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Duct tape spool

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I’m packing for a trip and detail inspecting all gear and equipment for the fall season.

In repacking the essentials bag I found that my spool of field-use duct tape – 2” Nashua 357 wrapped around a section of tongue depressor – was running low.

Rather than spool more tape on that stick I grabbed an old 5/8” x 3 ¼” drilled dowel seat drop from past Old Town rebuilds. I wrapped 3 feet of high quality duct tape around it and, since I had a convenient lengthwise hole, stuck a 3/16” x4” machine screw through the spool, with a finish wash on top and washer, lock washer, hex nut and cap nut on the bottom.

I like it – a single thumb sized kit with 3’ of duct tape and a range of seat drop repair parts.

I’ve got a box full of OT drilled-dowel seat drops; I think I’ll make up a half dozen and give them away to paddler friends.

I stand corrected; I always thought those flimsy dowel seat drops were useless.
 
I wrap my duct tape, electrical tape and athletic tape around my fuel bottles. If using the alcohol fuel or white gas, each bottle has a good lenth of it wrapped around the bottles. It takes no extra space that way.
 
Hey that was a good idea to consume space by wrapping out around the fuel bottles
 
I wrap mine flat, starting with a 2-3" flap folded on itself (and thus probably wasted). Could use a credit card too, I guess.
 
May I ask a stupid question? Are all duct tapes the same? I don't mean colours ETC, seriously, are there better brands than others? Anything I should look out for when shopping?
 
May I ask a stupid question? Are all duct tapes the same? I don't mean colours ETC, seriously, are there
better brands than others? Anything I should look out for when shopping?

Good question, actually. No, they are not all the same. To paraphrase Cody Lundin, there are 3 strengths... "I wish I were a man", "I am almost a man", and "I AM a manly man!" strength. The strength mostly comes from the thickness of the cloth tape itself, and the amount of adhesive on it... If you buy "Gorilla Tape", that's one of the strongest kinds. There's a medium kind, and then a really flimsy cheap kind... Kinda hard to explain the difference without showing you. I'd bite the bullet and spend money for the better stuff... when you need it, you won't be thinking about the $2 a roll you saved buying the cheap kind. Duck brand duct tape makes all three kinds. I think 3M also makes all three varieties. As far as I know, the Gorilla brand is just the good kind, but someone else may know better.

edit: there's a guy on another forum named Todd Bradshaw... I don't think he's here, but if he is, I hope he chimes in...I forget exactly where he comes by his knowledge, but he's a friggin' genius on materials, strengths, weaknesses, and their chemistry... always learn something from his posts...
 
Seeker, if the Todd Bradshaw you mention is the same one I knew years ago, he's a sailmaker and artist. He put a window in the jib of my sailboat 10-15 years ago. And if you keep your eyes open you can probably find his book about sailing canoes - he did all of it, including the excellent technical artwork.
His shop is called Addiction Sailmakers and it (and his house) is three blocks from where I last lived in Madison, Wis.
 
Thanks guys, excellent and very helpful advice. I bought some 3M today, and it looks okay, but...I'll look out for that Gorilla stuff. I'll also figure out where to store some on my next trip. I never thought of spare seat hanger parts.
 
Are all of you ultra lite backpackers? For crying out loud we are paddling canoes!! We can carry the kitchen sink if we want to! Buy a roll of duct tape and BRING THE WHOLE ROLL !!! Put it in a baggie, and throw it in your pack or in your food barrel or tie it to a thwart. For a catastrophic canoe repair I can see using a whole roll or more. Check out the attached to see what can be done with the stuff. They had to airlift in a case or two of tape for this field repair.
http://neveryetmelted.com/2010/01/15/bear-damaged-plane-repaired-with-duct-tape-then-flown-home/
 
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daveo4, you have a point. I once ran my cedar strip tandem up on a submerged stump that put a 24" long crack in the bottom. I had along a smallish roll of clear duct tape - maybe 30 feet worth. Used all of it, inside and out, and the repair held until I sold the boat to someone who could fix it.
 
Are all of you ultra lite backpackers?

Yes, in my case... I just happen to take a canoe along too... Seriously, I still pack like I backpacked... w/ the exception of the occasional trip where I bring a wannagan (no/short portages.)

Gavia, yeah, sounds like the same guy... he knew an incredible amount of utterly useless and arcane/mundane information about fabrics... until you needed an answer... then it was really valuable. I always enjoyed his posts.
 
I tried Gorilla tape and was dissapointed. It is real strong,but it's adhisive isn't-kind of defeats the purpose. I bought some special tape for emergancys,dont remember right now what it was,but I fixed a friends portage pack on the bottom with it and it held.I'll try to find it's name.
Turtle
 
Our retailers up here are not in the same league as yours. Despite having the same brands, not much selection, and different packaging means maybe I’ll take a drive Stateside, or place an order. Not just for tape, trust me, the list is longer than that.
 
I was in Home D yesterday, and found the duct tape display. Lotsa colours! I thought to myself “Am I in the craft section? Do I fix stuff with this, or just decorate it?” I picked a pleasing colour and came home. Only after staring at my purchase, did I think to ask my stupid question. I’m glad I did. I remember Gorilla being there, but my brain didn’t recognize it, I guess it wasn’t the right colour. Nashua apparently sends 18 kinds of duct tape to US Home D’s, but not the 357. I might mail order.
Just when I think I know it all, I’m humbled by my own dumbness. That’s a good thing. Sort of.
 
Hey Brad, don't kick yourself. Maybe you just orient to the world more visually than verbally.
 
Thanks for the encouraging words Gavia. Duct tape is the one thing I always forget to take on our trips. ALWAYS forget. A brightly coloured roll might up the odds for me, but I’m not a betting man. Anyways, I hadn’t kicked my boots off and shed my coat before proudly showing my wife my duct tape find. “AHA! Check THIS out.” I wanted to impress her with my much-improved memory. She said, “You’ll look fat in that.” It seems we both find the fashion statement tape a bit overwhelming.
Thanks for all the good tips everyone.
 
I trip with a 5 gallon bucket and a gamma lid. Near the top of the bucket I have duct tape wrapped around a few times. You could wrap half a roll and not stick out any further than the lid.

and as my significant other found out (and I got to say "I told you so"), duct tape with sculls on it is complete junk...so is the pink tape.
 
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