Gaiter Repair? How to fix my OR gaiters?

[ggeist]

I ripped them while going up Tuckerman's in NH. I forgot about it. Now, I am dusting off my gear for a new season and they have like a 3 inch tear. Any ideas to help repair them? I want them to still be waterproof. Or as a close to waterproof as possible.

[KathyS]

What I do is stitch the wound closed, and then use a toothpick to apply Aquaseal or Seam Grip sealant to cover the stitches and tear. The toothpick helps you make a nice looking repair, instead of a gooey mess. I did this to a pack, and will post a pic tonight if I have time. I've also done it to dry tops.

[ggeist]

Thanks. What kind of stitching material should I use? Where do I pick up Aquaseal or Seam Grip/ Thanks for the quick response!

[deadpoint]

"close" the tear by duct taping it on the inside and apply your favorite seam sealer on the outside.

[KathyS]

You can get a little sewing kit in the housewares section of almost any grocery or pharmacy. Any good outdoor shop, like Rock and Snow, The Mountaineer, IME, REI, or EMS should have either Seam Grip or Aquaseal. You might even find a tube of either at Dick's Sporting Goods. A good paddling shop should always have Aquaseal.

[KathyS]

Ok, links to pictures: Stitches1.JPG
Stitches2.JPG

[tradman]

For the durrable redneck duct tape repair you need to go a step or two farther than just applying duct tape. The seasoned pro knows that stitching duct tape is APINTA! The glue sticks to the thread and it is a horror show.
My fav method is to apply one layer of duct tape to the inside of the tear. Apply a 2nd layer to the outside. now take an office paper stapler ( not to be confused with a stinger,hammer tacker, air stapler or Arrow) get that stapler arround both sides of your repair and staple the heck out of it. Now apply a 2nd coat of duct tape to cover the staples so that there are nor sharp things sticking out and the staples are sealed in. BOMBPROOF repair