Repairing nylon coveralls?

[Steven Johnson]

What's the best way to repair tears in nylon coveralls? (In this case, Lost Creek, cordura nylon I think)

I managed to tear a 1.5" rip in the back of mine -- roughly in the middle-left of the back, so not a super-high-wear-or-stress area, but it's a rip that I don't want to go any further.

[Scott McCrea]

Seam Grip will do a good job at repairing nylon fabric. Just tape over the inside of the hole. Smear the Seam Grip on the outside and let dry. Holds up well, in my experience.

[Bob Thrun]

For single tears I wash the coveralls twice to get rid of fine sand and then sew a patch with a sewing machine. After a while, when there are too many holes, I just give up and buy new coveralls.

If all you want to do is repair clothes, the are plenty of cheap used machines on the market. Get a free arm zigzag machine for patching.

[KsCaver22]

I have used SeamSealer on a pair of Lost Creek coveralls. The stuff is darn tough, but it's not indestructible. My coveralls have some rips just above the knee pockets where pads are supposed to go. I SeamSealed the rips and it held for a half-dozen caving trips, but now the SealSealer is torn through.

I had Howie take a look at it a while back. He said he could put some seatbelt webbing on it, but it would just rip again above the seatbelt.

The same coveralls have a tear in the center of the back at the top of the butt pad. Howie put a piece of seatbelt on it and it is holding fine. My previous pair of Lost Creek coveralls tore in the same place and got the same repair.

I suspect the real answer is to not use pads in the knee pockets. I think that's where the real stress on that seam comes from.

Bill Gee

[MUD]

I suspect the real answer is to not use pads in the knee pockets. I think that's where the real stress on that seam comes from.

Bill Gee

The real answer would be to put them together correctly and sew them correctly! I top stitch every seam on ma caveralls...its alot more work but well worth it.

[Cavermax]

A top notch product for on the spot or long term repairs was introduced to me while I worked as a welder on the road, it is called Tear Mender. This stuff is simply amazing and incredibly durable. I use it exclusively to repair my fire retardant jeans and welding shirts no stitching necessary. To describe this stuff as tough would be an understatement. It works on any porous material including leather. Just make sure that you glue down the edges well. If you have a major repair like a pair of boots with a seam blown, seal it with several applications allowing it to dry between coats. A hair dryer will help the process outside the cave, a carbide light inside. This stuff dries quickly if you are just patching cloth to cloth I’m talking like stick it on and go. ONE CAUTION!!!!!!! This stuff is 100% latex so make sure that no one in your group is allergic to it before you use it on their gear or clothes.

[LukeM]

For my coveralls I cut out some patches from Cordura bought on Ebay and sewed them on with a regular sewing machine with a heavy duty needle and heavy nylon thread. I glued the patches on first and then followed the edges with a zig-zag stitch. A stronger sewing machine would have done a better job stitching but so far they've held up pretty well after a dozen trips or so.

[Cavermax]

If I have the time to do it I will use Tear Mender to place the patch and seal its edges then run a quick lock stitch around the perimeter of the patch. But in my opinion, it is not really necessary. I have numerous pairs of pants, as well as shirts, that have nothing but tear mender applied patches. They survived countless washes as well as a really tough work environment. The greatest thing about tear mender is its on the spot repair qualities. This on the go quality makes it easy to prevent small tears from becoming big holes, and even bigger problems. How many of us out there have had a small tear on a trip turn a perfectly good bag or pair of coveralls into a shredded mass of cloth, sand, and mud. This type of equipment failure can turn a pleasant trip, into a miserable, sodden, exhausting, expedition, or possibly cause you and your friends to abort a long anticipated and planned for trip.
With Tear Mender you can stop the hole as soon as it starts thus averting disaster. And because Tear Mender is 100% latex it remains flexible in any temperature and will not cause clothing to stiffen noticeably. You do not need to coat the entire surface under the patch only about 1/4 to 1/2" in, around the outer perimeter of the patch. This will allow the patch to retain maximum flexibility and still stick like.. ( well.... Glue!!).
And as a side note I am in no way associated with Tear Mender or its affiliates.... This is a recommendation based on my experiences and those who have come before me.