So there you were, just minding your own business and enjoying a wonderful day in the snow, when out of nowhere....THWACK! A tree branch slapped your arm/leg/body. Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely out of nowhere - you were riding a line in the trees after all. But instead of skiing away unscathed like normal, this time you feel a sharp tug and hear the dreaded sound of fabric ripping. You look down, and what do you see but a nice rip in your favorite jacket/bib. Total bummer, right? No need to fret. With the concepts of circular retail and gear repair becoming more and more popular, the available DIY remedies to a fabric rip these days not only make a patch job easier than ever but also kinda, sorta fun. Who are we kidding, patching our gear is a ton of fun! Recommended materials/products: Isopropyl alcohol for spot cleaning; washer/dryer for full product washing Gear patch or tape Noso Patches **TREW Fave Gear Aid GORE-TEX Fabric Patches Dryer, hair dryer, or sunshine Noso directions - pulled directly from their website Prep: Clean damaged area with alcohol, and remove loose threads. Apply: Crack and peel paper release liner. Center patch over damages area and apply pressure from center out to edges. Permanent Application: Tumble dry low for 15 minutes then press with moderate pressure in circular motion for 30 seconds. Gear Aid directions - pulled directly from their website Clean and dry area to be repaired. Remove any dirt or loose debris. Machine laundering should be avoided to keep the tear from getting larger or fraying. Peel off GORE-TEX Fabric Patch backing and apply to damaged area. Patch should overlap tear by 0.5" (12 mm) in all directions. Apply pressure from center out to eliminate air bubbles. The product can be used immediately. Adhesive will continue to strengthen over the next 12 to 24 hours. Optional: After the patch has been applied, tumble the garment in a dryer for 30 minutes on regular setting. Special notes: If you are patching your leg cuff (the Superfabric reinforcement), you will have the best results if you use the patch on the inside of the garment - as shown near the end of the above video. Pro Tip: toss your item into the dryer before applying the patch until warm to touch, then put patch on. This will make the adhesion process even easier. But before you get going with that DIY patching, hold up a second. If you haven't already taken a gander at the article Here's What You Should Know Before You Patch Your Gear, then we highly recommend taking a moment of your time and reading it before beginning your patch job. Depending on the size, placement, and pattern of the fabric damage in question, you may very well want to look to a professional for help repairing your outerwear. If you're not sure, these examples of fabric damage that should always be repaired by a professional should help you out. Related resources: Here's what you should know before patching your winter outerwear Where to get your gear professionally repaired How to wash your outerwear
