Holding It Together

Kyoto: Hiking from Kibune to Kurama

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Snap, crack, pop—bust! All it takes is one false step (heavy clod-hopping boots step on and smash the buckle of your pack), one careless jab (a tent pole is bent too far and it snaps in two), one accidental encounter between cactus-sharp brambles and fussy high-tech fabric (you didn't want your rain gear in one piece, did you?). Some mishaps are mere irritations; others can derail an entire trip.

There's no such thing as the perfect repair kit, a lesson I learn again and again. Some combination of most of the following should be able to handle most mishaps. Listed in order of importance:

Army knife. Choose one that has the features you need—and no others. Ultralight hikers might try the doll-sized but still sharp miniatures. But features like awls, screwdrivers, and tweezers come in handy.

Tape. A couple of yards of duct tape is the old classic.

Cord. Parachute cord has multiple uses: bear bagging, hanging laundry, lashing things onto your pack, tying broken parts together, staking a tent, holding up a tarp, and even holding delaminated soles to the rest of a boot (one repair that duct tape can't handle).

Needles. Several sizes of needle, including a sturdy carpet-thread needle that can punch through pack cloth. Store needles in a film canister (along with buttons, pins, and other losebles), or stick them into a matchbook.

Thread. Bring both heavy duty carpet thread for packs and standard thread for clothes. Dental floss and wire also work to hold things together.

Thimble. You won't be able to get a needle through tough pack cloth without a little help. Try those almost weightless bright orange little plastic thimbles that come with the freebie sewing kits they hand out in hotels.

Safety pins. Several different sizes.

Velcro. Tape-on strips can substitute for zippers.

Small pliers. For repairing zippers and air-mattress valves.

Glue. Shoo-goo or Free-sole are useful for affixing repair patches to your air mattress and your clothing. They can also be used for boot repair—but only if you carefully follow the instructions.

Tweezers. For splinters and cactus spines.

Zipper parts. Heads and sliders to fit your important gear: rain jacket and pants, tent, and sleeping bag.

Self-adhesive patches and rip-stop repair tape. For patching up ripped rain-gear and tents.

Spare stuff. Cordlocks, buckles, buttons (various sizes), rawhide shoelaces, batteries, clevis pins, flashlight bulb.

Hose clamps. Good for holding things together—like broken pack frames, cross-country skis, trekking poles, and tent poles.