SUSTAINABILITY, WILDERNESS, NATURE, ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, GRASSROOTS, LOCAL, INNOVATION, AUTHENTICITY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, KOOTENAYS, SUSTAINABILITY, WILDERNESS, NATURE, ADVENTURE, CREATIVITY, GRASSROOTS, LOCAL, INNOVATION, AUTHENTICITY, LEADERSHIP, COMMUNITY, CONNECTION, KOOTENAYS
Outdoor gear is built to go the distance, but even the toughest jackets, packs, tents, and sleeping bags eventually show signs of wear. Torn seams, broken buckles, failing zippers, and worn-out straps don’t have to mean the end of your gear’s life. In many cases, a simple repair can get your equipment back into the mountains, onto the trail, or out on the water for years to come.
As part of the KORE Rehub program’s dedication to education practices, we’ve listed below tips, tutorials, and how-to videos for maintaining and repairing your own technical apparel and outdoor gear.
Save Money — Technical outdoor gear is expensive. Learning how to patch a jacket, replace a buckle, or repair a seam can extend the life of your favourite equipment at a fraction of the cost of buying new.
Reduce Waste — Outdoor gear is often made from durable synthetic materials designed to last, but they can also take forever to break down in landfills. Repairing gear helps keep valuable materials in use longer.
Build Useful Skills — Become more self-sufficient by learning basic sewing techniques and patching skills. It’ll give you more confidence to do repairs in the field and will help revive trusted gear.
Support Circular Economy — Across North America, brands, shops, and organizations are embracing repair culture because of its important role in building a more sustainable outdoor industry.
There are online resources such as ifixit.com as well as multiple companies and organizations based in the Kootenays where you can learn sewing and other fabric repair skills. Here’s a short list:
Patagonia has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to the care and repair of your soft goods. Topics include:
Vancouver-based Arc’teryx also has a YouTube channel dedicated to gear repair and care. Videos cover:
Mountain Equipment Company has dedicated a section on its website to maintenance of hard and soft goods. Examples include:
If it zips, snaps, tapes, or tears, we can probably fix it. Snowpatch Repairs, located in Kimberley, is dedicated to providing durable, aesthetic repairs on outdoor clothing, zippers, tents, sleeping bags, packs, gloves, footwear, technical gear, and more. With a deep understanding of the importance of reliable outdoor gear, you can be assured the repairs will withstand the test of rugged use.
Outdoor Gear Repair in Nelson is focused on technical sewing and mending for outdoor apparel and gear. Their approach is community-focused and sustainable, with a special focus on gear circularity and recycling. Whether you need a small repair or a complete overhaul, OG Repair has you covered.
Frontier Gear Repair in Fernie provides a full range of sewing repair services for outdoor gear, including zippers, backpacks, tents, technical gear, and more.
Out There Gear Repair is based in the outdoor mecca of Revelstoke and does local, specialized sewing repairs. If it’s made of technical fabric or is meant for outdoor use, I probably can fix it! Repairs such as zippers, blown seams, patches, hardware replacement, alterations, and customizations are common.
Gord Bunston is a Fernie-based guide of 20+ years focusing on making safety and education fun. He specializes in repairing PPE used in wet environments such as drysuits, waders, rafts, and gaskets and he also does plastic welds, such as on kayaks. With retired technical ropes he makes dog leads and he also teaches DIY repair. After all, we all need to know how to change a tire.