Gear Update - May 10, 2026

May 10, 2026

Gear Update - May 10, 2026

In this blog post I discuss changes to my gear since I published Gear Update - February 27, 2026. Below is a list of the topics. Click on any of the links to go directly to a topic.

Repair of stripped threads in rack
Replacement of tent's lines
Windbreaker
Air pillow between my legs
Repair of work stand
Nitrile Mechanic's Gloves

Repair of stripped threads in rack

Near the end of Cross Country 2024 I noticed that the thread in the hole for one of the four bolts securing my rack to the seat post was stripped. David Brorein, the machinist who has done all sorts of excellent work for me, told me that a second thread was about to go bad. He installed four helicoils in the rack so that all the bolts will be secure.

Here's a picture of the kit David used.

Here are the helicoils that came in the kit.

Below you can see the four helicoils installed in my rack.

Thank you, David!

Replacement of tent's lines

The NEMO Hornet Elite 1P tent I bought in September of 2018 has served me well, but all of its lines had become stiff and crusty. I wrote to NEMO asking for replacement line and Liz sent me plenty of line without charge. Thank you, Liz!

In order to replace the lines I needed to learn to tie two knots.

I was able to identify the first knot as a fisherman's knot and learned how to tie it from the video below.

I asked about the second knot on a few Facebook groups and received several guesses about its identity, with almost everyone recommending I use a bowline knot. I learned how to tie it from the video below.

I used the fisherman's knot on the lines used to stake out the foot of the tent.

I used the bowline knot on the lines used to stake out the head of the tent.

I used overhand knots on the lines used to stake out the rainfly.

I used the brown line because, unlike the blue line, it was thick enough to not slip through the clips.

My tent has three guy lines that I use only when I expect the wind to be strong. I've used them only once, on July 29, 2024. In the video below you can see that I used two guy lines at the head of the tent. At the foot of the tent I used my adjustable clothesline rather than the third guy line.

I don't remember what sort of knot I use to secure the guy lines to the loops on the rainfly, but I'm sure it wasn't an adjustable knot. But I've now learned from the video below how to tie the adjustable midshipman's knot which I will use the next time I need to use the guy lines.

The videos from which I learned how to tie the three knots are on Jason's Knot Channel. Thank you, Jason, for making such clear videos!

Windbreaker

The repair of my windbreaker I reported in Gear Update - December 15, 2025 was not successful, so I bought a windbreaker on eBay. This windbreaker was advertised as pre-owned but seems to be new.

This windbreaker fits beautifully but is substantially warmer than the one I need to replace.

I learned about Gear Aid Seam Grip + TF Tent Fabric Sealant which is used to restore tents so that they are waterproof, so I decided to use it to attempt to restore my windbreaker. Below you see the inside of the windbreaker. Note all the coating that has flaked off.

Unfortunately the fabric sealant did not restore the water repellency of the jacket, so I will continue to look for a lightweight windbreaker. If I can't find one I like I will continue to use the one I have and put up with getting wet when it rains.

Air pillow between my legs

Recently I had been experiencing frequent pain through the length of my legs, especially when I get up in the middle of the night or in the morning. I recently saw an ad on Facebook saying that side-sleeping can lead to sciatica pain, and selling a pillow to put between one's legs to prevent that pain. I slept with one of our extra pillows between my legs and had a much more comfortable night. But I found the pillow rather cumbersome so I then switched to a smaller cylindrical pillow made of memory foam. Again I had a much more comfortable night. I was onto something, and realized I might need to carry on my bike trips a pillow to put between my legs. I then tried the Exped AirPillow UL I use for my head and found it to be the most comfortable to use while providing relief from the pain. So I bought an Exped Ultra Pillow which is similar to the discontinued Exped AirPillow UL.

After using the air pillow between my legs for a few nights a small separation developed in its seams.

I wrote to Exped asking how it might be repaired and was told that it could not be. Exped generously sent me am Ultra Pillow as a free replacement for the pillow I bought in October of 2018 and have used on all my trips involving camping. So now I'll have two, one for my head and one for my legs. Thank you, Exped!

I attempted a repair with Gear Aid Aquaseal FD Repair Adhesive despite being told the air pillow couldn't be repaired. The repair soon failed, as I expected it would. Even if the repair seemed to be good I wouldn't trust it on the road. This experience has led me to make a new entry in Aphorisms and Exhortations:

It's better for gear to fail at home than on the road.

The Ultra Pillow is quieter than the AirPillow UL it replaced, so I will not need a pillow case for the pillow I use between my legs. I will continue to use the pillowcase Lori made for me for the pillow under my head.

Repair of work stand

My work stand has served me well since I bought it in 2014, but recently a split pin that holds it together split into two.

The total cost of a replacement from the manufacturer of the work stand, would be $12.42 including tax and shipping, so I looked for alternatives. I bought two items from Home Depot...