I swore by my old 60 liter pack for years until the hip belt buckle snapped halfway up the Wonderland Trail.

I had to use a carabiner and some paracord from my repair kit to rig it for the last 40 miles, so what's your go-to fix for a broken buckle on the trail?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_kelly2mo ago

Carabiners and paracord are a solid trail fix, but they can slip on steep sections. I keep a few heavy-duty zip ties in my kit now, they're lighter and you can really crank them down to mimic a buckle. Wrapping some duct tape around the strap ends after you zip tie it adds security against fraying. What length of zip ties do you find most useful for gear repairs?

luna752mo ago

Ever tried the ones with metal teeth for a more permanent hold?

henderson.eva1mo ago

That zip tie and duct tape combo is a smart upgrade from my carabiner mess. It sounds way more secure for steep ground where a slip would be a real problem. I'm adding heavy duty zip ties to my own repair kit now.