The Great Tape-Off
Find the best duct tape
for your needs.
By Steve
Howe, BACKPACKER Rocky Mountain Editor, October 2001
We’ve heard stories of folks
peeling a 2-year-old wrap of duct tape off a trekking pole to patch a hole in a
raincoat successfully or to keep a snapped tent pole together. These tales beg
the question: Just how good is the silvery beacon of hope?
In the quest for adhesive
enlightenment, we visited a few local hardware stores, grabbed samples of
whatever they had in stock, and then patched together a few
less-than-scientific field tests. Here are the results.
SCOREBOARD: Duct Tape
|
Duct Tape |
Price |
Thread count (threads/in.) |
Sun resistance |
Stickiness |
Best for: |
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|
Manco X-Treme Duck Tape |
$2.99/ 4 yd. |
66 |
Excellent |
Average |
Fabric repairs, high-abrasion spots, hot weather |
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|
Nashua 398 |
$3.91/ 60 yd. |
22 |
Good |
Good |
Preventing blisters, fabric repairs, places that stretch |
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|
3M Scotch All-Weather |
$4.99/ 60 yd. |
18 |
Average |
Average |
Preventing blisters, pole repairs, stretchy applications |
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|
3M Decorate & Repair |
$3.19/ 4.72 yd. |
20 |
Good |
Average |
Fabric repairs, color-coding, water resistance |
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|
Manco Colored Duct Tape |
$2.99/ 5 yd. |
24 |
Good |
Good |
Fabric repairs, color-coding, waterproof repairs |
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|
Tartan |
$1.19/ 10 yd. |
20 |
Average |
Average |
Minor repairs, preventing blisters, cooler weather |
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|
3M Home & Shop Duct |
4.59/ 60 yd. |
18 |
Average |
Good |
Preventing blisters, fabric repairs |
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|
Anchor |
$2.39/ 10 yd. |
18 |
Good |
Excellent |
General repairs, fixing poles, preventing blisters |
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|
3M Scotch A/C Ventilating Duct |
$10.59/ 60 yd. |
18 |
Good |
Excellent |
Wrap repairs, preventing blisters, stretchy applications |
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|
Manco Duck Tape |
$2.99/ 5 yd. |
18 |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Durability, pole wrapping |
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Thread count: Number of fabric threads in a 1-inch width of tape.
The higher the thread count, the stronger the tape, and the easier and
straighter it tears. Sun resistance: After less than 72 hours in the hot desert, test tapes
showed significant variation in durability and adhesion.
Stickiness: How well it sticks to surfaces that
aren't smooth.
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