Repair Kit Information

Ode to Duct Tape

Oh, duct tape, old friend, eighth wonder of the universe, how you hath saved our bacon: the time you brought an oar lock back to the land of the living on a wilderness river in the middle of nowhere; the time our radiator hose exploded on that big haul of a take-out on that steep, steep grade; that night you provided the fixings for "mountain jail." (Remember that fella, said he shouldn\'t ought to drink whiskey, and, boy, was he right -- had to duct tape him into his sleeping bag to save him from himself!)Is there anything more indispensable than duct tape on a river trip? We doubt it. But there\'s a whole host of things that should go into the ultimate repair kit.

Know Your Repair Kit

All too often, river runners don\'t open their repair kits until it\'s too late. For those whose lives are carefree and without problems, there\'s no reason to read on. For those who have suffered through flat tires, been locked out of a car or home, or battled other painfully inconvenient mishaps, read on: being familiar with your kit\'s contents and the procedures for boat repair is just smart planning.

At the beginning of each river running season, it is important to restock adhesive and cleaning solvents with fresh supplies. Most adhesives have a one-year shelf life from the date of purchase; don\'t let the spring river season sneak up on you without freshening up a bit.

In addition to traditional repair kit contents, consider some additional items -- just in case. Tools such as a pair of scissors, a pencil, a screwdriver (a Leatherman tool does the trick nicely), a spare valve and valve wrench, and a spare oar lock are handy for even the most-seasoned river rat. A small, battery-powered dremel tool (available at hardware stores) is the ultimate sanding device.

Here\'s our list -- it includes all of the basics and enough other stuff to fix anything on your trip from a busted zipper to a stem-to-stern (oh, let's hope not) floor rip. With some careful packing, you can fit all this stuff in a reasonably sized ammo can.