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Leave the tape in the drawer.

So you bought a down jacket. Through regular care and washing, it will provide a versatile, storeable warmth from season to season, but in the end, its ultra-light, tear-resistant shell will tear. It can be hung on branches, scraped on rocks, or caught in the zipper of a suitcase. It is possible to do it rudely with your dog-you never know! But what you should know is that repairing down jackets is easy.

Get it from Josh Schill, maintenance manager at the Reno workshop in Patagonia. Patagonia has long been known for its Ironclad guarantee, which supports damaged equipment and promises to repair possible problems, usually free of charge. Last year alone, Schill and a team of nearly 100 experts brought about 50,000 items back to full functionality (another 25,000 to 30,000 items were processed by independent third-party agencies).

Schill said that most repairs are for tear-resistant items, including down and synthetic insulated jackets. There are not many patches on his own down shirt, but needless to say, he certainly knows how to repair the tear.

If you try to pull it out, you might fall into the magician's scarf trick. A good way to put the insulating material back inside is to gently pinch the ripstop fabric on both sides of the hole and rub it with your fingers. This should bring the insulating material back into the jacket. If it doesn't work, use sharp scissors to trim it off.

Use a rag and some isopropyl alcohol/rubbing alcohol to gently clean the fabric around the crack so that the patch has a clean surface to stick to. If there are stray threads of shell fabric, please cut them off with sharp scissors.

Schill's team used Tenacious Tape to repair down jackets. It can stay the same through heavy washing, and you can buy it in rolls or pre-cut various colors on Amazon. Either way, you need to trim the clip to make it slightly larger than the opening of the jacket. Schill recommends rounding the corners so that there are no square edges that could fray or pull away from the jacket.

Carefully remove the backing of the patch, flatten the jacket fabric as much as possible, and then attach the patch, "just like putting a sticker on a water bottle," Schell said. Start from one end and gradually press down to avoid air bubbles or sticking of the patch to itself. (Schill points out that if this happens, don’t worry—it’s more for aesthetics, and the patch will still stick.)

Wash down jackets and synthetic jackets regularly to avoid the accumulation of body oils and dirt, which can become worn and tear over time. Use Grangers Down Wash or Nikwax Down Wash and follow the clothing care instructions on the label.

Do not use tape to fix the holes! "We hate tape," Schell explained. "It left a very bad residue, and it was really bad to repair."