What Got You Into Repairing Your Own Gear?

What got you into repairing gear? Everyone I've talked to always has a different story about what got them into it. It's always fun to hear about what inspired someone. 

I've always been interested in how things work. Ever since I was a kid I have always been curious about how things were made and why. I used to love taking apart anything I could get my hands on. A quick shout out to my parents for putting up with this, not everything made it back together quite the same. Trial and error am I right? I remember I had a couple of these remote controlled cars. I’d break out my tiny screw drivers and get to work swapping parts making them look “cool”. I loved making something unique. These RC cars later turned into my jackets and packs. When my zippers would give out, I’d always find a quality zipper and usually a bit bigger too, that way it would last longer. When I had some gear that unfortunately wasn’t repairable, I’d snag everything I could re-use off of it, zippers, buckles, and use them to fix my other stuff. Slowly I got into more technical repairs. Taking apart liners so I could sew patches on my waterproof jackets and seam sealing.

I’d have to give my mother-in-law, Charlotte credit for getting me into sewing though. She’s as good as it gets. She worked for a company sewing bulletproof vests and a bunch of other military and technical products for over 15 years. She taught me how to sew and anytime I’d have a question, she was the go to person. She definitely got me out of more than one situation where I was in over my head, So huge thanks to Charlotte!!

I’d love to hear how you guys got into sewing and repairing/making your own gear! Feel free to drop your story in the comments or connect with us on social media or through email to tell us your story!

Cheers for now, 

Colin