On day two of a six-day backcountry hike in Arizona’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, my air mattress sprung a leak. After a crummy night’s sleep during which I had to get up and puff air back into my pancake-like pad every two hours, I woke up early and crawled over my thoroughly annoyed tentmate to get to work on the repair. After rummaging through my pack, I realized that I had neglected to pack any repair tools. So I brewed coffee and waited ’til my comrades woke up. Surely one of the seven of us would have a repair kit, right? Wrong. I thought he packed one, he thought she packed one, and so on. The only thing remotely equipped to buy me a little sleep for the remainder of the trip was a few feet of duct tape wrapped around somebody’s trekking pole.
That was five years ago, and since then I don’t head off into the bush without at least a very basic repair kit. Outdoor shops carry many prepackaged repair kits that will see you through most scrapes, but they often include things that I’ve never, in almost twenty years of taking backcountry trips, had the need to use (like a hot glue stick, safety pins, and replacement buckles that don’t match any of the ones I’m carrying).
So while these kits are a great place to start, it’s best to build your own, which can be custom-tailored to work with the gear that you carry. I’ve got two fix-it kits: an ultralight one designed for backcountry trips, and then my at-home toolbox, which is vast and deep (you’ll find all my favorite products and tools throughout this book); it has everything I need to handle big fixes and regular maintenance.
My friend Shannon relaxes atop his inflated pad, while I make do with a stony seat.
All good gearheads need some real estate in which to work. Not only does it keep you organized for upcoming trips, it provides a perfect place to tinker, fix, store, maintain, and otherwise commune with your gear. Plus, it keeps your stuff consolidated so your spouse won’t complain that you’re usurping too much basement space.
For all those reasons I built this workbench a few years ago. It only took a few hours and cost not much more than $50. I highly recommend it for any self-respecting gearhead. These general instructions and illustrations will give you the gist of the project. For more detailed instructions and measurements, just troll around on Google for a similar bench … they abound on the web.
1. Build the frame: Use two-by-fours and build one side at a time, on the floor; it’ll be easier to square the joints. Assemble with screws, not nails, for better longevity.
2. Add the shelves: Use plywood, not particleboard, for a more durable surface. Install the bottom shelf first. Want a larger working surface? Cut the top to overhang the frame by 6 inches.
3. Hang some pegboard: (A) Secure this to the wall studs, not the workbench. Organize your gear and tools to maximize space, using a pegboard accessory kit (you’ll find tons of options at a large home improvement store).
4. Customize your bench: Create designated spots to hang ice axes, collapsed trekking poles, first-aid kit, ditty bags, rolls of tape, spools of wire, plus tools like hammers and pliers. Rig a shelf (B) off the pegboard and line it with all your gear treatments: washes, boot and fabric DWRs (durable water repellents), and denatured alcohol for cleaning sooty stoves. Use small cardboard boxes for storing webbing, cord scraps, tent stakes, and more. Put those old BPA-laden water bottles (C) to work storing small items, like spare batteries, first-aid supplies, sunscreen, and lip balm tubes. Install a pair of 6-inch C-clamps or vise grips (D) (one on each end of the bench top) for doing boot-resoling or ski-tuning work. Use the bottom shelf (E) to store packs, tents, bags, and other bulky items. Tape seasonal and trip-specific packing lists (you can print them out at backpacker.com) to the wall for easy reference.
If your gear is scattered all over your house—in various closets, the basement, the garage—build yourself a work station that will let you store it, organize it, and fix it all in one place. Your spouse will surely thank you.
MY BACKCOUNTRY KIT
I custom-tailor this kit based on the type and length of my trip, but these are the basics of my ultralight backpacking repair kit. In the chapters that follow, you’ll learn how to use each of these items.