It’s October, and the weather has officially transitioned to fall here in Portland, OR. We’ve been getting beautiful sunny days here in the Northwest, but the nights have been getting noticeably colder. It’s the time of year when I actually zip up my sleeping bag when I go camping, which brings me to the topic of today’s blog post: how to fix a sleeping bag zipper.
I invested good money in my sleeping bag, because it’s one of the most important pieces of equipment I take backpacking. I need it to maintain body heat, and hopefully get a good night’s sleep in the process. It’s lightweight, comfortable, breathes well, and it keeps me warm. It wasn’t cheap either. I’ve never had a problem with the zipper on my sleeping bag (knock on wood), but I consider myself lucky because a number of my friends have run into this exact problem. So, what are your options if the zipper slider on your sleeping bag wears out or breaks? Here are a few options for how to fix your sleeping bag zipper (and of course the FixnZip® is in there).
Your first option would be to take it to a seamstress. You’ll get your sleeping bag back good as new, but it will also run you anywhere from $60-$100, depending on their pricing. This is only a viable option if you're in town and not using the bag. But what if the zipper breaks when you’re out backpacking?
McNett has a field zipper repair kit that runs about $9.95. It involves unstitching the seam, putting on a new slider, and sewing the seam back up. It includes 5 sliders, but each one fits a specific size and style (i.e. a #5 tooth and a #5 coil). This option is definitely cheaper than the seamstress, but it requires you to do the sewing, and you have to carry multiple zipper sliders for each specific size and style.
The best solution? Naturally I’m partial to this option, but the FixnZip® is great for sleeping bag zipper repair, whether you’re at home or on the trail. For sleeping bags, you can take a look at our video on how to measure zipper size, but I recommend the size Medium. It fits zipper sizes 5-8 and works on both tooth and coil zippers. It does not require tools or sewing, and takes only seconds to install, which makes it a great option for repairing zippers in the field. A single runs just $10.99, and you can order it here.
Below is a video showing Ray, our President and CEO, using the FixnZip® on his daughter’s sleeping bag.
As you can see in the video, the FixnZip® is easy to use on a sleeping bag. I highly recommend keeping a few in your first aid kit when you're backpacking, just in case the zipper goes out on any of your gear. As always, if you have any questions about this post or have a topic you would like me to cover, comment below or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook. You can also contact us here.
Jonathan
