Down jacket/coat repair

[Poundwise]

Don't throw away functional clothes that only need repairs! I fixed three torn down jackets recently and it was simple.
Materials:
- down pillow used to donate replacement fluff
- tent/jacket repair tape (used Tenacious reflective repair tape and cut it in decorative shapes)
- scissors
- paper towels dampened with rubbing alcohol or water

I took the materials outside because the feathers fly around a bit. I cut patches out of the repair tape and rounded the corners. Then I carefully opened a seam of the pillow and took out pinches of down, which I stuffed in the tubes of the jackets on either side of the torn holes. I packed the down a bit on either side, then used the paper towels to whisk loose down from the outside of the hole. Waited for the fabric to dry, then applied the patch. Done!

The jackets look great with the reflective patches.

If the arms of a jacket are badly torn, you can also cut them off and stitch the hem to make them into vests.

[nereo]

Tenacious tape is wonderful stuff, and we e used it to repair several down jackets, still going strong after a few years and several machine washings. Using a sacrificial down pillow is a nice touch!

[Morning Glory]

Thanks for the tape advice.  I have little burn holes in my jacket from hanging out near the fire pit in winter. Melted a hole in my boot last year too.

[nereo]

Thanks for the tape advice.  I have little burn holes in my jacket from hanging out near the fire pit in winter. Melted a hole in my boot last year too.

I get the holes in a jacket, but if your boots are melting through you might try sitting a bit further away from the fire ;-P

[chasingsnow]

+1 for tenacious tape and puffy jacket repair. There's definitely a limit, I have one old Arc'teryx jacket that makes me look like I'm a zebra haha. Too many days climbing and alpine ascents in that old thing. Most companies that stand by their gear will retire your jacket once it gets to that stage and give you 40-50% off towards a new jacket.

[Poundwise]

Tenacious tape is wonderful stuff, and we e used it to repair several down jackets, still going strong after a few years and several machine washings. Using a sacrificial down pillow is a nice touch!

It wasn't even that much of a sacrifice!  I sewed up the pillow after and you couldn't tell the difference.

Yes, I really like that tape, very solid quality.

[jeninco]

Tenacious tape is wonderful stuff, and we e used it to repair several down jackets, still going strong after a few years and several machine washings. Using a sacrificial down pillow is a nice touch!

It wasn't even that much of a sacrifice!  I sewed up the pillow after and you couldn't tell the difference.

Yes, I really like that tape, very solid quality.

I used some brand or another of jacket/tent repair tape to patch spark holes in my favorite vest: I cut a series of increasingly large circles, and applied the largest two over the two holes, then the smaller ones in a pattern around them. It looks deliberate (and rather pretty)!