Tales from the Field: Alaska Sleeping Bag Stitching by Kevin Esetla
Whenever downtime allows, gear should be assessed for damage and disrepair. Anytime gear shows wear, it makes sense to spend some of your time and repair or replace it. When you are miles from home and far from civilization, the only option you may have is to fix it yourself. In 2016, while floating the Sag River in Alaska, my sleeping bag I needed for warmth and proper shelter ripped at the worst time. I don’t want to think about what could have happened if I didn’t have an answer to that problem. Basic knowledge can keep you in the field and away from trouble. 
The stitching in the toe box started to unravel and when I put my feet in the bag, they pushed right into the insulation. This was only one week or so into a three week float. I only had the gear I carried with me but a little ingenuity goes a long way. Fixing my sleeping bag came down to a few basic steps. I had to clean up the frayed edge by cutting it cleanly with my Swiss Army Knife scissors.
I then backed up the section that needed stitching with Tegaderm medical tape. This backer gave my needle and thread more to grab onto and made it less likely for it to come undone again. I had a sewing needle with me in my basic repair kit and I used some Kevlar kite string as my thread. With a simple running stitch, I had the bag sealed up in no time.
To this day, a decade later, I have not had to revisit the repair on that sleeping bag and I use it for multiple trips each year. Had there been another issue with the bag, I would have taken it to a professional seamstress who would have likely done the same treatment to it. Instead of medical tape, they probably would have used some sort of end ribbon reinforcement before running the fabric through a sewing machine. If this problem were to happen today, I would have my RipSpool with me to address the problem. I’d use the duct tape in place of the Tegaderm tape and I’d use the sail needle and fishing line to do the same repair job.
It would be dishonest to say the RipSpool can do it all.There are many problems it can solve but some supplemental gear will help you fix more.
Watch Kevin Estela Explain the Sleeping Bag Field Repair on YouTube.
Simple hot glue gun sticks can be melted to patch tiny holes or super glue can be used. Brass or stainless steel wire can be used for holding together heavier duty objects and safety pins can take the place of buttons. A multi-tool or Swiss Army Knife becomes a tool kit in your pocket. Cable ties are incredibly versatile and can be secured quickly. Additionally, spare batteries will be a welcomed addition to your kit when the batteries you thought you replaced die when you least expect them to.
You don’t need to carry everything and the kitchen sink with you but you should carry some basics. The RipSpool and some resourcefulness will take you far. Your spirit of adventure will take you the rest of the way.
