Wearing or tearing a hole in the fabric of a coveted piece of clothing or gear is a rite of passage for folks who wander in the great outdoors. Though the textile industry has introduced some awesome innovations over the years to prevent situations like these – it seems they are inevitable. Instances like these often sentenced once favorite pieces of gear an eternity in the gear closet or a teary-eyed trip to the consignment shop. But did you know that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case? With a little adjustment to its form, you can actually prolong the life of your coveted items by using Tenacious Tape from Gear Aid.
Tenacious Tape comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and is a major improvement over the patches your mom used to iron on to the knees of your jeans. Built to stick to almost any type of fabric, its designed to be abrasion resistant and can withstand the abuse that you – or your washing machine and dryer – bestow upon it. Furthermore, though it’s not specifically waterproof, the adhesive bond has the ability to seal out water, which makes it great as a seam sealer too.
Available in a roll or patch, Tenacious tape comes in a wide variety of colors designed to help you match it to the fabric you plan on sticking it to. It also comes in a reflective variant that can be used to cover up holes and seams, but can also be affixed to almost anything you want noticed when light shines on it. The most appealing version of the tape, however is their Gear Patch packs that are available in more than a dozen different shape sets – including “Wildlife” and “Underwater” – which feature patches cut out in the shape of animals, and other objects associated to the specific theme.
I’ve been using Tenacious tape for a few years now and have found it to be very effective, durable, and long lasting. A few years ago, I used it on the inside of an Arc’teryx shell that I had embroidered to keep water from seeping in through the stitches. More recently I’ve taken to lining the pockets of my pants and shorts, as I tend to wear through them quicker than most thanks to all of knives, tools, and bits that I carry around with me. Below is a picture of a pair of shorts I wasn’t able to apply this technique to in time to prevent damage. But fret not dear reader; I was able to remedy that with an aquamarine pine tree from the “Camping” collection.
I would recommend that anyone who wants to extend the life of their gear and clothing head over to Gear Aid’s website. They are far from a one-trick pony, offering a complete line of products designed to repair, deodorize, and fix your essentials.
