By Dr. Michael Fluitt
Have you ever had a cold weather jumpsuit, an article of hunting clothing or a piece of equipment that had to be thrown out because of the poor quality of the zipper?
These days many of the zippers imported from China and won't last long. Even a tumble or two in the washer and dryer can damage them and they won't zip properly.
Recently, the zippers failed on one of my favorite hunting jumpsuits. Luckily, I didn't throw it out because I found a solution to the problem.
My son was a deputy sheriff here in Louisiana, and the personal protection vest he wore did not have zippers to hold it in place. It was made with Velcro fasteners.
When I saw this, I thought of my jumpsuit and immediately went online and found a website that sells Velcro tape.
For a reasonable price, I purchased 1-inch, 100% Nylon hook and loop black fastening tape in 25-yard lengths from Dunlap Industries, Inc.
My daughter helped install the tape on my old jumpsuit, and now it works like a million bucks!
I will no longer throw away any of my cold weather hunting clothes again because of the poor quality zippers coming out of China.
Editor's Note: Velcro tape is also available in most fabric stores or even in the sewing section of Walmart. And if you want to replace faulty zippers with heavy duty ones, ask your local dry cleaner or uniform supply service how much they'd charge to do it. It might be worth it to salvage your favorite hunting garment.
Send your questions to: huntingtips@buckmasters.com