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Repairing a sleeping bag

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Q: My dad gave me an old Marmot sleeping bag, and it has two small holes in it and some down feathers are coming out. The sleeping bag works just fine, but how do I stop the feathers from coming out?

—Cold Coleman, Reno, Nev.

A: Thanks for the question, Cold. First off, good for you for reusing your dad’s old sleeping bag. A good bag can last for decades if you take care of it.

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As for your escaping feathers problem, I called my buddy George Farkas over at McNett, a company known for its gear-care and -maintenance products. Here’s what he had to say: Seam Grip ($7; www.rei.com ) makes an excellent ‘no-sew’ patch on small holes and tears.

For pinholes just use a toothpick to apply a very small dab to cover the hole and about 2 mm beyond.

For larger holes, cut a small piece of fabric (such as some nylon from the lining of an old retired jacket). Next, shape the patch with scissors to be about 3 mm bigger than the hole in all directions. Then apply Seam Grip all along the outer edge of the patch (at least 3 mm in from the edges). Apply the patch to cover the hole and leave it laying flat overnight. Once it’s good and dry, the patch will be permanent and should survive laundering when you wash the bag.

For the sewn seams, apply a very minimal amount of Seam Grip in a thin line along the stitching and that’ll provide an easy and permanent fix.


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9 Comments on Repairing a sleeping bag

  1. I wouldn’t use duct tape or electrical tape as they can lose their adhesive in hot weather. Gear Aid Tenacious Tape is available in clear and is perfect for sleeping bags, tents and backpacks. I used it to repair a canvas tent perfectly.

  2. Use some tent patch. It comes in a variety of colors that will make any repair blend in. A pack of mixed colors cost about $5.00. I purchased mine at Gander Mountain.

  3. I’m going to try using pelon for a patch.
    what the heck, that’s pretty much what it is, isn’t it?
    KatS

  4. Do it yourself sleeping bag repair 258 // September 9, 2009 at 11:03 am // Reply

    Until the sleeping bag can be properly sewn for a permanent repair, Shur-tape has a durable masking and book repair tape that will adhere to nylon sleeping bags and won’t fall off even if the Shur-tape gets wet. It’s not the entire solution or even the best solution, but it is as effective as repairing a sleeping bag with electrical duct tape.

  5. You can also glue on old boy scout activity patches.

  6. Ray the gray // December 5, 2008 at 11:06 pm // Reply

    Awesome info

  7. cool

  8. First Class Scout // October 9, 2008 at 3:35 pm // Reply

    A good sleeping bag is excellent to have. Just remember to take care so you can pass it on to younger scouts or even your own children.

  9. Cool great idea Gear Guy

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