My non-specific bag(s)

[GillyBee]

How about a small sewing repairs kit? I have lost track of how often mine hs bailed me out.

[Yorkshire Andy]

How about a small sewing repairs kit? I have lost track of how often mine hs bailed me out.

I liberated a couple of "nice" hotel complementary sewing kits over the years ...

Well last summer in a less generous hotel the wife had a bikini top malfunction much to my amusement

Well it was the only top that she had for sun bathing .. side of my holdall suitcase has lots of internal mesh pockets and one of the little kits lives in it....

Now usually I'd attempt to do a make do and mend repair but my parents were with us.. so busted top and sewing kit were passed to my mum she used to teach needlework and home economics. Much more qualified than me ... it was returned better than new in 10 minutes saving the wife from a mugging at the hotel clothing shop

[Frnc]

I don't have a sewing kit in my 3 day BOB, but I do in my longer duration bag. The focus is on heavy duty, eg repair to pannier or rucksack. It has some thick waterproof material and large needles. The longer duration bag is a modular add-on to the BOB, and is one of my two rear bike panniers.

My 3 day BOB does have a ready made tent repair kit though (which may include a needle, I'm not sure), which is incorporated into a small tub with other repair items like superglue, contact adhesive, seam sealant, and shoe repair glue (which I bought for air bed repair).

My routine bike ride bag (other rear pannier, tools, tube, lights, pump etc) has a sheet of material that could be used for repairs, but it's mainly for other uses such as putting tools on or sitting on.

[Big Orange]

How about a small sewing repairs kit? I have lost track of how often mine hs bailed me out.

There is actually one in there, I missed it off the list

[GillyBee]

This chat has reminded me that for years (from about age 16) a tiny sewing kit was part of my EDC. My son also carried one in 6th form and earned himself a number of free drinks for sewing buttons back onto trouser waistbands and the like. I must pop one back into the handbag as it is an EDC in my mind.
My smallest ECD sewing kit comprises 1 needle, about 1m of black and 1m of white thread. a safety pin, a shirt size button and a waistband/coat size button. That is enough to get you out of a surprising amount of wardobe malfunction.

[pseudonym]

This chat has reminded me that for years (from about age 16) a tiny sewing kit was part of my EDC. My son also carried one in 6th form and earned himself a number of free drinks for sewing buttons back onto trouser waistbands and the like. I must pop one back into the handbag as it is an EDC in my mind.
My smallest ECD sewing kit comprises 1 needle, about 1m of black and 1m of white thread. a safety pin, a shirt size button and a waistband/coat size button. That is enough to get you out of a surprising amount of wardobe malfunction.

Throw in a comb and a cardboard nail file as well

[Zolner]

Absolutely agree! A needle, thread, and a few buttons can be lifesavers — not just in the wild but in everyday use too. Tiny kit, huge value.

[NBK2000]

My only gripe is the mess tins. They are awful to cook anything in. Pretty much for boiling water only. Because they’re made of cheap aluminium, anything you cook tends to stick to the tin. And they’re not easy to clean without a decent scouring/brillo pad.

I’d swap the mess tins out for a 6/800ml titanium cup. Plenty big enough to cook a meal for one person, strong, lightweigh, cleans well, great thermal properties so food/water cooks/boils quickly so uses less fuel/gas.

And as it’s a cup, they usually come with a lid. Bonus you can store some of the kit in the cup as well.

[pseudonym]

My only gripe is the mess tins. They are awful to cook anything in. Pretty much for boiling water only.

They're designed to be used in "Mess Kitchens" for food prepared en mass for the troops, also the "wet boil in the bag rations" fit into the larger of the two for individual field meals.