High Sierra Topix

MacGinna is to be politically correct.

Do you carry duct tape for repairs? What about a mattress repair kit? Tape for your down clothing and sleeping bag? An extra buckle or strap for you backpack? Needle and thread? What about a multi tool knife? What improvised repairs have you made, when not carrying any of the above items? What items do you carry that have multiple uses, for example a fishing line, that you have use/used while in the backcountry?

yes. There's a zip tie under the duct tape as well.
haven't had to use the suture kit yet, but I have one. superglue is a nice to carry as well. Can be used to close a smaller wound for emergency use only.

Many years ago, my hiking buddy was complaining incessantly about his sore shoulders, so I cut strips from his foam sleeping pad and tied them around with pieces of rope from one of my many lashings.

A couple of years ago I helped fix this sexy young gal's hiking pole with duct tape so she could set-up her tent. I don't recall her name.

I have used duct tape to fix and hold all kinds of things together and have used a needle and dental floss to repair packs and way to many seats of pants torn on rocks.

I carry small amounts of duct tape, tenacious tape and lawson cordage. Between those 3 i think i could repair any of my gear or clothing well enough to either continue or bail out safely.

A few years ago heading up to Lillian Lake, a friends Stanley work boot started "talking" about 2 miles in. The front of the sole was coming unglued and flapping around. Moments later the sole completely came off... literally fell right off. So i made long narrow strips of gorilla tape and reattached it, wrapping around the toe, and diagonally over the heel. It held together for another 10+ miles. Hours later as we neared Vanderburg, the other boot did the same thing without warning so i fixed it the same way. We were almost all the way back to the TH the next day when the tape finally started to fall apart. Abrasion from rocks etc was wearing it through but the adhesion never failed. I was impressed and never leave home without it now.


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Back in the 80s, on a trip with some Boy Scouts from Lodgepole to Roads End, one of my boots began flapping around the Roaring River ranger station. I had some bailing wire and was able to MacGyver it back together, and it was fine all the way to Roads End. The bailing wire actually worked great, as it was skinny enough to fit between the lugs on the sole and was a little more protected from wear.

.....

Back in 83 used duct tape to cobble together a broken ski. As a result the ski became more like a snowshoe as it would not glide due to its V shape. I changed my exit point to shorten my journey out and was able to walk on the frozen snow until the last downhill, south facing stretch when walking would involve postholing. I put on my skiis but most of the skiing was on one ski with the broken ski just used for support on kick turns and to push myself forward on flat sections. Felt like I was on a scooter.

Markskor, a man of many talents, once repaired a broken packstrap for me with a needle and thread.

Also carry and have used repair tape and glue to repair leaks in sleeping pads and a tear in my sleeping bag. Have used duct tape to keep a floppy sole on a brand new boot attached to an upper. (have never bought another pair of Keen boots even though they were the most comfortable boots I have ever worn)

As a stock ranger, I always carried fence pliers that had a hammer head and a clinch block. I tightened up more than a few loose shoes for myself and other equestrians in the backcountry. (at my station with a shoeing kit I was occasionally an emergency farrier for stock users with horseshoe issues). Back then I also carried several prescription drugs for emergency personnal use. A couple of times, under a physician's direction, I provided drugs to ill people when a helicopter evacuation could not happen for several hours.

Mike

My backpack fix'ns kit carried -
Duct tape (around hiking pole shaft), 2 strong needles, one curved, (both with big eyes), thread and/or dental floss and/or fishing line, hemostats and smallest SAK, small tube of superglue, Glide, raft/sleeping pad repair kit, (bear-hang) rope, and a small patch of tenacious tape for patching down.

Like many, have field-cobbled boots, sewn up torn backpacks and fixed ripped clothes, un-bent hiking poles, etc... Recently repaired my hiking-buddy Mike's backpack - (POS Osprey packs!), and have been woken up Sawtooths - middle of the night - raining - by the OldRanger after he popped his Expedition pad (again) and he needed both my duct tape and superglue to repair it...(BTW, he also needed my headlamp too.)...heavy lightning/thunder...took him hours...(I laughed.)

I once took a UCLA field-surgery "How to sew up human cuts/gashes" class, but thankfully, never have needed to use this...(FYI, would probably use the superglue first). I have repaired tent sliders, fixed: sun glass frames, my fishing rod reel holder, re-attached tip rod ferrules...and once, even my bong.

Does a home made traction splint from sticks, bandannas, and tape count? We thought she had a fractured femur, but luckily was not the case.

Back in the hot shot crew days.