What you’ll need
The first thing you’re going to want to invest in before you go backpacking or camping is a patch repair kit. Most manufacturers will have their own repair kits, ones you can buy as an extra or at least advice on what you’ll need. Gear Aid’s Tenacious Tape is a popular option for all kinds of camping equipment, from tents to sleeping bags, and even clothes. Make sure you have plenty of the tape handy, just in case you ever get any holes or tears. You may also want to invest in a sealer like Silnet.
Repairing tents
Got a hole in the nylon material of your tent? First, clean the area with some soapy water and let it dry fully. Use a sealer to coat the edges of the hole to ensure the fibers are bonded together and the hole doesn’t get any bigger. Once that has dried, use your patch kit to cover the hole up. Make sure you’re using a waterproof patch kit or Tenacious Tape, so that you don’t end up getting soaked when it rains.
Repairing sleeping bags
If you get a hole in your sleeping bag, then you’ll want to follow the same steps as patching up a tent. However, you won’t be able to patch from the inside like you would be able to a tent, so ensure it’s really clean and dry before fixing. Make sure your patch is around one inch larger than the hole and that it doesn’t overlap any seams.
Now you know how to repair holes in your camping equipment, you’ll never have to worry about getting drenched again!