In this video, I bring Mike Simmons back to Survival Dispatch to showcase one of his most underrated skills - repairing gear the right way.
Five years ago, I bought a $250 Minus33 wool hoodie. It’s been an outstanding piece of kit and has truly proven itself in the field. I wore it during a February trip to the Boundary Waters, where temperatures dropped to -30°F, covering roughly seven miles a day for a full week while exposed to the elements and building quinzhees to sleep in. The hoodie worked perfectly within my clothing system - and didn’t scream “tactical.”
Over time, though, the hoodie began to fray along the waistband, with holes forming around the edges. Instead of replacing it, I turned to Mike.
Mike had a leather vest he picked up from a thrift store - far cheaper than buying new leather - and used it to create reinforcement panels for the repair. The result? A hoodie that doesn’t just look fixed, but looks better than new - almost store-bought.
I captured the entire repair process on video and used it as b-roll for our conversation afterward. The point of this video isn’t just sewing - it’s mindset.
We live in a replace-everything society, and skill sets like sewing are disappearing. You may not have the skills to fix something yourself, but chances are someone in your network does. No man is an island. Maybe you trade labor. Maybe you pay for the service. Either way, repair is often the smarter option.
Thanks to Mike, this hoodie is back in service - and likely has many more years ahead of it. Hopefully this video encourages you to look at your gear differently and consider repairing instead of replacing.
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