What to expect at the event:
Learn techniques and skills from our expert panel on gear repair. We will focus on gear repair for thru hiking and backpacking but all are welcome to attend and there will be something for everyone. From sewing to patching and beyond.
We will cover stitching techniques in real time, bring your own needle, thread and fabric swatches and follow along to learn how to efficiently sew up holes that happen on trail. Live demonstrations on zippers and other mishaps as well and a expert Q and A session to get the most out of this webinar. We will share our gear repair backpacking kits and how we repair at home.
There will be a Q and A to follow so bring your questions.
I am Austin Gongos and I'm one of the Cofounders of CTUG. I hiked the PCT with my first ever backpack in 2018 after learning to sew and very quickly learned how to repair gear on trail. Since then I've built packs that don't require constant repair and have spent the last 7 years sewing gear for CTUG. We also now offer gear repair in our shop and have gotten a lot of practice repairing all sorts of items.
Kate "Drop-N-Roll" Hoch is a Pacific Northwest based thru-hiker and mountaineer who dabbles in climbing, packrafting, trail running, and most all outdoorsy things and moonlights as a writer. By trade, she’s a mechanical engineer who runs a forklift component test lab.
When she’s been unable to find what she want in gear, she uses her engineer’s mind to MYOG (Make Your Own Gear), either modifying existing gear to include features she wants, or in even building them entirely from scratch, such as the pack she carried on the Hayuke and Oregon Desert Trails.
Kate has backpacked and thru-hiked over 10,000 miles, including the entire Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Idaho Centennial Trail, and multiple off-trail routes including the Hayduke Trail, Oregon Desert Trail, Sierra High Route and Wind River High Route. She also has climbed nearly all of the Cascade volcanoes - just Seekseekqua (Jefferson) left!
My name is Whitney, better known in the long-distance world as “Allgood.” I have been thru-hiking for 30 years, have well over 10,000 miles of long trails under my feet, and I am an all-around outdoor enthusiast. Whether I am blazing a new route across a remote area of Oregon, bombing down a snowy ski run on Mt. Hood or finding myself 68 miles offshore in a 23-foot boat, I am happiest outside in the natural world.
I have worked as a professional in the outdoor industry for over a decade at a headwear brand supporting public lands, as the VP of Sales & Marketing at Six Moon Designs, and as the CRO of FarOut Guides. I now run my own consulting firm for outdoor brands.
Over the years and during my various adventures, I have had to fix a piece of gear or two. My "bushfixes" have helped my partners and me to continue along our way safely until I could get to town for a proper fix. I may carry a more substantial repair kit than most, but each item is there because of a prior calamity.