, they will need to be trimmed and either hemmed with a zig-zag stitch or melted using a soldering iron
• A tear up to approximately 1″/25mm can simply be sewn with a zig-zag stitch; a larger tear will need to be patched using a scrap of sil-nylon cut to size
• Sew the patch over the hole
• Now seal the stitch line you have just created using silicone sealant such as Gear Aid Seam Grip +SIL
• As with a simple seal-repair, allow the silicone to dry for at least 24 hours before packing the cover back into its stuff sack and perhaps dust the repair with climbing chalk (or talcum powder) to make sure the sealant doesn’t stick to the rest of the pack cover

How do I repair a holes in my inner tent? 

Holes in the inside of the tent can allow mosquitoes or other insects to get inside. This must be avoided. 
We have repaired these holes by sticking a patch on both sides of the mesh fabric. 

You can either use pre-made clear patches or cut them to fit the shape of the tear from Tenacious Tape (if patches are cut, it is essential to make sure they have rounded corners)

To repair the holes, follow these steps:

• Clean the mesh using isopropyl alcohol (allow to evaporate)
• Lay the section of the inner tent on a clean flat surface. Stretch the mesh out to make sure it lays flat
• Affix the patch to the mesh; apply pressure from the center of the patch to the outer edges to prevent wrinkles
• Place a weight on top of the repair (or clamp the repair) for an hour or so to allow the adhesive to set
• Turn the inner tent inside-out and repeat the above procedure

If executed properly, the patches will adhere to the mesh when the tent is rolled for packing. The above repair will not be invisible, but is inconspicuous.