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Karl Percival's avatar

Ive got a tent that's needs repairing, that's been on the to do list for a while. I need to find a seamstress and the load it up on seam seal.

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Niamh Lewis's avatar

There always seems to be at least one in any given town which is reassuring. And if it's more technical material or glue, maybe a cobblers could help. Or you could try Alpkit if there's a shop nearby, they repair all branded stuff.

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All About Rachel's avatar

I’ve used the Rab repair service several times for my outdoor gear. I seem to have a habit of ripping items on barbed wire 🙄 It saved me hundreds of pounds. I also need to track down the guy that repairs goretex footwear to fix my boots, come to think of it!

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Niamh Lewis's avatar

Glad to hear it, it's great you have found a service that works for you! I was pleased to see my local cobbler (linked) does sportswear/outdoor resoling, I'd like to think there are so many more out there who can do it as well.

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Kirsten Amor's avatar

To me sustainability means using and caring for an item and it's impact on the environment until the end of it's life.

The biggest conundrum I have though is whether this also means I'm responsible for the item once it reaches the end of it's life. On one hand I think if you buy an item you're responsible for disposing of it in a sustainable manner once it's beyond repair. On the flipside it's truly difficult to sustainably dispose some items.

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Niamh Lewis's avatar

You raise a good point here. I think there should be more onus on brands and manufacturers to help dispose of or recycle or just give more transparency around the materials used so they can be disposed of in the best way. Currently, it seems so difficult for consumers to find ways to deal with the issue.

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Kirsten Amor's avatar

💯! Especially when they create their own tech and they force you to spend ages reading and comparing elements like waterproofing to understand what you're getting. And that's before you even try to understand the materials and how to dispose of them.

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Niamh Lewis's avatar

Yes! I find this so frustrating trying to decipher what is what and the difference

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Christine Mcgovern's avatar

Sometimes, shoe repairers can fix handbag zips or suppliers of horse riding equipment might be worth a try?

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Niamh Lewis's avatar

I was going to try the cobblers as a last resort! It's a waterproof bag and has some heavy-duty glue and things, so worth a try

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