This week's tip is how TO and NOT TO care for your zippers. Whether it be a tent, a sleeping bag or a jacket, the repair is the same. The first rule of thumb is: NEVER USE DUCT TAPE. Duct tape is difficult to remove from the zipper tape, and often makes the zipper unusable in the future.

Most tent zippers begin to "separate" after about the 10th time you use it. The reason for this is the amount of pressure put on the zipper by stretching the fabric of the tent with the taut poles. The poles have their own duty of holding the tent up in the tightest manner. This is the enemy of the zipper. It is always best to try and hold the two opposing sides of the zipper ahead of the zipper pull as you try to close it, thereby reducing the stress on the zipper pull. The separation is caused by the zipper pull expanding and thus not being able to close the teeth on the zipper itself. A quick fix is to get a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Back the zipper pull all the way to its starting point. With one hand, hold the zipper pull’s head between thumb and forefinger. With the other hand, lightly squeeze the two ends of the BACK of the pull with the pliers. You will have to get the pliers inside the zipper sides and compress only the zipper pull, being careful not to compress the teeth. The pull should be tighter in the back, and will now reconnect the teeth as you pull it forward. If you have broken or melted teeth, this procedure will not work. You must close the zipper trail with something like safety pins every foot or so. The only tapes I recommend to use to close cold air out would be blue painter’s masking tape or K-Tape. Neither of these leaves residue. Make sure the painter’s tape is at least 1 ½ inches wide or it won’t hold. Another way of closing the zipper is to hand stitch around the bad area. Try to get the zipper pull ahead of the break, so you can use the remaining area to zip and unzip. If you whip stitch around the break, the zipper will not go any further on its way back. The zipper will have to be replaced at a later date. The zipper tightening technique can be done a few times before the zipper pull will have to be replaced. To do this, you simply unstitch both ends with the zipper completely open. Slide the pulls off the ends. Replace them with new pulls (you can take your tent or sleeping bag to a fabric store or sporting goods store to see what size and shape you need) by holding the teeth apart and slowly feeding the ends into the FRONT of the pull (the rounded end). Gently wiggle the pull back and forth until it starts closing the teeth and then you can zip it further. Restitch the area you undid and close off the ends.

Zippers on outdoor gear generally come in two sizes, #5 and #8. They can be coil or molded tooth. Coil, as its name suggests, looks like a coil. Molded tooth looks like little “teeth” in a row. Be sure to get matching pulls to the zipper tape. A good resource online is www.seattlefabrics.com. You can order pulls online and they will ship them directly to you and there is no minimum. Zippers should be cleaned after use with a toothbrush. Remove all debris before applying a lube such as graphite or Tri Flo. This will allow your zipper pull to move freely, and reduce the chances of it gumming up with dirt, and eventually beginning to separate. A few minutes of care eliminates hours of repair!!

Good luck~~~