My tent zipper failed in a thunderstorm at Crater Lake

The storm hit around 2 AM and the main door zipper teeth just ripped apart. I had to use a carabiner and some paracord to keep the flap shut for the rest of the night. Anyone know a good way to field-repair a busted coil zipper?

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3 Comments

annas877mo ago

Crater Lake at 2 AM in a thunderstorm sounds like an actual nightmare. That zipper failure is a special kind of bad luck. Your carabiner fix was super smart for a panic situation. For a field repair, a small roll of duct tape wrapped around a water bottle or trekking pole can sometimes hold things shut in a pinch.

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paul_patel407mo ago

annas87 that duct tape tip is a good one, people forget how useful it is until you really need it. Reminds me of a time my buddy's backpack strap snapped miles from the trailhead, we had to use a shoelace and a stick like a tourniquet just to get it back on his shoulders. Makes you realize how a simple thing breaking can turn into a big problem real fast out there. Always seems to happen at the worst possible moment too, like in a storm or when you're already tired.

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ray_miller417mo ago

That shoelace and stick fix is wild, but it works. What kind of backpack strap broke, the main load lifter or the shoulder strap itself? Some of those materials are a real pain to jury-rig if they fray completely.

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