You spend a lot of time, effort, and money getting into the field. Once you’re out there, you don’t want to get pushed out prematurely.
Plenty of factors are outside your control. Weather and grizzly bears can cut hunts short, no matter how prepared you are.
But the controllable variables deserve attention. Infield hunting gear maintenance is a big part of that.
A broken tent pole, a leaky ground pad, a broken boot lace, or a delaminated boot sole can each end your hunt early. The fix is simple: pack a small infield gear-maintenance kit to handle common gear failures before they push you off the mountain.
Why Small Gear Failures End Hunts Early
Without proper infield hunting gear maintenance, even small failures push hunters off the mountain. None of these problems are catastrophic on their own, but each one creates an excuse to leave the field early.
A leaky ground pad isn’t comfortable, and it won’t keep you warm at night. A broken tent pole compromises your shelter in a windstorm. A boot you can’t tighten, or a delaminated sole, puts you at injury risk when you’re packing a bull out.
Each failure gives you a reason to say, “I’m diminished in my capability. I’m leaving the field early.” Once you’re out, you realize a few common items in your pack would have solved the problem.
Common Gear Failures I’ve Seen in the Field
Over the years, I’ve watched plenty of gear fail at the worst possible time:
- Skis snapping
- Ski bindings breaking
- Snowshoes breaking
- Tent poles cracking
- Puffy jackets developing big holes and pouring out down
- Leaky ground pads
I was on a hike with a guy whose boot started to delaminate mid-trip. None of these failures look dramatic, but each one threatens to push you out of the field before you’re ready to go.
Every entry on this list is a problem your infield gear-maintenance kit can solve.
How to Build Your Infield Gear-Maintenance Kit
The solution is a versatile kit of universal items that handle many different problems with minimal weight. Effective maintenance for hunting equipment comes down to picking items with multiple uses.
Patching Products
Seam Grip or Aqua Grip will patch clothing and fix that delaminated boot sole. Both work in cold and wet conditions.
Cordage and Fasteners
The 550 cord from your kill kit doubles as an extra bootlace. Zip ties, baling wire, and safety pins handle tears in pants. I’ve fixed broken skis with zip ties out in the backcountry.
Heavy Hitters
Duct tape repairs a broken ski pole. Super glue handles a wide range of small fixes. Gore-Tex patch kits seal up shells and rain gear. Pack repair pieces for your tent pole so your shelter stays standing in bad weather.
Stove-Specific Parts
Depending on the stove you’re bringing, pack a few small parts that match the failure points on that model. A non-functional stove means no hot water, no warm food, and no morale.
Why an Infield Gear-Maintenance Kit Pays Off
A few ounces of repair gear in your pack:
- Keep you in the field
- Keep you comfortable
- Keep you focused on the hunt
- Keep you at full capability
Your infield gear-maintenance kit keeps a year of planning from getting wasted on a small failure you could have repaired.
Final Thoughts on Infield Hunting Gear Maintenance
Build your infield gear-maintenance kit before your next trip. Lay out your gear, think about what’s likely to break, and pack the pieces that solve those problems.
The kit fits in your pack with almost no weight cost. The hunts it saves justify every ounce.
by John Barklow, a Special Operations Survival Instructor and consultant who has spent decades teaching military personnel and civilians survival techniques in extreme environments.
