The zipper is jammed, there’s a hole in the trousers, the ends of the rope are frayed: gear can break anywhere, even on the mountain. If something goes wrong with a piece of kit while we’re out and about, we need to get creative about patching it up or repurposing something else in order to continue the expedition or hike.

The collection of the Swiss Alpine Museum is jam-packed with repaired, patched up, darned, and spliced objects – countless objects that show signs of wear. But in the majority of cases we don’t know the story behind them. What happened before Erhard Loretan’s expedition trousers had that large patch sewn onto them? The disposable cloth shoes were cobbled together on the go – but why were they not permitted to leave any tracks in the snow? And what happened that the hemp rope needed splicing?

In the “Lost and Found Memories Office № 3: Repair” we are combing through the collection to look for patched and repaired objects, items that have been used repeatedly and ones that have been well cared for – and for the associated stories about maintenance rituals, creative repairs, mishaps, and emergencies in the mountains. We’re asking the general public for their life hacks and for everything they know about materials, and in return we’ll be providing a lively discussion about sustainability, consumption, and safety in mountaineering.