thanks, i just made a sleeping bag liner out of what my little brother dubbed "plilck" or poliester/plastic silk. I am soo happy! just a little accomplishment I would like to share!

I keep a basic kit found in many hotels in my briefcase for "at work" misadventures. For outdoors, I wound some strong nylon thread around a business card (what I had handy at the time and just never got around to replacing) and a carpet (?) needle. The heavy needle is good for getting through nylon webbing. Used it on a backpacking trip to repair a hip belt. This is where having a Leatherman with the needle nose pliers is handy to help pull (or push) the needle through multiple layers of webbing. Repair held for the remainder of the trip.

My backpacking repair kit includes the nylon thread and carpet needle mentioned above, six wire ties, several assorted frame pins & rings, 6 feet of duct tape wound flat around a piece of wax paper, and 50 ft of 1/16" braided nylon cord. Haven't found anything that I couldn't fix yet on the trail.

I agree with the others and second the metrosene and guterman threads. I have done hand and machine sewing and various forms of needlework most of my life. Also a little leather sewing, by hand and machine including the use of the sewing awl. In my opinion the sewing awl is far more comfortable than just a needle and thread and takes some of the work out of the sewing. Just one thought on needles: some have dull points, to push Aside the threads, some have sharp points to Pierce through the threads, and needles for Leather generally have knife like "blades" designed to cut the leather. If you have leather needles take care how you store them so the points can't cut the thread they are stored with.

OBG - For the iron on patches: Hot spoon in a pinch. But this is my edc/travel kit too, and many hotels have irons available.

If nothing else, it's a piece of tough material to sew over a hole/tear/rip.

Home made sewing awl and otter box 1000 sewing kit. I use this kit in my travel bag, and in my BOB kit. The bobbin spools have heavy duty thread. I've added iron on patches, and more safety pins since the picture was taken.
Stu

Two of the needles (I assume they are needles) on the bottom left look like tiny drill bits.

2 Titanium Drill Bits. They fit the sewing awl, and have come in handy several times. The awl holds them securely.

In the field a simple sewing kit is IMHO pretty much a necessity.

A few stitches when a piece of clothing or gear is just starting to tear or show weakness saves a lot of trouble later. Regular needles are fine for most pack cloth and clothing. Sail-makers needles are triangular in cross-section and they go through multiple layers of material much easier. Leather working needles have a wider tip. Like a broad-head arrow.

You could carry a sail-makers palm to stitch leather and heavy materials but a pair of pliers, I generally carry a Leatherman that serves well in this role, and a thimble makes the job a lot easier without being nearly as bulky or heavy. A thimble is slower but your patching the equipment with a few well placed stitches not constructing it.

I would save the stitching palm for work at home or at a base camp.

Hmmmm… :scratching chin: That could come in handy. How easy is it to actually spin the bits in the awl and produce effective drilling?

Good ideas!!!