BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northerner staff
I carry a roll of Gorilla Tape with me every time I go in the bush for any reason.
I picked up my first roll in 2011 prior to a trip up north near Jellicoe. This tape has bailed me out of a lot bad situations and gives me the confidence to know I can face almost any unknown scenario that may come up in the future.
I used it for the first time to close a leak in a gas line on a motor boat. It closed the cracked line and fed gas into the engine the rest of the day without ever leaking again.
I was impressed. I have continued to be impressed with the tape over the years. Here are a few highlights for me using Gorilla Tape on gear.
In the winter of 2014, I was in an ice shack with a buddy on a small speckled trout lake in February. I got too close to a portable heater and ignited my snow machine pants on fire. The calf section of the right leg ended up with a burnt and melted section about seven inches long and three inches wide. A lot of the insulation was destroyed and left mangled. I put two strips of overlapping Gorilla Tape on the burnt section and closed the outer fabric together over it, essentially creating a makeshift patch. I finished that ice fishing season and have now gone through two more seasons with those same pants and the patch of tape is still holding tight. I’m on the hardwater two times a week during the winter and a lot of times exposed on the ice hopping around from spot to spot on an ATV. I’m rough on my gear and this makeshift patch of tape has proven how tough Gorilla Tape is by not budging a millimetre.
I have used it to repair a my fishing net. I ended up with a hole that bass could slip through. I put two pieces of the tape , back-to-back, over the gap and it has continued to net fishing with no problems for years.
I have and friends (“Friends and I”– unless going for effect) have used the tape to close small wounds caused by hooks or a slip of a fillet knife or some other mishap. It closes cuts and stops the bleeding - that’ is for sure.
I have a backpack that is held together by Gorilla Tape. Not entirely, but most of the bottom and several tears and holes have been repaired by Gorilla Tape patches.
I have plastic bins I put on the trailer for camping that holds clothes and food. A couple of the bins had their lids cracked because of too much tie-down pressure from a strap.
I’m sure you can guess I used the tape to cover the cracks and keep going on my way worry-free. Well, I did!, and And it worked great. It even keeps out the rain.
The bug deflector on my vehicle shattered in the spring into three pieces. You know I grabbed the tape and stuck it back together like a puzzle and put it back on the car. It is still holding and still deflecting rocks and bugs.
I don’t think I can remember all the incidents where I have used the tape. I have a tent with a patched hole. I have a fleece coat with a torn pocket held on by the tape. I have tackle storage containers with the tape covering gaps, cracks and holes. I could go on and on, but I think my point has been made.
It is not weak tape. It is strong and resilient. I love it obviously.
If you haven’t tried this tape yet, give it a shot. I did and it has come in more handy than most things I bring on a camping or canoe or hunting/fishing trip.
The list for its uses is nearly endless.
Fixing gear on the fly