Gorilla Tape Camo

Much as I loved using the Marmot Catalyst tent in Stok Kangri (read about it here), I realised the stuffing sack that it comes in is of rather thin material. Perhaps to keep the weight low. But I wasn't too bothered about the weight because the tent was carried by mules and the sack, I found, had a three-inch gash. Lucky that the tent inside was intact and I realised two things from this experience. I need to be more careful about this issue and use sacks that are of thicker material. Second - I need a good tent repair material to be there in my sack, should things go wrong on the way.

After some googling and amazoning I realised that the famous Gorilla tape is now available in India, albeit at a hefty price relative to what they cost in the US. I ordered for one from the Indian Amazon site. It cost me a total of Rs 1100. Outrageous. But if you forget about price, the tape looks and feels like bomb proof.

Gorilla tapes come in different sizes and colours. They have the traditional black. They also have clear tapes. I chose the third option which is the camouflage colour. I am not sure but there might be fourth option of white. Sizes are different in terms of width and length and the price naturally varies accordingly. The size I went for is 1.88 inch wide and 9 yards long, which is fine for me.

The first thing I did is used it to seal the gash on my tent sac. Well, it was easy to do the job. I can pass a judgement only after it is tested over a period of time in rain and shine. Essentially I cleaned the sac around the gash. Cut a strip that is longer than the gash. I held the cloth with a thick newspaper inside and applied the tape. There was no crease or anything. The tape is hand tearable. But I used a pair of scissors. I rounded off the four edges with the scissors, so that the corners don't come up later. I would probably wash it after a few days. That will give me some idea about how it holds after the wash. 

I wanted to also use it to repair the rain cover for the Deuter. It is really badly torn. I had given it as check in baggage and they just tore it apart. I realised the tear is too large for this tape. Must be wider than 2 inches. A gaping hole, to be precise. I think I will get the hole stitched with a patch and then cover it with this tape. Because it is really good as a rain cover.

I cannot use either of these covers when I hand the items over to someone else. Whether it is a horseman in Ladakh or an airline luggage crew in Germany. They are equally bad.

This Gorilla tape is going to be one of the first items I put in my trekking sac if I go anywhere with the tent. Meanwhile, I have to get a more thick material for covering both the tent and the Deuter. I guess I will talk to Alpine in Ballygunge Place.