CAMO PATCH
Repair fabric and other materials in the field.
by Suzanne Baldwin
At an outdoor show I came across this interesting product that is new to the hunting world. The examples were impressive. Add a pocket anywhere, seal a separated seam, patch a rip etc.
My husband is an avid bow hunter and I'm thinking that there are times this product could be an advantage to his, "Advantage", so to speak. So I took this little squeeze bottle home and embarked on an experiment or two of my own.
First I cut a piece of material, folded the edges in on three sides applied the liquid to the folds and pressed the material to the front of a camouflage baseball cap. I waited 5 minutes however, it appeared to adhere quite well immediately. Wow, this stuff really works ! I don't know if my husband wanted a pocket on his cap but by golly he has one now.
Okay, so how about the repair idea? I opened out a seam in a pair of camo pants, applied the liquid to the seam on one side and pressed them together. Cool......the seam bonded really well. I then cut a square patch, folded in the edges and applied the patch formula to the edges and pressed it to another place on the pants. Within two minutes the patch was holding quite tight. Now, let's think about this a minute. In the bush, if my husband got a tare that needed a patch, ....... would he cut a piece of material and neatly fold in the raw edges and apply straight uniform lines of glue substance ? I don't think so. So I got a knife and ripped a 10" slash in the leg of one of his camo pants, remember this is for a good cause, I slathered a remnant strip approximately the right size with adhesive and plastered it over the rip. Remember the idea of camouflage in the first place is that it is a broken pattern, right ? Within two minutes it was permanently sealed. I mean that puppy is never coming off.
Hey, this is getting fun. Returning to the ball cap I adhered safari type long flaps to the sides.
I don't know if my husband is planning a hunt in the Sahara anytime soon but if he is, now he has a hat for it. And with a pocket on it!
Next question, what about durability ? How well this stuff endures the rigors of the hunt will not be conclusive until my husband has ventured out into the wild with this..... seam glued, rip patched, pocket adapted apparel but I did pitch the pants into the wash right after their upgrade in patching and everything came out tight and sealed from the dryer.
Personally, I would prefer if this product was a little thicker in consistency. Coming out of the plastic squeeze bottle it is thin and slightly watery instead of more like toothpaste. If it gets on other areas besides the patch it does rub off, if done right away and it comes off hands and skin very easily. The product advertises that it is a, "Waterproof Fabric and Leather Permanent Cement......Scent Free." I would expect that it would work on tents and backpacks etc. as well as other outdoor and recreational materials. If no patch material is available applying the cement to one side of the tare and lapping the other side over it to seal it will work just as well in a pinch.
"And remember guys... lets be careful out there" Suzanne
You can check out this product at http://www.camopatchusa.com/ or call them at 866-458-2783.