Best DIY repair for seam tape failure on vintage Arc'teryx

[charlesj]

About 20 years old (not me, the jacket), I didn't use it all the time as it was the most expensive garment I ever bought except for a Vanson motorcycle jacket. But time took its toll on it. Sent it back to Arc'teryx and they said it had reached the limit of its usability. I understand that "lifetime" doesn't refer to mine. Arc'teryx has been good about a couple of repairs to other garments over the decades. I have always liked their cleverness and quality if not the price (how did we ever ski before the advent of the "zipper garage"?) They gave me the option of half off on a new one and they dispose of my jacket (half of $750 is still a lot of money to me) or they send it back unrepaired. I am inclined to try and fix it myself with iron-on seam seal tape or aquaseal/shoegoo. Any thoughts/ideas/advice? Thanks in advance.

[mntlion]

my thought is that the jacket has lived a long and full life and 50% off is a good deal. You can't go to blockbuster for a Beta tape rental either, and hard to find a pet rock.


but that was NOT what you where asking. I would try seam tape?

[charlesj]

Why would I need another Pet Rock? The one I have now is fine.

I might go for the deal, but as much as I like Arc'teryx I was leaning towards CFS for my next goretex jacket.

[t-the-east]

You can't go to blockbuster for a Beta tape rental either, and hard to find a pet rock

Sure ya can -

https://qz.com/1328012/the-last-bloc...n-bend-oregon/

https://www.ecrater.com/p/22499127/v...BoC2j8QAvD_BwE

[N1CK.]

Why would I need another Pet Rock? The one I have now is fine.

I might go for the deal, but as much as I like Arc'teryx I was leaning towards CFS for my next goretex jacket.

honestly if you want to keep it, see if MiCol can have it re-taped in his shop. Otherwise take advantage of his pre-season trade-in program. FRS jackets are as nice as they get.

[SumJongGuy]

20 years is an awful long time for the material in a garment to handle playtime use. It will be whack a mole with different parts of the jacket failing as you repair others. Any and all elastic will go. The material along every seam will start to fray and come apart at this point. It's more age related than how often you wore it. Stuff decomposes, materials degrade etc.. She's dead Jim!

[XXX-er]

I've fixed my own arcterxy beta shell with AQS

One of my gigs is fixing dry suits, so at this point I have fixed literally hundreds of them which involves gluing in new latex seals, patching holes & fixing loose tape ... huffing a whole lot of the Tolulene from AQS

there was a certain vintage of NRS dry suits where the seam tape would delam some of it I fixed with AQS, some of it was fixed with plastidip and on a really bad suit that I that I had told the boss was just too fucked in too many places to attempt slopping AQS or plastidup on the seams so he just ironed the ORIGINAL tape back on the seams so you might try that to start

when you are using AQS put a little under the loose tape and cover the area with a piece of plastic bag, then clamp or put something heavy on tto squeeze it falt & to leave a good finish

if you post some picts I can give you a recommendation

[charlesj]

honestly if you want to keep it, see if MiCol can have it re-taped in his shop. Otherwise take advantage of his pre-season trade-in program. FRS jackets are as nice as they get.

I have a softish (Antero ?) CFS that I scored in GS very lightly used. I can't say enough great things about it.

Sent from my Pixel using TGR Forums mobile app

[charlesj]

if you post some picts I can give you a recommendation

[charlesj]

She's dead Jim!

Red ones always die, right?

[SumJongGuy]

It that were my jacket I'd try to repair that loose material with Shoe Goo. I'm also a die hard use it until it's totally useless when it comes to jackets, gloves, etc that I've gotten pretty attached to.

[XXX-er]

yeah I would put a little aqs under the tape, cover with some plastic bag and put something heavy on top to hold it down flat

shoo goo, seam seal, freesole is all just liquid ureathane in different consistencies so whatever you got will probably work

I think I got the same shell

[charlesj]

yeah I would put a little aqs under the tape, cover with some plastic bag and put something heavy on top to hold it down flat

shoo goo, seam seal, freesole is all just liquid ureathane in different consistencies so whatever you got will probably work

I think I got the same shell

Thanks. I'll do that. Will eventually get a CFS

[gregL]

Don't bother fixing it; just cut it off and forget it.

The purpose of the strip is to seal the sewn seam, but any time it's that wet you have the hood right in back of the collar.

[NS05672]

Maybe shoot a message to satelliterepairs on Insta. Worked with the Worn Wear truck for awhile and does freelance repairs. Nice work

[XXX-er]

Don't bother fixing it; just cut it off and forget it.

The purpose of the strip is to seal the sewn seam, but any time it's that wet you have the hood right in back of the collar.

it took me a awhile to figure out what you were getting ^^ at BUT if this is the beta shell which it looks like (which I also have) then that seam with the loose tape is lower down than where the hood is attached SO the tape actualy does cover an important seam

the seam that attaches the hood is blind so I can't see if its taped or not but i would assume so

[charlesj]

Thanks XXX-er ! Arc'teryx returned my trusty old molten Theta AR unrepaired, I followed the simple instructions and I think I got it right.

[XXX-er]

Looks fine to me, so now put the rest of that tube in the freezer, but you wana put it in a well sealed jar so yer food doesn't taste like Tolulene and when you need to do another repair just thaw the tube in a cup of boiling water for 15min

every buddy should have a tube of AQS on the go for fixing small holes in gortex, ski cuts in the pants, holes from skiing too close to trees, loose velcro, loose seam tape

I been toying with starting a " fix yer own fucking gear with AQS " thread