Small win: chose to fix my old backpack instead of buying a new one

My 5-year-old hiking pack had a busted zipper on the main compartment. I went back and forth for 3 days between dropping $120 on a new pack or trying a $9 zipper repair kit from REI. I ended up going with the repair kit and watched a 20 minute YouTube video to learn how to sew in a new zipper. It actually took 2 tries since I messed up the first stitch line, but now the pack works perfectly and I saved over a hundred bucks. Has anyone else had good luck fixing gear that was supposedly done for?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.fiona17d ago

$9 for a zipper repair kit? I had no idea that was even a thing. I honestly thought once a zipper went, the whole bag was just trash. That is wild that it only took one YouTube video to learn how to fix it. I dropped $80 on a new daypack last year just because the zipper pull broke off the track, and I bet I could have fixed it for pocket change. You really made me rethink how quick I am to toss stuff.

kelly.emma17d ago

Yo that's actually awesome! Reminds me of the time I fixed a busted tent pole with a stick and some duct tape on a camping trip. Felt like a total MacGyver. Sometimes the janky fixes end up being the most satisfying.