by Kathlyn Swantko

Extending the life of a garment or a textile product is an important factor to keep well-worn or damaged textiles out of landfills.  By upcycling, redesigning, or repairing, a textile product can preserve its original form, or be redesigned to create an entirely new product, and expand its lifespan.
Upcycling clothes and gear in the outdoor market is becoming so popular that it is creating a new industry on its own.

At Outdoor retailer Summer ’22, two exhibitors featured ways that consumers can use their products to repair damaged clothing and gear and avoid the need for items to be discarded.

NoSo Patches come in a variety of shapes
and designs.

NOSO PATCHES - For Repairing Tears and Holes

NoSo patches provide a fun way to repair and extend the life of expensive apparel, sleeping bags, tote/gear bags, and tents.  Even the most durable fabrics and outdoor gear can suffer snags, rips, and tears, and the best solution is a do-it-yourself repair for these unfortunate fabric mishaps.  These patches can also be used to decorate or personalize any textile item made from nylon or polyester fabric. 

NoSo patches are lightweight, flexible, durable, and waterproof.  With a peel-and-stick adhesive backing, this is a simple way to repair any torn or damaged fabric product.  The easy crack-and-peel-off proprietary adhesive backing makes for a quick way to cover any damaged area, whether at home or out on the trail.  The patch can then be permanently sealed by using heat from a hair dryer, a clothes dryer, or even using direct heat from the sun.

The patches come in a wide variety of shapes and printed designs, even in tactical patterns.  Keep gear in use and out of the landfill by adding a creative touch by using this cost-effective, sustainable DIY solution without paying for expensive repairs. Customized NoSo patches are also available to promote a particular logo, brand, cause, or event.  NoSo will supply the fabric, and the user can provide the personalized logo/artwork/design.

Zlide® offers a cheaper, faster and environmentally
friendly option for zipper repair.

Normally, in dealing with broken zippers there are only a few options: sending the product out for an expensive repair; taking the time and effort to replace/sew in a new zipper yourself; or discarding the item.  However, ZlideOn® offers a cheaper, faster, and more environmentally-friendly alternative.

As a Swedish patented innovation, ZlideOn® is a durable solution made of zinc and steel. It is used by adventurers out on the trails, by parents to repair their kids’ clothes for school, and by the British Military on field assignments.

Each time a consumer chooses to re-use a textile product with a repaired ZlideOn® zipper instead of throwing the product away, it helps the environment. According to ZlideOn® research by mending the zipper with ZlideOn®, instead of buying a new synthetic fibered product, it is estimated that at least 5 kg CO2 is saved from the environment, which can take 200 years to decompose. When you mend the zipper in an old pair of jeans instead of buying a new pair, an estimated 10,000 liters of water is saved.