Our Technical Climbing Equipment Repair Kit Suggestions article shares some ideas on what a quick repair of technical equipment for travel and adventure might include. We hope you find it useful.
introduce
We think there are many reasons why it’s worth carrying a specific repair kit on any adventure. In fact, we could better describe it as essential. It helps you keep broken equipment in use, which might otherwise put your trip in jeopardy. For example, this might be an important fix for backpacking crampon straps. Repairing a piece of equipment also allows you to maintain the optimal performance of an item. Maybe this will sharpen your ice ax picks before a tough climb.
A repair kit?
With all of this in mind, we carry some form of technical climbing equipment repair kit on every adventure we take with ice tools, crampons, and other technical equipment. However, the items needed will vary greatly depending on the activity and environment. If you’re going on a long-distance mountain climbing adventure, you may need a wider range of items. If your trip is a quick trip, or your luggage allowance is limited, you may want to budget wisely.
With all of this in mind, we can’t really offer a single recommended repair kit selection. But after years of exploring the mountains and being away from civilization for so long, we definitely got some ideas that might be useful. The selections below are based on the “belt and suspenders” kits we carry when traveling long distances or operating off base.
We also have a separate kit dedicated to repairing clothing and equipment (to find this kit, follow the link at the bottom of this article). This article simply shares ideas so you can choose what best suits your needs.
We should also say that this is by no means exhaustive. Everyone will eventually find the tools that work for them, and that’s the best way to decide on your own kit needs. With all of this in mind, have a look around and we hope our technical climbing equipment repair kit recommendations are useful to you.
storage
This just needs to be something that fits and is the right size. The photo above shows our kit in an upgraded travel speaker case. It’s padded so it can protect items and other equipment on flights and stored in duffel bags. It also has compartments that open like a clamshell, so everything can be easily accessed and kept organized. These are all things to consider, but any suitable container will do.
tool
We carry a selection of tools. Some are specific tools from the manufacturer and some are tools we source ourselves. In addition to product-specific offerings, we also offer a number of other products.
Probably the most commonly used is the Leatherman multi-tool. Leatherman has many models in its range, but the Juice Pro pictured has served us well over the years. Among them are scissors, a selection of screwdrivers, knives and sturdy and reliable pliers.
In addition to this, we also found a multi-tool that comes with a range of Allen and Torx wrenches, which is very handy. A small adjustable wrench is useful for things like stubborn bolts and swapping crampon front points.
Finally, we carry a pair of small Knipex Cobra XS pliers. If you’re not familiar with the brand, they’re worth looking into. They are water pump stackers, but their versatility means they can do many other jobs as well. Detailed information about these products and the entire Knipex range can be found on their website here.
metal file
Metal files are another important tool for maintaining crampon tips and ice ax picks. We don’t sharpen ice screw threads in the field unless forced to, but a file can do things like deburr ice screws. We found that size doesn’t matter here, it’s quality that counts. This Stihl chainsaw file is well made and really packs a punch for its size and weight. We’d use the more powerful one at home, but it’s portable enough to take anywhere.
Loctite thread locking agent
You may need to loosen crampons or pick bolts to repair or replace parts. When you need to tighten it again, applying a little Loctite threadlocker really helps prevent it from coming loose at the wrong time. This is especially important for safety-critical items, as these parts are subject to significant amounts of vibration during use.
spare parts
We offer a range of spare parts specific to the products we use. This includes spare picks and head bolts (Black Diamond tool picks and bolts shown). We also offer spare crampon points and a range of other crampon bolts, spacers and toe rings (parts for Petzl Lynx and ropes for Irvis Hybrid crampons shown).
We also carry some spare crampon straps. Of course, these are useful for crampons, but they are strong, durable straps that can be used for a variety of other non-crampon fixes as well. A spare set of shoelaces may also be useful.
Other repair spare parts
We carry some retractable hose clamps. This provides safe, flexible repairs where durability and longevity are critical. something like this this is ideal. We also have some longer lengths Voile ski belt In the kit for the same reason. In many cases, they provide you with fast and versatile home repair options.
generalize
Technical climbing equipment needs to take a beating, but we want it to perform day after day. Usually this is the case, but of course it can also be damaged. It would be a shame if your trip or goal was brought to a halt because a critical piece of equipment malfunctioned and you had no way to fix it. Carrying a technical climbing equipment repair kit may save you a trip. This is a cheap and simple insurance policy that can make your dreams come true.
We sincerely hope you found this technical climbing equipment repair kit advice article useful. Also check out our clothing and equipment repair kit advice article here. This provides some ideas on items that can help repair and maintain fabrics and footwear. We have a wide range of other advice articles available on our website blog here. Our blog also contains lots of gear reviews and inspiration articles that may be of interest to you.
