Emergency canoe repair kit suggestions wanted....

ebeeby

Novice Canoe Restorer
Taking the canoe to Yellowstone/jackson in a week. I planned to take a roll of duct tape for that unanticipated riverside repair need (though I pray it won't come to that). It seemed like the best quick fix approach to pack along.
Any better suggestions would be welcomed.
 
Morning Eric. Duc tape is a must however I have a small repair kit I take on any extended trips that includes: duc tape, ambroid glue (although I hear some folks use just old airplane/model glue), pieces of cotton cloth like t-shirt material, #10 pieces of canvas, tearmender glue which is a rubberized glue, leatherman, and sandpaper.
Also not a bad idea to have a small plastic spreader so you don't get the glue all over your hands. Not sure this is all necessary but I have one of those small Cabela's bags that tie on to your carry thwart and keep all materials in that. Also have another same size bag that has all my first aid supplies and tie that on so all can see. I generally keep my repair kit bag stashed in another waterproof bag as everyone does't need to know where that is. I've heard some folks even carry one of those small epoxy tubes which include both the resin and hardner in adjacent tubes. I may have to put one of those in my kit at some point. Enjoy your trip to Yellowstone. Don't know what their water levels are but ours up on the Missouri in MT now is much higher than it's been for several years due to our long overdue rain. Headed out myself tomorrow just for a 20 miler day trip. John
 
For years I carried the traditional Calvin Rustrum canoe repair kit on long trips: ambroid, light canvas, sandpaper, paint, crooked knife, tacks, etc. For canvas wounds, however, duct tape works just fine - you make the permanent repair after the trip. For really big problems (planking, ribs, broken yoke), you have to do a field fix with materials well beyond the kit. So, the kit ends up being pretty useless (and heavy to boot).

Now all I carry is duct tape (the extra sticky "boat tape" sold by Piragis is better than the hardware store variety), ambroid, extra seat/yoke bolts, and lashing line. Anything more you might need is available free in the woods.
 
Duct tape

I take a variety of screws and a multi-tool. Also be careful with the duct tape, it's water proof and stays on the canoe, but I've found it to be a real pain to get off the canoe upon returning home.
 
Robert B. Thum said:
For years I carried the traditional Calvin Rustrum canoe repair kit on long trips: ambroid, light canvas, sandpaper, paint, crooked knife, tacks, etc. For canvas wounds, however, duct tape works just fine - you make the permanent repair after the trip. For really big problems (planking, ribs, broken yoke), you have to do a field fix with materials well beyond the kit. So, the kit ends up being pretty useless (and heavy to boot).

I agree, why in the hell would you want to carry paint with you!!
 
I carry that Paragis tape Robert mentioned, really good tape, and a length of bailing wire, about 3 ft rolled up. I also carry a small leatherman on my belt.
 
Agreed .Items in a repair kit can get heavy if not careful and carried away A kit should have a little something for the most commom canoe maladies
. I make a rollup kit using leftover canvas that ties. In it goes a few items -used bed sheeting in a ziplock a small hacksaw blade encased in electricians tape -for patching a couple seat hangers and nuts for same,some wire,few nails and tacks a partial roll of duc stomped flat and some ambroid or a tube of marine goop.I also gift a kit to friends in theirs I include plasticized instructions on how to fix up a patch.
Oh and dont leave home without it every trip
 
Last edited:
Well dang if a thwart wing nut (middle thwart) didn't jump off the canoe on the way to Yellowstone! I stopped at a true value in the Texas panhandle and got a zinc replacement (odd was that they had bronze washers).
Good advice about hardware I plan to follow next time! I screwed an extra wing nut down on top of a thwart bolt hex nut as a secret extra - but I plan to take bolts as well in the future!

We did canoe the Snake river below Jackson Lake - got a river view of a Bull Moose having lunch! Kids caught lots of Cutthroat trout (on dry flies). A great trip and really the true end of the restoration chapter and the beginning of the paddling book for us.

Got some by-God-get-her-wet gravel scratches in the paint on the bottom - so she's a real canoe again.

Photos are at:

http://members7.clubphoto.com/eric520065/3444675/owner-ef36.phtml
 
Back
Top