“Creative Fixes” for Hiking Equipment Failure, Annoyances, Etc

[1HappyHiker]

Everyone has experienced some type of problem with their hiking gear. I thought it might be interesting to share “creative fixes” for equipment failure, annoyances, or whatever. There have been threads similar to this before, but maybe there are some new ideas out there!

But regardless of whether anyone wants to share their “innovations”, I’ll open myself up to ridicule with the photo below. It shows the fix that I concocted to keep my snow baskets from falling off my bargain-basement Komperdell trekking poles. Hey! Don’t laugh, it works!
But surely, someone must have an idea that’s better than my jerry-rigged jumble of duct tape and hose clamp!!

(Hmmm! Maybe my “fix” should be entered into a Rube Goldberg contest?!)

 

[sardog1]

The problem: A hastily-chosen tent site with a mite too much slope, plainly ready to roll me down the hill or at least spoil any chance at sleep. Compounded by darkness and an evening chill coming hard on, with no better site in sight.

The solution: A Paris Expedition Sled, brought into the tent as a literal backstop, placed between me and the tent door. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked and I got a decent night's sleep. (Another example of the benefits of going solo -- there was room in the tent for the fix. Or maybe it's just another example of why I end up going solo . . . )

 

[Jay H]

If you saw my thread on my messed up Komperdell's I put a bolt and nut with locktite on the lower section which was broken... Works great, but wont compress without tools.

Jay

 

[peakbagger]

Loose Leki Poles Fix

My Lekis acquired a "click" noise whenever I planted the pole no matter how tight I locked them. When I removed the lower pole section I discovered that the swedged in aluminum insert that holds the adjusting screw into the pole was loose in the lower pole. After trying a couple of ways of tightening it up, I used some surplus epoxy from a kayak project and carefully filled in the gap. The first repair has about 1000 miles of the AT on it and the other poles repair has about 500 miles with no issues.

 

[adktyler]

Snowshoe failure:

My old Havalick Snowshoes popped a rivet hiking up Phelps last January. My dad and I took some heavy duty shoes lace that I carry on my pack and tied it through the whole. It worked really well for the rest of the trip. When I got home I replaced it with a more permanent fix using a bolt, washers, and a locking nut:

 

[Jay H]

I did something similar to ADK88 with my Sherpas. One of the rivets holding the super rubber binding strap broke off and I replaced it with a screw... don't know why they were designed that way but due to friction and hitting of things, they would always take a big huge beating, until, eventually, it got sheared off.

Jay