Duct Tape

[frogmonkey]

What's the best way to roll your own duct tape? The small 50-inch pre-rolled ones are a bit pricey, so I thought I would roll my own. I also know how I am with anything sticky and I picture myself having to touch the duct tape so much all the sticky will be gone or I'll have a crazy, balled up mass of unusable duct tape.

[HooKooDooKu]

I use to roll a bit of duck tape around my hiking stick. But after years of sitting there unused, it became a sticky mess. However, the mess was easily cleaned with WD-40.

[fins1838]

Wal-mart had the small rolls on their clearance shelf yesterday, $1. As long as you opt for hot pink or zbra striped. Chose the pink

[ChinMusic]

I had various types of tape rolled on my trekking poles. I found that that worked well on my thru. Over time the duct tape will get gummy but it didn't for the duration of my thru. I had regular duct tape (for hot spots on my feet), two different waterproof white tapes (for wrapping toes), and Gorilla tape (for repair/patching of cuben fiber pack (used a LOT after Mahoosuc Notch).

[Sarcasm the elf]

I just wrap a few feet of duct tape around he top section of my trekking poles.
That way I ever have to dig through my pack to look for it.

[1azarus]

a gram weenie obsessed hiker jerk (not me...) observed that wrapping tape on a hiking pole was a strategic mistake because you had to lift that weight every time you used the pole -- kind of like the argument for how important it is to have light weight footwear. so that hiker jerk would suggest you put the duct tape in your pack, not on the pole.

[Haiku]

a gram weenie obsessed hiker jerk (not me...) observed that wrapping tape on a hiking pole was a strategic mistake because you had to lift that weight every time you used the pole -- kind of like the argument for how important it is to have light weight footwear. so that hiker jerk would suggest you put the duct tape in your pack, not on the pole.

Maybe that's why I had Popeye arms at the end of my hike!

[rocketsocks]

I have thought about this for a long time (keeping the tape on your hiking pole) and why it needs to be so accessible, no one seems to be able to answer that question to my satisfaction, and the only reason I can see for having it so accessible is if you maybe got your face ripped off by a bear, and wanted to tape it back on....

or maybe a Hiker says "Hey, who's got some duck tape" and your the first one to rip off a piece before they even finish their sentence, and say "right here dude"

and still my multi directional bonding strip remains on my pole...ready for whatever may come...I guess.

[rocketsocks]

What's the best way to roll your own duct tape? The small 50-inch pre-rolled ones are a bit pricey, so I thought I would roll my own. I also know how I am with anything sticky and I picture myself having to touch the duct tape so much all the sticky will be gone or I'll have a crazy, balled up mass of unusable duct tape.

Some rap it around a pencil or pen...

[MuddyWaters]

Mine is just folded over to itself, about 2" long, then continue wrapping it around to itself.
Makes a nice little pad about 2" long and 1/4" thick.

It doesnt need to be wrapped around anything. You do it right off the roll, and you never have to touch it or mess up the stickiness.

[jimmyjam]

I wrap about 2 ft or so around a drinking straw and then cut off the straw. The little roll then goes in my "repair kit" with crazy glue, needle and thread, and spare headlight/camera batteries.

[HooKooDooKu]

I have thought about this for a long time (keeping the tape on your hiking pole) and why it needs to be so accessible...

As I see it, wrapping some duct tape on your hiking pole isn't a matter of keeping it accessible, it's simply a matter of convenience.

It is very easy to wrap the tape from your roll directly on to something that is round. It is easier to start wrapping it on something that larger (1/2"+) rather than something small (pencil). You don't have to remember to pack it with the rest of your gear. You're making more efficient use of the limited space in your backpack (after all, how many pieces of gear are designed such that they can be stored in/on this extra space provided by your hiking pole).

[double d]

Lots of good advice to answer the O.P.'s question, but I just buy mine from REI, they are pre-rollled and ready to go.

[dmax]

I have fluorescent orange wrapped around the top of both trekking poles.

[rocketsocks]

As I see it, wrapping some duct tape on your hiking pole isn't a matter of keeping it accessible, it's simply a matter of convenience.

It is very easy to wrap the tape from your roll directly on to something that is round. It is easier to start wrapping it on something that larger (1/2"+) rather than something small (pencil). You don't have to remember to pack it with the rest of your gear. You're making more efficient use of the limited space in your backpack (after all, how many pieces of gear are designed such that they can be stored in/on this extra space provided by your hiking pole).

Point taken...and people, don't forget to tab your tape......or not, I'm a taber.

[steve0423]

I started my thru with 2 different colors of D-tape on my poles to allow me to quickly tell the left from the right...
After I used most of it, I left a bit of both to continue to show me which was which at a glance, but then switched to Leukotape wrapped around a chap stick..

LEUKO!! What Whaaat!!

[hikerboy57]

every now and then i get the feeling we tend to overthink things.
ive had the same foot and a half of duct tape around my poles for 2 years.ive only used a few inches of it in over 1000 miles.
it doesnt tell me which pole is which, the little l and r labels help me out there.

[FarmerChef]

wow. I was sure someone would have already mentioned this but...I wrap a bit around my spare water bottle. It's saved the day a couple of times for shoe soles that decided to separate. I didn't need instant access but it was convenient to not have to empty my pack to fix the shoes. When we hit a hardware store in Duncannon. We just bought a roll, wrapped what we needed back around the water bottle. Then gave the rest to the clerk.

[Old Hiker]

Wally used to sell a small roll that was actually attached to a 'biner. Saw them in the hardware section. Not a large, heavy roll, but the 'biner made it convenient to hang off my pack.

[ChinMusic]

I started my thru with 2 different colors of D-tape on my poles to allow me to quickly tell the left from the right...

LOL I thought I was the only one to do that.