Gear Care and Repair

Help! How Can I Stop Smelly Gear?

All my gear reeks! How can I prevent that smell?

How to Keep Dirt Out of Your Tent

Q. I hate when the inside of my tent gets filthy. I always track in dirt from my boots. Any tips for keeping it cleaner?

4 Tips to Make Your Tent Last

Q. Hello Gear Guy, I just got a new tent. What can I do to make sure it lasts me the longest amount of time possible?

How to Replace a Broken Tent Pole

Q. Yo Gear Guy! This weekend when I was setting up my two-man tent to air-dry, one of the fiberglass poles broke. Any places that I could go to get a replacement?

How to Clean a Dirty Pocketknife

Q. Dear Gear Guy, I got a pocketknife from my grandfather, and it's all dirty and rusty. Can you tell me how to clean it, please?

How to Prevent Smelly Gear

I'm going to the 2017 National Jamboree. What is the best way to prevent my gear from getting smelly as I use it?

How to Minimize Sleeping Bag Odor

Q. Whenever I go camping my sleeping bag gets all smelly. How do I make it smell better?

Storing Backpacks During Wintertime

How should I store backpacks during wintertime to keep them in good condition?

How to Wash a Smelly Camp Pillow

Q. When I wash my camping pillow, the material inside lumps up and gets uncomfortable. What should I do?

How to fix smelly hiking boots

My hiking boots smell terrible. Is there anything I can do to take care of that?

How to fix a broken zipper on your sleeping bag or tent

Q. My sleeping bag zippers always break off, and I don’t have any extra money to buy a new one. PLEASE HELP!!

Repairing a sleeping bag

My dad gave me an old Marmot sleeping bag, and it has two small holes in it and some down feathers are coming out. The sleeping bag works just fine, but how do I stop the feathers from coming out?

Did bug spray melt my watch?

Dear Gear Guy, I got bug spray all over the face of my watch and there is a dirty residue on the face of the watch. How do I remove it?

Fix a torn stuff sack

Q. I'm having problems with the stuff sack that holds my backpacking tent. It's wearing out on the bottom, and I was wondering what would fix it.

How to repair rubber rain boots

My favorite rubber rain boots have a hole in the side. Now they aren't dry at all. They weren't really expensive, but I don't want to get new ones. How can I repair my boot? Please help.

How to remove mold from sleeping bag

Q. I went camping, and a few days later I found the bag for my sleeping bag has an orange sort of mold on it. Help me!

How to Care for Hiking Boots

VIDEO: Boots are super important on the trail. So take care of your footwear, and it'll take care of you.

Skateboard knee pads are super-smelly

Dear Gear Guy, I've been skateboarding on my friend's ramp a lot. I always wear my elbow and knee pads and helmet, but they are starting to really stink. I guess I've been sweating in them a lot, and the pads are super-smelly. What can I do?

Deodorize stinky gear

I play soccer and football. I sometimes wear my cleats six days a week. Is there any way to rid my equipment (cleats, shin guards, shoulder pads, etc.) of that everlasting smell of fresh body odor?

Fix slow skateboard wheels

Q. The wheels on my skateboard aren't spinning well anymore. Is there anything I can do to fix them or do I have to buy new wheels?

How to properly store camping equipment

Q. How do I properly store and care for my camping equipment?

Fix a hole in a tent

Q. Yo Gear Guy, I just got back from summer camp and I had a blast, except for one thing: My tent got a hole in it. I was wondering if you know any good inexpensive ways to fix the holes?

How to waterproof hiking boots

Q. Help, Gear Guy! What do you do if your waterproof hiking boots have become un-water resistant? My boots shoe bottoms are coming off too!

Repair leaky rain pants

Q. My rain pants are leaking because there is a hole on the inside of the leg on the seam. I want to be thrifty because I am a Boy Scout. I would like your advice as to how to repair them. If I am not able to fix them, what should I pay for a new pair?