I keep flat packing tape in my bag along with a few strips of Leukotape (similar to physio tape) stuck to a reused shipping label backing (the slippery paper backing) and a few safety pins.
Originally Posted by
jerry90210
I googled this and from what I read, many people do this as some people have their luggage zipper broke or their luggage broke and don't have time to buy a new luggage. Other people travel with boxes and use duct tape on it and things like that? But that is with checked luggage right? So using that tape, then whatever bag they are using, well it is going to be closed but of course it isn't going to be as strong as a bag with a working zipper.
Sometimes people buy the cheapest bag and use it until it breaks. Sometimes better manufactured bags also have failures due to the conditions, heavy usage, or inattention/being harder on things.
Many people don't look for high quality, low price, and optimal functionality because the price component usually ends up being expensive or they're genuinely not aware/don't care to check for bag quality/don't match it to their intended conditions. Fast Fashion consumer behavior has also trained buyers to trade quality for lower prices and marketed functionality. Higher quality zippers cost more money and installing some specialty zippers takes more skill than an inexpensive all purpose zipper. Some aren't that
easy to pull, either. A cheap zipper isn't really going to be obvious in product pictures and you'd want to be a bit familiar with sewing/gear terms to look for nylon
YKK brand or metal
RiRi, Ook (brand is often stamped into on the slider's flat interior) and higher size number (larger and thicker coil). Durable fabrics, if manufacturers do opt to use them due to greener textile and coating initiatives, might be traded by premium bag manufacturers for weight reduction or other performance trade-offs. I'm not a fan of metal zippers for tech related compartments due to potential device scratching.
Gear longevity usually benefits from some maintenance. Zipper treatment products exist
as do repair/patch items https://www.fixnzip.com/ https://zipperrescue.com/Gear Aid also sells good detergents & waterproofing for technical fabrics. Zipper pull cords can also help reduce stress on the pull tab. I like the wider U pull type on big zippers or compartments which get overstuffed attached like the last pic upper left through the top and bottom pull tab eyes
I also use their Tenacious Tape on all sorts of things including luggage which do survive a periodic cold gentle wash cycle.
tl;dr - sure, bring some duct tape but if you're worried about zipper failure, maintain the bag first and/or possibly look for a durable bag for when the original fails.