How to Repair a Kelty Backpack

Whether you use a Kelty book bag for hauling around books on campus or a backpack for traveling around in the wilderness, you will inevitably be required to do some repairs to the backpack. Hopefully, if you are away from the comforts of your home, you remembered to bring some sewing materials or a repair kit with you. Knowing how to repair your backpack in the field, especially if you are backpacking in the wilderness, will prove a helpful skill if you are miles from your trailhead with a broken pack.

Things You'll Need

  • Speedy Stitch
  • Sewing kit
  • Duct tape
  • Fishing line
  • Buckles
  • Pliers
  • Lighter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Inspect the hip-belt buckle on your Kelty backpack, if it has one, which is one of the more common required pack repairs. If the belt buckle is cracked or broken, it can usually be replaced without any special tools. Most Kelty backpacking packs that have a hip-belt and buckle will have an extra buckle that can be utilized from the pack's brain, also called the "lid." Remove the brain from the pack and insert your hand into the sleeve on the underside of the brain. Remove the buckle from the brain and switch it out with the buckle from the hip-belt.

    • 2

      Use a Speedy Stitch, which is part of a standard field repair kit for professional outdoor educators, to repair broken pack fabric. If you do not have a Speedy Stitch, thread and needle will do. If you have fishing line, however, use it rather than normal thread due to a higher tensile strength and load capacity. Stitch up the tear in the fabric. Reinforce the stitching with duct tape if available.

    • 3

      Fix the teeth of the broken zipper by pulling any fraying fabric out from behind the zipper first. If needed you may also need to use a pair of field pliers to move the zipper back from its stuck position. Run the zipper slowly along it track to see if it will zip correctly. If not, you may need to partially sew the opening created by the zipper's malfunctioning so that you do not lose any contents placed inside the zipped compartment.

    • 4

      Use a lighter to fuse the nylon fabric of an internal framed Kelty pack which has stays that have poked through the fabric, reducing the effectiveness of the suspension system. Hold and ignite the lighter for 15 to 20 seconds over the broken material after pushing the stay back into its position. Reinforce the weld with stitching by using a sewing awl or needle and fishing line.