Book: Don't Forget the Duct Tape

Busted gear is a real problem—it’s not cheap to replace and sometimes they just don’t make what you like anymore. It’s especially terrible when you have to cut a trip short because of it. This is why we like Don’t Forget the Duct Tape: Tips and Tricks for Repairing Outdoor Gear—a nifty little book full of helpful hints on how to rescue failing gear on the cheap, including boots, tents, packs, sleeping bags, stoves, and water filters.

Not every fix-it suggestion involves duct tape and much of the book is about buying, cleaning, and storing gear rather than fixing it, but the book does coach the reader on using ingenuity in the backcountry with a cheap 12-item repair kit that weighs less than two pounds. The book itself is tiny enough (about 3” x 5”) to easily fit in your pack. Written by a former gear editor for Backpacker magazine, Don’t Forget the Duct Tape could save you some serious money and even get you out of a sticky situation on the trail this summer.