sewing important fro survival?

Well, i was darning a sock for the first time (i think I failed miserably) and was wondering if anyone keeps a sewing kit in their BOB's for if they have to do repairs on their clothes, or even sleeping bags or tents. If anyone does, please share what you have and why. i am thinking about getting the reproduction sewing kit Anyone have this, i would keep it in my backpaking bag for when I go just to have.

-JAce

I keep a good sewing kit in my bob. You can save a lot of money by going to the dollar store to get it though. Just as good as a really expensive repo kit (2-3 dollars vs 25).

I have a sewing kits, which is just a bunch of needles I bought and a few spools of thread. I also carry a few in my EDC, a few needles weigh nothing and take up no room. The thread is on a plastic sewing machine spool.

The needles could have a few uses besides sewing, but keeping the insulation from falling out of something for a while is a good enough reason to carry a needle and thread for me.

I also plan on adding soon a sailing palm and sailmakers needles, which can handle some fairly heavy sewing. For example,. it mght be useful should I want to repair a tarp or try to make one tarp out of two tarps, or whatever. See:

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/sto...;classNum=10900

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/sto...;classNum=10900

With a ten dollar spool of waxed twine, you could sew togehter some fairly heavy pieces.

I carry needles, threads, and a couple of buttons in my BoB and I keep a small US military issue sewing kit in a pocket that I sewed into the left arm (inside) of my BDU Blouse.

I 2nd the motion that the local Dollar store has good basic kits for very little $!

thanks, were did you get the gi kit?/ Or are you a soldier? Also what is the purpouse of having sailmakers needles? They just look like expensive needls, mabye im not informed?

Sew as much as you can, so you get used to it and improve your skill. Our dog chewed all but one of the buttons off of a brand new insulated flannel shirt...but I'm going to get some buttons and sew every one of them on...I need the practice.

Eagle Creek makes a durable and compact sewing kit for about $3...also TSA approved to take on airplanes...although that could change...

regular needles are a PITA trying to repair heavy material, or packs.

Imagine the heavy, thick canvas or tarp. I have in my BOB. How you you sew it, repair a tear or hole in it, etc.? A normal needle will simply not do that job.

Sailmakers needles are larger and stronger than most needles. They are meant to be sued to pull waxed twine or some other kind of string through a heavier fabric, like canvas or some other heavier material. If you are going to use one, in most cases, you probably should be thinking about also using a sailmakers palm, because you will need one push it through thick material. And sailmakers needles can take some force.

Also, if you are going to have any line or rope in your supplies, then you should have twine, a sailmakers needle and, probably, a palm. A former Navy Bosun I had for marlinspike classes was known to say "No sailor worth his salt would use a line without a whipping or a backsplice." If you are using a line without a whipping or backsplice on it, you are abusing your line. Soon it will be unravelling, and the end of it will be useless. And if you put a backsplice in any line, then you have also limited its usefulness, because you have increased its diameter without adding any strength. A whipping is preferable to a backsplice for most uses. If my reference to line is at all confusing, read it as saying rope.

How would you repair a seam that split in your pack? I'd use a sailmakers needle, twine and a palm.

thanks, i know how to splice (im a boyscout) and so that isn;t a problem, but I havn;t thought of any of this until you brought it up! thank you, i hav never sewn a pack so i wouldn;t know and you probly just saved my either a dead pack, or much frustration, and I thank you for that.

You're welcome.

If you want to put a whipping on a line, you could do a lot worse than follow this page: http://www.animatedknots.com/sailmakers/index.php

A sailmakers needle and palm would be a real help, almost required, to make a whipping like this one. The twine passes into the lines at the cants, but can come out of it in the middle of the strands. A whipping like this is going to stay put on the line, preserve the line for a long time and nothing as far as usefulness is going to be sacrificed.

One of the other things I have found to be sueful in sewing heavier material, pliers and/or a multitool.

I'd recommend Mettler or Gutermann 'top stiching' thread. 100% polyester. A little more expensive than the 'Dual Duty' stuff but its much stronger and good for just about any task.

I've carried a tiny sewing kit for years. When you need it, you need it, and nothing else will do.

My outdoor trip kit is dirt simple: three fine needles, two heavy-duty needles, a "holder" made of a Papermate pen and cap that I cut down to size, wrapped with a heavy-duty poly/cotton thread on the outside and held on with an elastic band. It weighs a fraction of an ounce, so it never gets left behind.

With this crude kit, I have made critical repairs to pack straps, fixed zippers on sleeping bags, tacked a nylon "slider" into the heels of a novice hiker's boot (reduces friction/blisters) and etc. The cap serves as a thimble, sort of, but I much prefer needle nose pliers or a multitool (as others have wisely noted).

I also carry a few diaper safety pins (all metal) with my kit. Amazing what you can fix and improvise with these.

BTW: Ten years later, my repairs are holding. When I sew something, dammit, it stays sewn.

The Mettler or Gutermann thread mentioned by LED sounds like good stuff.

One other thing that works well as thread, waxed dental floss. Not the newer stuff that is a thin film like Glide, but the older style that is like thread. We used to the buttons on uniform coats with it, after whcih the buttons did not come off.

I like the kit in climberstacker's first post, but it does seem pricey. You can get probably more of this stuff for less money in Walmart.

An old Inuit saying is " The knife and sewing kit are the two most important things for survival." Many sewing stores sell an inexpensive packet of various needles including curved, carpet and canvas needles.Give your needles a good rubdown with a SILICONE cloth to help preclude rusting.

I don't think you have to buy a "kit," and I would suspect the quality of the thread in a dollar store kit. I prefer to buy one spool of good quality thread, then wind a bunch of it on a sewing machine bobbin. Color won't matter. Buy a pack of various needles, then stuff them ('cept the curved one, which goes in your container loose) in an empty lead refill holder for .05 or .07 mechanical pencils. Buttons come from old clothes that you are going to throw away. Get various sizes. Add another bobbin of dental floss and a few various sized safety pins. Pack it all into an Altoids tin, or any other little container you happen to have handy...

Wow, i think im gonna go get all of these things after the holidays!! my new favorite whipping is the sailmakers, looks awsome and stays forever, i hope my scoutmaster doesn't mind!!(He likes us to do things by the book)

Thanks for all of the coments, happy holidays

JAce

I've used sail needles since 1977, like a Porsche, there is no substitute!!

They come in very small to VERY large sizes!!!!

If you're going to get thread from the store, get upholstery thread. Its much stronger then regular thread, but its almost as thin. Its good for coats and even packs.

well my uncle owns an apolstery shop, so that will be very easy to get, I can also get zippers and other odds and ends there!

I've got several sewing kits - a big one in the desk drawer, one in my homemade PSK, one in a coat pocket, and so on.

They can be a huge morale booster. After a tough day where your job sucked, you got nothing but bills in the mail, and your dinner was bland, you can at least fix a button on your shirt or a tear in your jeans and at least say that SOMETHING went right.

Hi folks,
Repair skills of all kinds are important. I pack thin monofiliment in my sewing kits. My primary repair thread is waxed, non-mint, dental floss. It is strong, water resistant and comes already spooled. You can also find it in a flat pack about the size of a credit card.

When I was in the Air Force, the base exchange sold sewing kits in a folding plastic container. It had safety pins, needles, and buttons, and a braided piece of fabric with threads that were the colors of our uniforms: khaki, blue, black, whatever. You could pull the thread from the braid and have plenty to sew on a button or mend a small tear.

I'd add duct tape nowadays. :->

Well, I think sewing is a good thing to be able to do. I make repairs on my packs, gear, clothes, etc. all the time. And of course there are sutures...

Flosscards always seem great, but I can't seem to find them for individual sale (always some company wanting you to buy a bulk lot). Anybody have an online source for low volume sales?

I guess this would be right up Redflare's alley..wink wink, nodge nodge

FlossCard will sell you 10 for $9.95 and ships for free. You can call them at 800-672-6229. Site is www.flosscard.com. I got the military pack which has samples from various military dental units.

I buy the parts for my sewing/repair kits seperately. I make SURE I buy thread like Coats and Clark Button & Craft and the IIRC #88 nylon upholstery/carpet. MUCH tougher than traditional plain twisted cotten. I just use a pencil and DeWalt to wind it onto steel (or plastic if u wish) bobbins.

Iron on patches, wire, safety pins, pins and duct tape. This is in my EDC with a dup in my BOB.

Saved the day (week) many times - business trips, a day at work, vacations, etc.

"...Iron on patches..."

That's a new one for me. How would you apply one without the iron? A hot flat rock, or something else???

You bet your sweet bippy!!

(sorry, old people joke)


I have a small sewing kit in my "murphy bag" that I carry daily in my messenger bag (outgrew my fatboy).

I downsized it to fit in a small "crack baggie" (small ziplock bag bought at Hobby Lobby for packaging jewelery).

It contains a couple of sewing needles of varying size including one big mama, a couple of safety pins, a threader for old eyes, and only two little spools of thread (white, and black).

I'm going to add a small travel pack of dental floss and a small spool of heavy nylon thread in the future.

"...You bet your sweet bippy..."

You get the Flying Fickle Finger of Fate award for that one...

"You bet your sweet bippy"...ROFLMAO.....I haven't heard that in years......thanks OBG....it brought back some memories.

Sock it to me.

Like Goldie Hawn in a bikini?

Actuall, I think that you need to thank samhain for that one...

Or a dirty old man getting whacked with a purse? Or a guy in a raincoat falling over on his tricycle???

[quote=OldBaldGuy] Or a dirty old man <snip>/quote]

PLeeeze....The gentleman's name was Tyron B. Horni. As I approach 70 he has become my ROLE MODEL!!

harrumph... Dirty old man...grumble...<stomps off towards city park.....>

Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, sometimes when I look into the mirror I see HIM!!!

Dad used one of these for all kinds of heavy-duty sewing repairs (packs, bags, and many others)...

http://www.speedystitcher.com/main.html

I have one and it's small enough to stow anywhere...like a BOB. You can get them at Cabela's, etc.

I dont get how the speedy sticher works! Anyone wanna try and explain it to me?

In researching for an answer to you, I found a website that sells fabrics and supplies for the DIY'er... but they have a video demonstration of the Speedy Stitcher

http://www.sailrite.com/Awl-Sewing-Kit (you might have to hit the "More Info" button)

Might be a handy website to mark

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!!!

The drill bits work fine, but require patience, you are push/twist drilling. I've used them in wood, and plastic.
The Otter 1000 is bulky, but the kit works for me, and has for a number of years. I used to use a omni-seal pouch, but am happier with the Otterbox.
BTW, the needles for the homemade sewing awl are from a speedy stitcher, with the thread hole at the pointed end.

Can't they afford to license their video encoder???
The encoder advertising obscures the exact part that you want to see!!!

A sewing awl is very handy. I have had several over the years. Do not get the type where the thread is exposed. It is usually made with two metal straps down the side, holding the thread. Under severe (clumsy) use, it bends. Get the one with the thread held in the wooden handle. Big difference.

The sewing kit above looks interesting. The needle/drill holder appears to be a small "tap", as in "screw tap" handle. Using a large cotter pin for a handle. Is that correct? How well does this work? It seems like a good idea. How much have you used it?

The small sewing awl was made from a well modified aftermarket Dremel tool chuck, with the shaft cut off and the hole enlarged to fit a cotter key. The cotter key can also be used as a "bodkin"*1 to feed cord through the inside of cloth, such as sweat pants cord or cord in my pack.
I've used it for several years now, it works for me. At first I used Allen wrench as the handle, but found a cotter key worked better. It will push a speedy stitcher or sewing machine needle through heavy cloth or a piece of leather (I use a leather glove for this)

*1 bod·kin (bdkn)
n.
A blunt needle for pulling tape or ribbon through a series of loops or a hem.

Thanks. I will give that idea a try. Good versatile tool.

when I have to pull the cord thru my sweatpants i usually just use a safty pin, it has manny, many more uses. Also you can put it right back in your kit and use it again! (not saying you cant with the bodkin)

I just found some kevlar thread over at County Comm

I hope this helps some people, also I just found that you can make a makeshift button out of a coin, just use a 1/16 drill bit!

I find the disclaimer at countycomm.com kind of funny!!

A Note From Our Legal Dept: These spools are not sterilized or made for medical use, so we do not recommend it even for Veterinary Sutures. Even though this is Genuine Kevlar®, Please don't try to weave your own body armor.

That's great!!!

I love their notes from the legal department, always really funny

Hint - Extended cutting of Kevlar is pretty hard on cutting tools and can seriously dull edges in just a few uses. Don't use your best knives or scissors on it. Better to use inexpensive knives and scissors and resharpen as needed. When the blades get worn down from all the resharpening you can buy new ones for cheap and pension off the expended units to the kids.

There are special ceramic bladed cutting tools that can cut Kevlar without dulling quickly but you pay through the nose for them. For non-industrial use it is easier to just cut and sharpen as needed.

thanks! I would probly have dulled my scissors if not for you