Reviews > Do It Yourself > Repair Kits > McNett Tenacious Tape > Andre Corterier > Initial Report

McNett "Tenacious Tape"

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 Bottle in Question:
The test call for this test asked us to describe a piece of equipment in need of some tender loving care. In my case, it was a standard PET bottle which I was not only stupid enough to use as a cutting board, but clumsy enough to cut into in the process. While it would have been simple and even cheap to retire the bottle in question, I had marked it with volume measurements to help with what field cooking I do. So I felt happy that I might be able to use it a bit longer and also felt that knowing whether or not I am able to effect such a repair with the Tenacious Tape would be beneficial - to me, at least, and potentially to you. You can spot the cut in the bottle just above my index finger (near the center of the picture).
On my first attempt to fix the hole in question, I cut out a rather large patch of tape, in order to achieve an overlap of at least 25 mm (an inch) in each direction beyond the hole. I would likely have cut the piece of tape considerably smaller if I had not looked at the directions first, particularly as the ridges in the PET close to the gap looked as though making the tape stick would be difficult. Removing the Tape from its backing was not particularly difficult, it also did not tend to curl up or otherwise misbehave once I had freed it. It was also easily applied to the smooth surfaces of the bottle. It was quite difficult, no impossible, for me to force the tape into the little ridges which the bottle surface presented. As you can - sort of - see in the picture, there are some channels in the PET which I was unable to press the Tape into (they appear somewhat brighter than in the spots where the Tape sticks smoothly to the PET). This created little roofed over tunnels, through which water was able to escape. I was thus forced to start over (the Tape was easily removed).
On my second attempt, I cut the piece of Tape somewhat smaller, in an attempt to have a piece which might be more flexible overall. I thought that a reduced contact area in the level areas might transmit less inflexibility to the "floating" parts of Tape, so that I might be able to press them into the ridges in question. Alas, this hope was mistaken. My second repair attempt also resulted in a leaking bottle (although I'll admit the leak was slow enough, with the bottle upright, that I could have moved on, in a hiking situation, by storing the bottle upside down in an outside mesh pocket without losing much water at all). But I wasn't quite satisfied...
On my third attempt, the repair worked (the picture on the left is taken in bad lighting without a flash - I was unable to prevent reflections otherwise). It had really been the molded ridges in the bottle's surface which had created the problem. On this attempt, I cut the piece of Tape rather small - barely 2-3 mm (1/10 in) of overlap beyond the slit itself in one direction - to make sure that I would be able to press the film *into* the ridge rather than covering the ridge with it. To give the Tenacious Tape more of a fighting chance, I cut a second piece of Tape, long and thin, with which I overlapped the edge of Tape which had the least overlap with the bottle itself. I allowed the bottle an hour for the adhesive to have some chance to cure (I'd be willing to wait longer at a water hole to make sure the water I carry stays with me). I filled the bottle with about 1.5 l (3 pints) of water and - no leak. I carried the bottle (upright) for a little practice hike of little more than 5 km (3 mi) the next day and the bottle did not lose a drop of water. Great!

DIY Double Layer Pad:
For some time now, I had considered means to have a larger closed-cell foam (ccf) pad in my hammock. There are a number of approaches taken, some of which double up two pads in various configurations or add "wings" of some sort. It had occurred to me that the simplest way to achieve this was probably to take the two 5 mm (1/5 in) Evazote pads I had (both 180 cm (6 ft) in length and 60 cm (2 ft) in width) and to tape them together so that they would overlap by about 40 cm (16 in) in the center. This should give me a pad with double thickness in the center and 20 cm (8 in) wings on both sides. When the test call for the Tenacious Tape came around, I knew it was time to try out this idea. I layed the pads out the way I want them to stay, and taped them together using one roll of Tape which I cut into 4 sections of identical length - that is, 12.5 cm (5 in) each. They seem to hold well together. One potential issue I see is that when I rolled the pad(s) together, the differential between their curvature resulted in their "other" end (the one ending up on the outside of the roll) being pushed apart somewhat. Whether this will impact the integrity of my dual pad is something I will see (and report on in my next report).

The Tape in question is very clear - the picture on the left shows this to a certain degree. It has made taking the pictures for the report somewhat difficult, as I am effectively relying on some degree of glare to highlight where the Tape is. In actual use, it is rather inconspicuous.

Backing Removal:
I once tried for a quarter of an hour, unsuccessfully, to remove the Tape from the backing on a piece I had just cut out. In the process, I noticed that the backing can again be separated, although it doesn't split up cleanly. It's more like tearing it apart into two even thinner sheets. What I noticed thereafter is that I was trying to remove Tape from backing which I had already used. That's how clear the Tape is! So I resolved to properly dispose of the backing immediately after use in the future. When using backing which actually has Tape on it, I have not found it to be particularly difficult to remove.

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.

Reviews > Do It Yourself > Repair Kits > McNett Tenacious Tape > Andre Corterier > Initial Report