For outdoor enthusiasts, such as campers and backpackers, the proper gear is everything.
But what do you do when an item in that gear—a tent, backpack, sleeping bag or a piece of insulated outerwear—becomes ripped or torn?
Sure, you could just opt to throw that item out and replace it, but that can become really expensive, really fast.
Instead, you might want to turn to one of the many heavy-duty tape products out there to essentially patch or repair that item in the area that it became distressed.
To help you with this, below we will briefly describe two such industrial-strength tape products currently on the market—Tenacious Tape and Gorilla Tape—and allow you to decide for yourself the brand that best matches your specific needs and requirements.
| Tenacious Tape | Gorilla Tape |
 |  |
| ☆ PERFECT FOR OUTDOOR GEAR | ★ ULTRA-VERSATILE ★ |
| Also available in easy-to-use patches | Also comes in white and clear colors |
| Best Price at REI Also at Amazon | Best Price at Walmart Also at Amazon |
All About Tenacious Tape
Since it’s rollout, the product known as Tenacious Tape has been a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts.
One article referencing Tenacious Tape called it “the absolute best product on the market for patching rips, tears and burns in things like insulated thermal coats, air-filled sleeping mats, sleeping bags, hard shells, tents and even backpacks.”
It’s strong adhesive bond makes it great for both emergency and permanent patches, and the different forms and colors in which it is available gives users a lot of variety and flexibility.
According to information on the Tenacious Tape website, the product is available in two types or forms.
It can either be purchased as a bulk roll, measuring 20 inches by 3 inches; or in pre-cut circles measuring 3 inches or 4 inches in diameter.
The latter form is absolutely ideal for quick patches out in the wilderness. Moreover, because it is already pre-cut, it makes it easy to fix small rips and tears on the fly.
Buying the pre-cut circles is a little more expensive in terms of the actual amount of tape you get, but given the convenience of these patches and their ability to fit nicely into any backpack, the extra cost may be well worth it to some consumers.
Plus, it eliminates the need for any scissors or cutting implement that would otherwise be needed to round off the corners from the bulk roll of tape.
Unlike standard duct tape-like products, there is never any sticky residue left behind when you unroll Tenacious Tape.
The product is easy to unroll without bunching or sticking together, and its extra thickness makes it easier to handle than other duct tape products.
One of the best things about Tenacious Tape is its remarkable variety.
The tape is available in a whole host of colors that allow it to blend in seamlessly with all your outdoor apparel, as well as your backpacking and camping equipment.
The colored Tenacious Tape rolls and patches—colors such as black, platinum, green, orange, blue, and earth-tone—actually feel more like fabric than they do tape.
Thus, when they are applied it is often hard to tell when the fabric ends and where the tape begins.
Tenacious Tape is also available as a “clear” product.
However, the clear version of this adhesive tape does not have the fabric-like look and feel of the other Tenacious Tape products.
Still, because of its strength, it can be used for emergency repairs on items such as tents and backpacks—items whose color may not match any of the Tenacious Tape rolls or patches.
All About Gorilla Tape
Gorilla Tape is another super-strong tape product that has become very popular since its inception.
Although this product is not specifically marketed to outdoor enthusiasts, it can certainly be used in a pinch to fix a wide variety of outdoor-based products.
According to one review of the product, Gorilla Tape is the perfect solution when seeking quick repairs to a variety of items—items such as camping gear (sleeping bags, tents, sleep pads, tarps, etc.) pool floats and even plastic repairs on your vehicle.
One factor that differentiates Gorilla Tape from Tenacious Tape is that the former can be used effectively on wet surfaces to provide an “airtight seal.”
This makes it absolutely invaluable when attempting to do repairs during inclement weather, which is a real possibility for campers and backpackers.
Gorilla Tape does not offer as many cool color options found in Tenacious Tape, but their “clear” tape is known to be every bit as strong as that of the latter.
The clear tape rolls offered by Gorilla Tape are super thick, and because the edge of the tape roll is notched, it is very easy to tear the desired-sized piece of tape by hand, a claim that cannot be made with regard to Tenacious Tape, which is much harder to tear.
Gorilla Tape is thinner width-wise than Tenacious Tape, and while it is ideal for equipment repairs it is not necessarily as effective when trying to patch rips in your outdoor apparel.
One of the prime selling points of Gorilla Tape is that, unlike packing tape and other clear adhesives, this product is specially designed to resist yellowing that comes with age and oxidation.
This enables all of your patchwork to remain virtually invisible, regardless of the season.
Gorilla Tape resists the harsh UV rays of the sun and is completely waterproof when used correctly.
Made from a vinyl substance that is durable, easy to use and provides an invisible airtight and watertight seal, Gorilla Tape is a great product to have in any home, office, car or backpack to protect against unseen equipment damage.
Final Words
There is certainly plenty to love about both Tenacious Tape and Gorilla Tape.
Both are great for repairs to equipment and both provide an extra-strong bond that truly lasts.
Additionally, each of these products is UV resistant and fairly seamless once applied.
Because Tenacious Tape comes in pre-cut patches and a variety of popular colors, it is probably best for repairs in outdoor jackets and apparel, and its fabric-like look and feel only adds to that fact.
The patches fit nicely into any backpack and, because they are pre-cut, you will never have to worry about cutting the tape down to size.
Gorilla Tape, on the other hand, can be used in very wet conditions and, even though it does not come in patches, its notched ends make it very easy to tear and work with on the fly.
The product is somewhat thinner than Tenacious Tape—by about an inch—but its clear, non-yellowing appearance allows it to be used inconspicuously on a variety of items.
While Tenacious Tape, with its many colors, fabric-like feel and pre-cut patches, might be more geared toward outdoor enthusiasts and the apparel and equipment they hold dear, Gorilla Tape, a clear, UV and water-resistant tape, seems to have far more potential applications.
| Tenacious Tape | Gorilla Tape |
| |
| ☆ PERFECT FOR OUTDOOR GEAR | ★ ULTRA-VERSATILE ★ |
| Also available in easy-to-use patches | Also comes in white and clear colors |
| Best Price at REI Also at Amazon | Best Price at Walmart Also at Amazon |
