Patagonia hits the road to fix your gear ... for free

Fly fishing soft-goods manufacturer Patagonia is starting its first-ever Worn Wear Fishing Gear Repair tour on April 13, and I'll be visiting the Jackson Hole tour stop on May 3 to get a pair of Patagonia waders patched by the pros. For free.  

Patagonia’s Worn Wear wagon will hit the road, outfitted with new tools and supplies to stretch the life of some well-loved fishing gear and clothing. And the tour's repair specialists won't just be fixing Patagonia gear. All brands of waders and clothes are welcome, as long as they’re dry. Rods and hard goods aren't the list of items to be fixed, but waders and clothing are. Just bring them by the tour stop closest to you. 

Worn Wear Fish Tour 2019 Details

• April 13: Gig Harbor Fly Shop, Gig Harbor, Wash.
• April 14: Elysian Brewery, Seattle, Wash.
• April 17: Caddis Fly Shop, Eugene, Ore.
• April 20-21: River Pig Saloon, Bend, Ore.
• April 26-27: Silver Creek Outfitters, Ketchum, Idaho
• May 3-5: Mangy Moose, Jackson, Wyo.

“What’s most important to us is that you are able to get out and fish," said Ted Manning, Patagonia's director of fish. "We know that we only act to save the things we love, so the more we spend time in the places fishing takes us, the more likely we are to rally when they are threatened. And we know that no matter whose gear you use, if you are lucky enough to get and use it a lot, it will wear out. This Worn Wear Tour is the convergence of those two ideas: get people back on the water and keep the gear they’ve loved going with them.”

Patagonia’s Worn Wear program was created in 2013 to encourage people to change their relationship with stuff, because one of the most responsible things we can do as a company is to make high-quality products that last for years and can be repaired, so you can buy less. The program provides significant resources for responsible care, repair, reuse, resale and recycling at the end of a garment’s life. 

— Chris Hunt