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Let’s talk about tape.
My field repair kit has evolved from anticipating a glued patch to expecting tape to be enough. This is largely because simple tape repairs have been working.
This text is a modified excerpt from The Packraft Handbook.
Tape is incredibly versatile and can be used to repair pinholes, gashes up to several inches long, and torn drysuit gaskets. If possible, apply tape to both the inside and outside of the puncture or tear. Some tapes will not adhere to the exterior side of the hull, as indicated in the descriptions below.
Tape should extend at least one inch (two cm) beyond the edges of the puncture or tear. Round the corners on a tape patch to make the repair more durable.
I like to carry multiple tapes so that I have options if Plan A doesn’t work. I carry at least two feet of tape, and commonly use the tape on other equipment (torn clothing, leaking tent, cracked water bottle).
Sheathing Tape: Tyvek (USA), Tuck (Canada)
Sheathing tape is designed for use on house wrap vapor barriers. Sheathing tape has no stretch and uses aggressive acrylic adhesive. Firmly apply the tape using a stick or other hard edge. The adhesive is so sticky that you will likely not be able to cleanly remove the tape after it has cured. Sheathing tape is available at hardware stores.
Vinyl Underwater Tapes: Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal, Nashua Aqua-Seal, Flex Tape
These tapes work on wet boats! Vinyl underwater tapes come with a very thick layer of adhesive that allows you to press water out to the tape’s edges. Once applied, the tape is difficult to remove. For floor repairs, apply tape to the inside surface so that the tape doesn’t abrade on the river bottom. Vinyl underwater tapes are good candidates for drysuit gasket repair.
I carry a chunk of vinyl underwater tape in my PFD and have used it on my wet boat for an instant repair that lasted years. Vinyl tapes are available in the plumbing section of hardware stores and online.
Patch-N-Go: Kirch’s Kwik Patch
Patch-N-Go is designed to be a permanent patch. This is the right tape for a careful repair job, the only more durable option is to glue patch material to the boat (see below). Patch-N-Go can be purchased from some packraft manufacturers or online.
Tenacious Tape
Tenacious tape has more stretch than sheathing tape. Tenacious tape is best on uncoated nylon (the interior of some hulls), and not as good for TPU-coated nylon (the exterior of most hulls). Tenacious Tape is carried by outdoors stores like REI.
Gorilla & Duct Tape
Like Tenacious tape, Gorilla and duct tape sticks better to uncoated nylon (interior) than to TPU-coated nylon (exterior). These tapes are good candidates for torn drysuit gaskets. While wearing the suit, wrap the gasket several times to create a temporary seal.
It feels like my step-dad might disown me for saying it, but duct tape is not very useful here. Duct tape is significantly less useful in cold and wet conditions compared to Gorilla tape. Duct tape quality varies greatly and the more expensive options are generally worth the greater cost. I’m loyal to the Nashua brand.
Gorilla and duct tapes are available in hardware and grocery stores.
Aquaseal
Aquaseal can be used to seal pinholes or stitched seams that have been sewn shut with needle and thread. Aquaseal currently comes in three varieties with different cure times. Longer cure times result in more durable repairs.
- Aquaseal FD takes 10-14 hours to cure, longer in wet and cold conditions
- Aquaseal FD with Cure Accelerator cures in 2 hours
- Aquaseal UV cures instantly when exposed to sunlight
If possible, tape the inside of the tube before applying Aquaseal to the outside. A dab works on pinholes, a bead with ¼” overlap works on everything else. Aquaseal should be applied as a thin layer. Thick layers are more inclined to peel.
Aquaseal repairs generally don’t need to be redone at home. But if the repair starts to peel at the edges, replace it with slow-cure Aquaseal or a full patch job.
The Kit
Minimal Field Repair Kit
- Vinyl underwater tape
- Patch-N-Go tape
- Aquaseal UV
Expedition Field Repair Kit
- Vinyl underwater tape
- Aquaseal UV
- Aquaseal FD
- Gorilla Tape
- Tyvek Tape
- Patch-N-Go Patch
- Multi-tool with pliers
- Needle and dental floss
- Zipper repair kit (brush, pick, lubricant)
- Spare tube material, ideally a section long enough to cover the cargo zipper
- Cap gasket and/or spare cap
- Replacement mouth valve, if relevant
- Alcohol swabs
Thank you for writing this. Read. Saved. Items ordered. Important to keep air in the boat. Have a great day.
So Thank you.
Thank you! I will be adding one of the tapes you mentioned to my kit.
I found that a good Aquaseal adhesive alternative is Lepage or Loctite Flexible Plastic Adhesive. I successfully used it to repair a hole.
Canada: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/lepage-flexible-plastic-adhesive-30-ml-0670348p.html
USA:
https://alpackaraft.com/products/loctite-vinyl-fabric-plastic-flexible-adhesive
Preference between Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal, Nashua Aqua-Seal, and Flex Tape? Had a repair recently where the Tyvek tape definitely didn’t work, because I was in the field and couldn’t get the surface dry; one of these tapes seems like the answer/solution. But which one? Have you noticed any difference between them, or do you have a go-to?
One difference that I’ve noticed is that the backing material varies from brand to brand. I had a chunk with paper backing in my PFD for quick application … but the backing got wet and deteriorated (duh). The Gorilla brand has a plastic backing … so that’s what I’m carrying now.
I’ve had ~7 successful applications and 1 that didn’t stick. I don’t know which brand I was using that 1 time. In that case, I just took the extra time to actually dry the tube (mostly), tried the tape again, and it worked perfectly.
I haven’t used tyvek since moving over to vinyl underwater. (But I still carry it.)
Hello,
suppose you used a vinyl tape for a quick repair. How do you remove it when you want to make a more permanent repair job? Just rip it away? Use some kind of solvent?
Thanks!
I’d try a slow peel and alcohol. I’d be nervous about using stronger solvents.
I recently researched this, because I used the Gorilla underwater tape to hold together a cracked paddle blade. After I peeled the tape off at home, remains of glue were everywhere. Alcohol proved unhelpful, mostly, and I did not want to use anything stronger.
The manufacturer-recommended solution is to cut another piece of the tape and use it as a blotter to pick up any remaining pieces of adhesive from the temporary fix. That worked well.
I just did a bunch of tape peeling … I wish your comment had come in a few weeks ago! I mostly ended up rubbing the adhesive off. Alcohol was not very effective.
Thanks Luc!
I was wonder how to get a long piece of spare tube material (long enough to cover the cargo zipper). I don’t see a piece that size on the Alpacka website.
I think you could make a special request to Alpacka (or other manufacturers) for scrap material.
I’m now carrying a long piece of the vinyl underwater tape instead of spare tube material.
My referred repair kit: A rolled up DIY packraft, stuffed in the front of the packraft I’m paddling. Weighs 5 or 6 lbs. Is ready to go at a moments notice. No drying out time, no futz, just inflate and go. Oh, and it just proves . . . you can’t have just one (packraft0.
Bruce
We had a spare packraft inside a packraft for the Grand Canyon!