United Cavers Exploration Team

Cave and Mine Exploring => Technical Information => Topic started by: Mary Cutts on Aug 04, 2023, 01:34 PM

Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Mary Cutts on Aug 04, 2023, 01:34 PM
So I have a little rip in my caving suit (i've only used it about 5 times   :dry: )....any hints and tips from the hive mind on how to repair it.

I have a patch that came with the suit. What's the best glue to use? Do I stitch it?
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Kieran Thomas Wyatt on Aug 04, 2023, 01:59 PM
Out of curiosity where is the rip? Shouldn;t have torn in the amount of uses it;s had? Is it the right size or is it somewhere hard wearing like the knees / elbows?
Title: Re:Caving suit repair
Post by: Gareth Stonely on Aug 04, 2023, 02:07 PM
So I've used this contact adhesive on a recent repair, spray it on the suit and the patch, then leave dry for 2 minutes, then put the patch onto the suit.
Don't know how robust this will be, but the patch was still holding strong after the Swinsto trip.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230804/f66e019b15ca4eb4bdd7df6428c7ff8f.jpg)

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Mary Cutts on Aug 04, 2023, 02:19 PM
[quote="KizzTW" post=45619]Out of curiosity where is the rip? Shouldn;t have torn in the amount of uses it;s had? Is it the gith size or is it osmehwere hard wearing like the knees / elbows?[/quote]

Is's an arse rip :P .... Through the outer protective layer.... No jokes about the fatness of it please  :lol:
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Gareth Stonely on Aug 04, 2023, 06:07 PM
Did the nerves get the better of you Mary  ;)

Jokes aside, it seems to be a common problem with AV suits that the extra layer around the arse always rips.
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: mike leahy on Aug 04, 2023, 06:38 PM
I would glue it with copydex a patch and stitch it inside and out
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Les Williams on Aug 07, 2023, 08:10 PM
[quote="mike leahy" post=45624]I would glue it with copydex a patch and stitch it inside and out[/quote]

I would stitch a patch on, make sure the corners are rounded so they don't stick up and catch. Make sure you sew it with a rot proof thread, polyester or nylon, and then seal the edges and the stitching with Aquasure.

Most oversuits go through on the arse, it is the nature of the beast, more so with novices who travel around caves more by sitting down and sliding down on their derrière. As cavers get more experienced at moving around in a cave, they tend to spend less time sliding on their arse, and the suit lives longer.

Knees sometimes go through as well, but most people wear knee pads, so the knees are generally protected, but expect the forearms to go at some point too as crawling results in a lot of wear on those parts...
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: mike leahy on Aug 07, 2023, 10:35 PM
You’ve only got to look at my caving suit
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Richard Timms on Aug 08, 2023, 10:07 AM
[quote="mike leahy" post=45633]You’ve only got to look at my caving suit[/quote]
Tramp chic! :lol:
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: JonJoyce on Aug 09, 2023, 02:41 PM
[quote="mike leahy" post=45633]You’ve only got to look at my caving suit[/quote]

older than the turin shroud that suit is!
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Steve on Aug 09, 2023, 03:47 PM
[quote="mike leahy" post=45633]You’ve only got to look at my caving suit[/quote]

The homeless suit  :lol:
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Gareth Stonely on Aug 09, 2023, 07:38 PM
Mike has had a new suit sitting there for years, that's now probably got holes in it from the moths eating it
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: mike leahy on Aug 09, 2023, 10:46 PM
[quote="Stones" post =45640]Mike has had a new suit sitting there for years, that's now probably got holes in it from the moths eating it[/quote]
Na the moths are in my wallet
 ;)
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Gareth Stonely on Aug 10, 2023, 07:23 AM
[quote="mike leahy" post=45641]
Na the moths are in my wallet
 ;)[/quote]

 :lol:  :lol:   :lol:
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Tom Howard on Oct 26, 2023, 10:25 AM
For those who have caved with me within the past year will know that my oversuit was an absolute state, with not many of the seams actually in place. Also my undersuit (AV thin thing) has had a knackered zip for the past 6 months.

A week or two back I sent both suits to Dennis at Jumpsuits as they were beyond my capabilities. He is a Derbyshire based caver. http://www.jumpsuits.randomstuff.org.uk/index.html

I think he has done a great job with what he had to work with, and has bought me some time before replacing them.

So, for anything more than a simple patch I would definitely recommend his services! I believe he also does alterations and resizing.

Tom
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: mike leahy on Oct 26, 2023, 11:24 AM
Gaz might need some repairs
Title: Caving suit repair
Post by: Gareth Stonely on Oct 26, 2023, 11:40 AM
To late, I've got new suit's