// The repair bench, Calgary AB
Repairs & warranty
If it breaks, send it home. We fix every Switchback piece free for as long as it exists, and we pay the shipping both ways.
New gear also gets a 60-day trail test. Use it on real trips, and if it hasn't earned its place, send it back for a full refund.
- Repairs completed
- 6,400+
- Median turnaround
- 9 days
- Cost to you
- $0
- Shipping, both ways
- Free
// What the bench fixes
Most repairs are back on trail in two weeks
These are the six jobs we see most. Times are bench time once it arrives, not counting shipping. Anything else, ask: we've rebuilt stranger things.
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5 to 7 days
Zippers & sliders
New sliders, new coil or fully re-sewn zip tape on tents, packs and shells.
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7 to 10 days
Tears & punctures
Patches cut from fabric that matches the original weight, taped where water gets in.
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3 to 5 days
Tent poles
A single section cut and shock-corded to fit, or a full new pole set if it's past saving.
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5 to 7 days
Buckles, webbing & hipbelts
Re-webbed straps, new buckles and re-padded hipbelts, all bartacked twice.
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10 to 14 days
Seams & delamination
Re-taped seams and re-proofed fabric on shells, tent flys and pad tops.
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5 to 7 days
Pad leaks & valves
Every pad gets a pressure test overnight, then bonded patches or a new valve.
// How it works
Four steps, zero invoices
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Tell us what broke
Fill in the four-step repair form below. A photo helps, but a good description works too.
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Get a free label
We email a prepaid shipping label within one business day. Calgary locals can drop it at the bench.
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The bench fixes it
One tech owns your repair from start to finish. Median turnaround is nine days.
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It comes home
Return shipping is free too, with a note on what we fixed and why it failed.
// The fine print, in large print
What the warranty covers
Covered for life
- Defects in materials or workmanship, for the life of the product
- Trail damage: rips, broken poles, blown zips, chewed straps
- Accidents at home, in the gear room or in the trunk
- Gear you bought second-hand. No receipt needed
Worth knowing
- Normal wear we can't undo, like faded colour or a worn-out boot sole (the first Scree Runner resole is free)
- Cosmetic marks that don't change how the gear works. We leave those stories on
- If we truly can't fix it, you get the current version or store credit, your choice
// New gear only
The 60-day trail test
Take it on real trips for up to 60 days. Used, muddy and slept-in is fine. If it hasn't earned its place, send it back for a full refund.
Returns get cleaned, checked and resold as Second Season gear, so nothing good ends up in a landfill.
// Start a repair
Tell the bench what broke
Four short steps, about two minutes. You'll get a repair ticket and, in a real store, a free shipping label by email within one business day.
- Step 1 Gear
- Step 2 Damage
- Step 3 Return
- Step 4 Review
// Repair ticket created (demo)
It's in the queue
Ticket
This is a demo. Nothing was sent and no label is on its way.
// Quick answers
Repair questions
How do lifetime repairs work?
Fill in the repair form, and we email a prepaid label. The Calgary bench fixes it and ships it home. Median turnaround is nine days.
What does a repair cost?
Nothing. Parts, labour and shipping both ways are free for as long as the product exists.
I bought it second-hand. Is it still covered?
Yes. The repair promise follows the gear, not the receipt.
What if it can't be fixed?
Then we replace it with the current version or give you store credit, your choice. We keep the broken one to learn from.
Shipping, sizing and returns are in the full FAQ. Still stuck? Message the bench.