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Vent: That old timer who showed me how to patch a tent in the rain
Back in 2018 I was stuck at a campground near Flagstaff during a freak storm. My tent had a tear and I was about to just pack up and head home. This guy in his 70s rolled up, saw me struggling, and handed me a tube of seam sealer and a patch kit from his truck. He said 'stop fighting the wet gear and just fix it, kid.' He didn't even ask for my name, just showed me how to dry the fabric with his lighter and tape it up from the inside. I still carry that same patch kit in my bag today. Has anyone else had a stranger just bail them out with a random piece of gear?
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ray6138d ago
That seam sealer trick with the lighter is a good one. I've had to do the same thing with a tarp and a bic lighter during a snowstorm in Montana. The key is to get the fabric warm enough to bond but not so hot you melt a hole through it.
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That reminds me of something that happened to my friend Mark up near Tahoe a few years back. He was trying to set up his tent in the dark and his stove fuel canister ran out halfway through boiling water for dinner. Some guy in the next campsite just walked over with a full canister and said "use this, I'm leaving tomorrow anyway." Mark offered to pay him and the guy just waved it off and went back to his fire. He still talks about that dude like some kind of trail angel.
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ruby_bell478d ago
That "stop fighting the wet gear and just fix it" line hits different when you realize he probably fixed tents before you were even born... Guess I'm just out here hoping someone mistakes my panic for determination someday.
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