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Hi,
I purchased a Kammock Mantis UL through REI used gear back in January. Due to weather and health issues, I was unable to set it up until today. I just saw some small tears in the Levitas™ 20D nylon ripstop fabric. I could easily fit a no so patch on them, but would it be better to stitch them? How do you sew ripstop nylon? Are there any precautions I should know about? This hammock is supposed to take me from Maine to Georgia in a few months so I want to start out as best as I can.
If it came from the manufacturer that way and has never been used I would contact them and ask for an exchange.
oops,what happened to edit feature?I see it was used equipment but I would still take it up with REI.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Five Tango
my guess is that it is sold "as is"....
OP says it was used gear...
If you have a sewing machine, sewing ripstop is a bit tricky, but not too bad. The big part is being so thin and slippery is making sure to hold it taught and make sure you are helping the feeder feet feed the material as evenly as possible. Definitely practice and get the tension settings figured out before sewing something you care about.
That being said, Tenacious tape is amazing stuff and sticks quite nicely to nylon.
Yeah, the used gear section of REI has a 30 day return window that I'm pretty far out of. I could borrow a sewing machine, but since the rips are so small, would it make sense to hand stitch? Also, my dad mentioned having to worry about frayed edges. Should I cauterize the edges of the rips first?
If you use something like tenacious tape, round the edges of a rectangular patch. Sharp corners on of a patch are a place for it to start becoming unstuck.
Walmart and craft/sewing stores have a product called Fray Check used to repair frayed edges before patching. It helps stop the continued fraying of the edges.
If the holes are small, I'd recommend just patching with Tenacious tape. And, yes fraying is a significant issue with light ripstop nylon. BUT, cauterizing a hole can make it substantially bigger. Luckily Tenacious tape is very tenacious. :rolleyes: It sticks extremely well even to the potentially fraying bits of nylon. So, not treating the edges but patching the hole with Tenacious tape should take care of any fraying concerns.Quote:
Originally Posted by sam1000000
Good luck.
Fray Check doesn't cauterize. It's a basically a diluted fabric safe glue that doesn't wash out. You would need to let it dry before you patch.
Too much trouble to post some pictures? If it is minor enough the consensus might favor the patch.
Attachment 47472
Okay, first time attaching an image so hope it worked. Like I said, they're pretty small (they do seem a little larger once they're bearing weight because they're v-shaped tears). A few stitches and done. Just as easily could put a patch on them. I don't have tenacious tape. I do have a NoSo and Patagonia Worn Wear patches which also require heat activation.
Well done on the photo! If you want to try tape,Amazon has Tenasious Tape Rounds (2 black +2 clear) for $2.95 and Prime delivery.