The ability to fix your backpacking gear in the field is as important as the gear you choose to use in the first place. The best backpack in the world can be reduced to a worthless pile of Dyneema, webbing, and zipper pulls if it sustains a catastrophic failure that you can鈥檛 fix. I spoke with 鈥攁n old guiding buddy of mine who has been teaching outdoor-recreation skills for 12 years at Feather River College鈥檚 in Quincy, California鈥攁bout how to build your own field repair kit for backpacking. Here are the items聽he suggests packing.
A Leatherman
While multitools can be heavy, they鈥檙e super versatile for repair jobs: the knife can create a clean cut for patching, the pliers can assist聽with a solid sewing job, and the聽awl can set new eyeholes on a blown-out boot. Multitools can also be used as a survival apparatus聽(say, to help start a fire) as well as a first aid instrument. So despite the weight, their many uses make those extra grams worth it.
A Lighter
A lighter is another piece of gear, like the Leatherman, that has so many uses that Flett considers it part of his overall essentials. It might not live in the same stuffsack as the other items on this list, but it鈥檚 no less part of his repair kit. 鈥淚 just bring a few lighters on the trip,鈥 Flett says. He uses them to burn a piece of webbing or fabric if he cuts it.
Aquaseal
鈥淭here is no substitute for Aquaseal if you are going to patch something that inflates,鈥 Flett says. 鈥淚t works on fleece-lined inflatable pillows or your Therm-a-Rest or your Paco pad. Bringing Aquaseal means you don鈥檛 have to bring an individual repair kit for each of those things.鈥
Duct Tape

鈥淒uct tape, always, of course. It makes a great fire starter, too,鈥 Flett says. I personally know Flett to have duct tape wrapped around just about everything: his water bottle, ski poles, kayak and SUP聽paddles, lighters, and writing instruments are all places he can find extra duct tape in a pinch. You should do the same.
Tenacious Tape
While Flett, like most core outdoor聽people, is a huge proponent of duct tape, some jobs just need a hardier, more waterproof tape solution. For this purpose, he loves Gear Aid鈥檚 Tenacious Tape. In addition to being able to repair more drastic rips in fabrics than duct tape, it can also repair a garment for the life of the product, because it won鈥檛聽slough off in the wash. 鈥淚t stretches and gets more integrated into the fabric the more you put it through the drier,鈥 Flett says.
Buckles
There are many ways to rig a strap back together after a buckle breaks, but none is as efficient as replacing the buckle. 鈥淚 bring an extra set for the pack that I鈥檓 using,鈥 Flett says. 鈥淥ne for the waist belt at minimum,聽and maybe one for the sternum strap.鈥 Replacement buckles are rarely expensive, don鈥檛 incur聽much of a weight penalty, and are useful in a clutch when you need them.
Paracord or Webbing
鈥淓ither can serve several purposes, from tying down your rain fly in a storm, to replacing a shoelace, to stitching up a pack strap that a mouse chewed through,鈥 Flett says. While he suggests bringing some length of paracord no matter what, the amount he brings will depend on if he鈥檚 hanging food or not. 鈥淎m I entering land where I need a bear system? If there aren鈥檛 [bear boxes], I use a hang system and have 30 feet of p-cord in my repair kit for that.鈥 If, instead, he鈥檚聽headed聽into a place where a bear canister or bear-proof container is necessary, he says he still brings聽five to ten feet of p-cord.
A Sewing Kit
鈥淚 wrap half a business card in 15 to 20 feet of dental floss. On the other half, I wrap 15 to 20 feet of thicker waxed-cotton thread. Then I lace two needles into the business card,鈥 Flett says. 鈥淚 typically use it for stitch repair on fabric that doesn鈥檛 accept Tenacious Tape聽or if something is wet or sweaty. I will often then put Aquaseal over those stitches.鈥