In 2022, 7122 repairs were carried out by our skilled Repair Heroes across all of our Alpkit stores. No matter the brand, if you have a sleeping bag, clothing, tents or equipment, we can repair it and get you back to the outdoors.
This is Viri!
She’s one of our Repair Heroes in our Keswick. She’s been hacking, patching and sewing your kit for 4.5 years. Viri’s awesome.
How did you get started working in our Repair Station?
Back when we opened our store in Keswick, I joined as store staff. As soon as our Repair Station opened, I jumped at the chance to join.
I was always a crafty kid. I love doing stuff with my hands, being creative, recycling, upcycling, repairing and thinking sustainably. Repairing kit means we can keep it going for longer and keep it out landfill. Working in repairs means no two days are the same. I really feel like I’m doing something worthwhile.
What do you repair the most?
Keswick is famously dog friendly. And thanks to all those dogs hunting around for treats in their owners’ pockets and chewing up their gear, we get a lot of kit sent in for repair. Living in the Lake District means we get plenty of wetsuits sent in too. If you’ve got nails and a wetsuit, you’ll know the struggle.
What’s the most difficult thing to repair?
Some repairs seem easy until you start sewing! Like rucksacks – they’re too three-dimensional to fit easily under a sewing machine. Another tricky thing is that not everything is going to look seamless. Some of our favourite repairs are the visible ones, where they’re a real feature. It makes for a better story to tell, anyway.
What’s the best thing you’ve repaired?
Oh, we’ve had so many great ones! Last year, we had a customer come in who’s an amputee. He was about to embark on a two-month cycling and swimming adventure. But he needed neoprene stump socks for cycling and swimming. He has no feeling in his stump and kept getting injured. We made everything from recycled materials., including a Cordura panel on the inside of his cycling sock to prevent damage from the chain.
Bring in your gear to any Alpkit store to get it repaired. From the big fixes to the small wins, our Repair Heroes keep gear going, going, going…
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