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McNett "Tenacious Tape"
Field Report by André Corterier
Date: July 2006
Personal Biographical Information:
Name: André Corterier
Gender: M
Age: 34
Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight: 80 kg (175 lb)
Email: andreDOTcorterierATfreenetDOTde
Home: Bonn, Germany
Backpacking Background:
I have started out with backpacking slowly – single-day 24 km (15 mi) jaunts
by myself or even shorter hikes in the company of my little daughter. I am getting started on longer
hikes, as a lightweight packer and hammock-camper. I’ve begun upgrading my old gear and am now shooting for a
dry FSO weight (everything carried From the Skin Out except food, fuel and water)
of about 10 kg (22 lb) for three-season camping. I am getting there.
Year of manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer: McNett Corporation
URL: http://www.mcnett.com
MSRP: 3.50 USD per roll
Comparisons:
listed weight:
none given
measured weight: - scale accurate to 1 g (0.04 oz)
11 g (0.4 oz) per roll
listed dimensions:
50 cm (20 in) by 7.5 cm (3 in)
measured dimensions:
50 cm (20 in) by 7.5 cm (3 in)
Introduction:
This is a clear tape which comes stuck to a paper backing. To apply it, one cuts a piece of tape of the required dimensions
from the roll, peels it off the backing and applies it to the object in question. About the objects in question, the McNett
corporation has this to say:
"Provides fast, long lasting repairs on synthetic and natural fabrics, fleece, vinyl, rubber and plastic. Ideal for: tents,
rain gear, tarps, wind wear, backpacks, gaiters, sleeping bags, gloves, stuff sacks, mats and pads, seats, awnings, soft
coolers, tablecloths, PFD's, boat covers, inflatable toys, emergency bicycle tire repairs & more"
User Directions:
The manufacturer gives the following directions:
Clean and dry area to be repaired. Trim loose threads. Join torn edges of material. For smaller repairs, cut tape for
appropriate size, allowing overlap of repair of at least 1 inch (25mm) in all directions. Round the edges of tape for
best adhesion. Remove paper backing and apply to damaged area over hard, flat surface. May be applied to outside surface
or inside surface depending upon cosmetic preference, or both sides for the highest performance repair. After applying, rub
with pressure using circular motion from center out. Item may be used immediately. Adhesive reaches full strength in 24 hours.
The manufacturer notes that the Tape can be used with Urethane Adhesives by the same manufacturer to achieve "ultra strong" repairs.
Fate of the Bottle from my Initial Report:
The bottle which I fixed in my Initial Report is no longer around. Alas, it seems to have gone the way of such bottles when I wasn't paying attention - that
is, it was recycled. Before it was, however, it served on three hiking stretches without a leak, both carried upside down (with the fixed leak pointing up)
and with the fixed spot at the bottom of the bottle). I did not notice so much as a drop leaking out. For what I still consider to be a field repair, that
is an excellent result.
DIY Double Layer Pad:
The Double Layer Pad of my first construction is also no longer around. It occurred to me soon after having made it, that there is an even better way of
creating a larger hammock pad out of two 60 cm (2 ft) by 180 cm (6 ft) thin closed-cell foam pads. That is, two cut one in half (two pieces of 60 by 90 cm /
2 by 3 ft) and tape it together to form a folding 120 cm by 90 cm (4 ft by 3 ft) pad. I lay this over the other, standard pad. Thus, the 120 cm (4 ft) from
below my butt to just above my shoulders now has a double thickness of pad, plus I have "wings" of 15 cm (half a foot) to either side of my 60 cm (2 ft)
wide pad.
To achieve this, I had to separate the pads which I had joined with the Tenacious Tape. It may be noteworthy that while closed-cell foam consists of closed
"bubbles" on the inside, the surface (at least of the Evazote pads which I was using) is effectively open-"celled". It has a lot of "half bubbles" on the
top. This presents very little area for the adhesive to stick to. Taking the taped sections apart quickly showed me where I had been very dilligent about
pressing the tape to the surface and smoothing it over and where I had apparently been less so. In some areas the Tape come off easily - rather too easily
for my taste. That appears to have been my own fault, however. In other areas (which I presume to be the ones where I was more effective at applying it)
the Tape did not come off. Instead, the Evazote tore. That's what I call "Tenacious".
Using some more (a lot more, actually) of the Tenacious Tape I then proceeded to create my new folding pad, which was easy enough. I taped the two
sections together only on one side, to make folding easier. Thus, I fold the pads together so that the sides with the Tape on it lay against one another. In
actual use, there have not been any durability problems so far.
Backpack:
I loaned one of my backpacks to a buddy of mine for an overnight hike, which he returned with a hole in the extension collar. Neither one of us is sure
whether that hole existed when the pack was originally handed over. At any rate, it was easy to fix with Tenacious Tape. The few times that I've rolled and
unrolled the extension collar since have done nothing to it.
Rain Jacket:
Another repair spot which came up during the testing period was a hole in my rain jacket. I am not at all certain how that hole came about but assume that
the jacket got caught in the zipper of my daypack. Anyway, one day I noticed a hole in it of maybe 2 mm (0.08 in) in diameter. My last bit of Tenacious
Tape went over it. It stuck very well to the ripstop-nylon outer of the jacket. That spot hasn't seen too much rain since (I am testing the
Six Moon Designs
"Gatewood Cape" as hiking rain gear now, plus it's in the contact area of my backpack). Yet, I have no reason to doubt that the hole is sealed (it holds
water - I checked). A slight bit of fuzz has accumulated on the adhesive side of the piece of tape right over the hole, where I assume it has come into
contact with the clothes I was wearing underneath the jacket. This would be prevented (and the strength of the repair raised even higher) if I had applied
another piece of adhesive to the other side of the fabric. However, I am now out of Tenacious Tape.
Miscellaneous Repairs:
In my eagerness to use the Tape, I have also used it for purposes other than backpacking. One example is the plastic cutlery rack of our dishwasher. Apparently
the total weight of the cutlery that we wash in there exceeds the design specs of the removable rack (for which I would fault the design). The handle by
which it can be lifted from the dishwasher broke off - apparently the result of material fatigue. Looking for a quick fix, I taped it back together using a
piece of Tenacious Tape. I had not expected this repair to last long, as it is regularly exposed to hot, soapy water! Nevertheless, it still holds. That
piece of tape has been through dozens of dishwasher cycles in water temperatures up to 70 C (160 F) and still holds tenaciously. I am much impressed.
I have also had occasion to tape a plastic flower to the antenna on our car when we were guests at a friend's wedding. It's been on the Autobahn in all kinds
of weather up to and including thunderstorms, usually at cruise speeds of about 140 kmh (90 mph) and is still hanging on.
Summary:
I am quite happy with the Tenacious Tape. Particularly when applied to smooth surfaces (like nylon jackets or pack fabric) it has held on as tenaciously as
its name implies. Perhaps the only situation in which duct tape might be superior at least as far as ease of use is concerned is where tape needs to be
applied to harder materials with tight radii - as with the repair of the plastic bottle I undertook. However, once I understood how to use this tape properly,
that repair worked very well and the other repairs I made with this tape have been going strong to this day.
Read more reviews of McNett Corporation gear
Read more gear reviews by Andre Corterier
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