I recently acquired a ruck with a few holes and I’m looking to mend them. I found some basic instructions on hand sewing a bar tack to repair it, but I just want a reality check on how doable it is and any tips. If I really can’t do it, there are several local places I think can do the repair, but I’m a big believer in fixing my stuff, and I’ve got another pack that looks to be in need of a quick sew job as well. I’d describe my sewing skills as good at buttons, decent at straight stitches.

Note: I have the “right” thread on the way.

Is there a portable civilian device that allows for short to medium range (10 miles or so) that would allow for 128 or 256 bit encrypted data bursts, and if so, what level certification would one need to go about for using it legally in the US? I’m imagining a data burst to convey less than 1 MB of data with an accompanying bit total that could then be “delivery confirmed” by a return message with that bit total. Bonus points if it could play nicely with a Disco32 Discus.

I know it wouldn’t fool a foxhunt, but was curious if such a thing exists and if so, what’s the entry cost in money and time?