Lowepro’s Workshop Tips
#4 Repairing a Tear
Your Lowepro camera bag was built and designed to protect your camera gear through the toughest situations and the most challenging assignments. It is built not only to be useful and comfortable, but also to be durable so that it can last longer, reducing both our and your environmental impact.
That's why we have created Lowepro Workshop Tips, a series of guides on how to maintain, repair, and refresh the integrity and functionality of your camera bag, so it can have a longer life.
Your Lowepro bag is your companion on memorable adventures, and we want to preserve it not just for the memories, but also to reduce our environmental impact.
Lowepro’s Workshop Tip #4
Repairing a Tear
Getting a tear on your Lowepro bag’s fabric is unlikely, we lab and field test our materials to make sure they’re durable enough for years of use. However, knowing all the adventures that photographers go on in pursuit of great images, we can never rule out that possibility. If you tear the fabric of your bag on some very sharp rocks or maybe accidentally cut with a tool, here are two ways you can repair that tear yourself.
One step you can take is to stitch the cut shut with an embroidering or similar type of hand stitch. When you do this make sure you catch at least 3mm on either side of the tear. If it’s a part of the bag that doesn’t commonly receive tension, your repaired area should hold for a long time.
Alternatively, if you are not confident in your sewing skills, there are some really good and reliable fabric repair tapes available either in rolls or patches. These repair tapes can be cut to the exact size that you need to patch over the tear. To ensure stability and durability, be sure to extend at least 2.5 cm on each side of the tear. For sharp corners, it’s best to round them off to avoid peeling. The path is strong enough to use right away, but will continue to get stronger over the next 24hrs as the glues set. For an even more stable repair, you can also apply a patch on the inside for an extra layer of protection.
Your ever reliable photography and adventure companion is dependable in almost any situation and rugged environment that you might want it to withstand. Over time, constant exposure to the elements or accidents may require you to extend a bit of TLC to reinforce or refresh your bag’s protective features. While it takes a number of years and a lot of adventures to wear them out, these very easy and simple tasks extend the life of your bags and the protection they provide your precious camera gear for even longer.