Fix for torn sleeping bag?

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Roxi

Active member
Joined
Aug 16, 2005
Messages
511
Reaction score
62
Location
Monadnock Region
I have a small straight tear about an inch long on the outside of my sleeping bag. What would be the best way to repair it?
 
Brownie said:
How about a piece of duct tape?

I thought of that and agree it would cover the tear, but as a quilter I have an aesthetic desire to have the fabric look as close to original as possible.



Brownie said:
Or, you could hand stitch it with a cross-over loop method. xxxxx

I also thought of stitching, but the fabric is that thin nylon stuff, like parachutes, only possibly thinner, and I'm afraid the stiches will just cause more rips in the end. I was wondering if there was anyway to seal the tear (like would happen with duct tape), but have the repair be less noticeable than duct tape?
 
Brownie said:
What color is the bag?
Many bags are made from nylon spinnaker fabric (that's the big colored balloon shaped sails) and this material is often ripstop.
You can tell, if it has a square pattern to the yarns every 1/4" or so.
Basically, most repairs for this material simply use a sticky dacron or nylon adhesive back cloth.
No stitching required and as you mention, any hand stitches could mess it up a bit and pull through thin material.
So, the trick then is to simply match the color with a sticky patch.
Some outdoor stores might have tent repair kits, but you can bet you would find a patch kit in a Marine store like West Marine. Sail numbers are made from the same stuff.

It's a deep dark royal purple, and it does have the square pattern (I hadn't noticed that before!) Thank you! :)
 
Don't use duck tape--it has a sticky adhesive that will leave a bad residue. On some brands, the adhesive can become soft and gummy in time. The backing is also too stiff for this application.

REI (and other outdoors shops) sell repair tape. Similar to spinnaker repair tape. The REI tape is probably water-proof, not sure about the spinnaker tape.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Sea...-1&storeId=8000&textQuery=repair+tape&x=0&y=0

The tape can be sewn in place for a more permanent fix.

Worth carrying some in your first aid kit.

Doug
 
Last edited:
I used the Kenyon tape (actually patches), and it works well. I burned a hole in my new down bag on my second day's use (a XMas present, and it had a hole by 12/28. My 10 year old bag is still in perfect shape. Go figure). I used 2 patches - one inside and one out, then stitched them together. The repair took me about 2 hours (it was hard to position the patches exactly where I wanted them, then hand stitched them together). Haven't had any issues whatsoever with the repair.
 
DougPaul said:
Don't use duck tape--it has a sticky adhesive that will leave a bad residue.

Years ago, my sleeping bag touched the top of a candle lantern, and feathers went everywhere. I used duct tape for a "temporary" patch.

That temporary patch lasted 5 years. When it started rolling up at the edges, I decided it was time to remove the tape, and make a more permanant patch. That was three years ago, and I still have that sticky residue from the duct tape. It sometimes gets my hair at night.
 
  • Like
Reactions: yam
Brownie said:
How about this then?

Nylon Spinnaker Tape

I checked West Marine and they had zip.
However this Annapolis store (APS) has excellent deals and colors to match! :)

Brownie

First of all, THANKS to everyone for all your helpful advice. Extra thanks to Brownie! I ordered the tape you suggested from APS. It arrived today and is almost exactly the same shade of purple as my sleeping bag. It's also thin enough that once I placed it over the tear, the color blended right in. No more tear, and where it is isn't noticeable - EXACTLY the solution I was looking for! Thank you so much! :)

Roxi
 
I had a tear in my sleeping bag and used tent patch, the self stick stuff. It's been fine for 4 years now. Just be sure the patch is larger than the tear by at least an inch.

oops... Too late, you already have the right stuff.
 
Top