Move over, duct tape: Adventure Tape is lighter, stronger, and more versatile

Whether you want to fix a leaky hose, fix the strap on your backpack, fashion an emergency sling, or protect the chainstay on your bike, an impressive new non-adhesive tape that’s just arrived on Kickstarter may be the answer. Adventure Tape is like duct tape on steroids — it’s a polyurethane tape that’s superstrong, stretchy, waterproof, reusable, and highly abrasion-resistant.

“Adventure Tape can be used for many things, but currently we are targeting outdoor and travel enthusiasts and survival or extreme sports lovers,” Anthony Cooper, co-founder of Adventure Tape, told Digital Trends. “The biggest advantage it has over duct tape is that it won’t leave any sticky residue, so it can be removed from your kit without any damage. That’s especially handy for not ripping up your bubble wrap.

“The advantage it has over string and rope is that it’s very strong and stretchy, so it won’t tear — and because it’s self-tacky, it can easily be fastened with a simple tuck, meaning no complicated knots. It can [also] replace existing items: our favorite has to be the snowboard binding fix. There’s nothing more annoying than being stuck at the top of the mountain, and no way to get down. It won’t damage your boots or boarding pants, and most importantly, because of its stretchy properties, it will still have a little give in it, and thus allow for a wider range of movement.”

Cooper says the multipurpose Adventure Tape was discovered by accident in 2014 when Adventure Tape team member and “mad-keen downhill mountain biker” Richard Brooks developed a thin polyurethane tape to protect the chainstay on his Enduro racing bike, since no other product on the market met his standards. Two years later, Cooper found the material in a drawer, and immediately spotted its wider potential.

The tape is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter, and is available in thin (9mm), medium (18mm) and thick (43mm) widths. The Adventure Tape team is asking for $20,000, which it plans to use to buy a machine that will allow for mass production of the adhesive tape to introduce it to a wider audience. A pledge of $24 will get you a pack with one each of the three sizes of tape — plus a free buckle for good measure. Other price points are available. Shipping is set to take place in April 2018.