Mr FixIt

If you ever want to get popular with a group of people, figure out how to fix stuff.  I know, it's not in Dale Carnegie's book, "How to win Friends and Influence People", but I've observed it to be true.
 So far on this trip, I'm 7 for 7, namely being able to fix everything that's been thrown at me.  The first problem was a lost zipper tab on Paul C's sleeping bag.  We couldn't figure out how it had come off, but it was just gone.  At the time we were in Republic, Washington and after asking around a little we found that there was a quilt/sewing shop in town.  We went over there and asked the lady if she had a zipper tab - She had a couple and after prying off the clip at the end of the zipper, I was able to slip the new zipper pull on and voila', it fit!  So, instead of having to spend $150 on a new sleeping bag, all we had to spend was $1.50 for a new pull. 

The next challenge was kind of interesting.  Paul C's brake hoods had gotten stretched out and they were coming off of his brake/shifter levers.  We could slide them back to where they were supposed to be, but then they'd pop right back off.  I was able to figure out how to strategically place a tie wrap on each hood so that it didn't interfere with Paul's grip, and Paul improved the comfort with some gorilla tape, and it has now survived for a week!

Then last night, Gayle's Therma-rest pad wouldn't stay inflated.  Needless to say, it (or the lack of it)was pretty uncomfortable, and something needed to be done.  In this case, the hardest part was figuring out where the leak was.  We were able to fill one of Paul C's tubs with water and then slide the pad back and forth under the water until the bubbles appeared.  After drying it and locating (fortunately she'd brought one) her Therma-rest pad repair kit, I was able to fix both leaks and get the pad back to holding air.

We've also had several flats, mainly from glass shards, and it always helps to have two people to remove the wheel and change the tube.  Then tonight Paul C thought that the pictures on his camera had been deleted.  I was able to figure out that they just had been moved to another folder on the camera and was able to get them back. 

So, if I have any advice to give, it's to figure out how things work, and then when something breaks, be creative and resourceful, use what you have and make it work.  It's amazing how that will improve your friendships.