Bushcraft Sewing Kit - Repairs in the Wild

Carrying a sewing kit in your bushcraft pack is essential when on longer trips in the wild. You never know when you might need to do some field repairs. You might obtain a small tear in your tarp; a sewing needle and some thread will fix that. You can even repair leatherwork with your sewing kit. In this blog post, I'm going to be showcasing the items that I carry in my kit and the context behind carrying these particular items.

Sewing kit

There are several items that I like to carry in my sewing kit. I have assembled a kit that is suitable for a variety of situations that I may encounter throughout the year. When creating a sewing kit, the first thing to think about is: what materials am I likely going to have to repair? You might have a waxed cotton canvas tarp that obtains a tear or perhaps the wool jumper you're wearing develops a hole in the elbow. Each of these scenarios require a different approach in needle and thread choice. This requires a well thought out sewing kit that is adaptable.

A selection of threads, artificial sinew and leather cord

I always carry cotton thread, artificial sinew and leather cord in my sewing kit. This is one of the most important aspects of a sewing kit. In my kit, I have three spools of cotton thread in three different colours: brown, olive green and white.

When choosing cotton thread for your kit, it's important to choose a high quality brand. This ensures that the tensile strength is high and the friction of the thread is low. This ensures the cotton thread is strong and has easy to sew qualities.

Artificial sinew is for making repairs on leather items, it's strong and rot resistant. I always keep a few lengths of sinew in my sewing kit incase any of my leather items need repair, such as my pack, my belt pouch or leather hat. 

The leather cord has less uses than the cotton thread and the sinew. Why carry it? You might ask. Well, there are some cases where thin leather cord can come in really useful; Perhaps you need to make a temporary leather lanyard for a piece of equipment. 

A selection of needles

Carrying needles is not only important, it's also important to ensure that you carry the correct needles.

In my kit, I carry a selection of sharp general sewing needles, leather needles, sail needles and one glover's needle. A wide selection of needles is a good idea to carry. Needles weigh next to nothing compared to other gear that you are carrying, so there is no harm in carrying several of each type. You never know, you might loose one or break one. Plenty of choice is also good when it comes to making repairs. The general sewing needles are perfect for sewing thin cotton canvas items, or making repairs to clothing. The sail needles are more heavy duty and are perfect for heavier cotton canvas. The glover's needle is perfect for when it is hard to get the needle into the fabric at an awkward angle. The straight needle is more difficult to work with in these situations and that's where the glover's needle really shines.

Thread scissors

Thread scissors are an important item to carry in a sewing kit. They provide a cleaner cut than using a knife and are also much better at cleaning up after you have completed a repair and cutting off the tag ends.

Beeswax block wrapped in cotton canvas

A small block of beeswax is a really handy item to carry in the sewing kit. It's good at binding loose cotton threads together and it also provides waterproofing to the stitching. It can also be used if a knot keeps slipping as it provides grip to cotton thread. This can also be used to waterproof cotton canvas or leather when it is mixed with other ingredients. There are several methods to do this however, it's a little off topic for this blog post! 

A selection of buttons and safety pins

Spare buttons are very handy when you accidentally loose a button on a clothing item. Carry a few sizes that match up well with your clothing and you can always replace one if the inevitable happens. Safety pins come in handy when you need to keep two pieces of material close together whilst you sew them. They can also be used as a quick fix if you loose a button and don't have the time to sew a new one on until you set up camp.

Sewing kit pouch

All of these items that I have listed for this kit are contained inside a small cotton canvas pouch. This is a really small kit and takes up very little room in your pack. Mine always stays in there no matter the occasion as it is that small and lightweight. This sewing kit provides a range of options so that I can repair whatever I am carrying in the wild, should the occasion arrive.