NoSo Patches was built upon the idea that it’s better to repair your existing gear and apparel—with an attractive patch—rather than throw it away. And we mean it! It’s better for the environment (because that torn sleeping bag doesn’t end up in a landfill), it’s better for your wallet (because high-quality outdoor gear isn’t cheap), and better for your next adventurer (because you want your down jacket insulated and waterproof).
Every year we hold our Love the One You Have contest, meant to collect YOUR stories about how you use NoSo Patches. And every year, we are delighted by great stories and creative ideas.
So, here it is! We are passing the proverbial megaphone to our winners of Love the One You Have 2025.
Rebecca Souther
My name is Rebecca and I like to consider myself a creature of the planet. It started out with volunteering for my local park authority leading nature programs and watershed cleanups growing up, and now I get to work for a company that provides recycling, compost, and waste services at events and music festivals which is how I ended up with a lot of snags in my gear and is ultimately how I learned about NoSo Patches.
Two years ago I got to visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming for the first time for the Jackson Rendezvous event. I had an acquired a pair of used Smartwool base layers. Since the planet is important to me, I always try to buy used instead of new ones first, if I can.
I was doing my rounds on the first night of the event checking with vendors and sponsors to see if they had any trash or recycling for us, when a very nice woman with long brown hair approached and gave me a black NoSo Patch that said, “Go Wild” on it. This was such an exciting moment for me because it felt nice to be rewarded for working hard and was also cool to be rewarded with something sustainable (not that I need to be rewarded for doing my job).
What’s funny is I didn’t end up using that patch. After the event, I visited a friend in Colorado—who was feeling sad over a hole in her puffy coat. All the stuffing was coming out and she was lamenting at the possibility of needing to replace it. This is when I remembered the patch!
I was recently given a patch for this exact reason and started digging through my suitcase and ended up getting to repair her coat together which is honestly way cooler than getting to use the patch myself, knowing this patch continued to pay it forward until it ended up where it needed to be. Glad you found me NOSO patches! Thanks for keeping my gear in circulation and out of landfills .
Jennifer Murawski
These are my favorite leggings. Adventures in them are countless… from White Mountain hiking, to fly fishing the North Fork in Glacier, to campfires in the woods, and beers with my friends. 10 years of adventures made the pocket pop. But I refused to let go.
Thanks to a NoSo Patch I can wear them out again!
Alisha Reil
First, there was just one. One boy, one stick, one walk, one jacket, one hole. Then along came another, another child, another adventure, many more sticks, another hole. Then our third, our third kid, our third hole.
We love our puffy jackets as they help keep us warm outside, safer in the car, and pack up easily and small when our littles decide again that they don’t want to wear them on our exploration. But now our youngest—who is now wearing jackets—we got for our oldest, is speckled with marks of memories. A tear in his sleeve made by his brother snagging it climbing a tree. A hole in his hood where his sister caught a stick as she hid in a bush, and stuffing coming out of the back in his sleeve made from a good slide down a hill.
Reusing our clothes and passing them down from child to child allows us to focus on other areas, gives smiles to each other remembering what they did when they wore the jacket, and helps us teach our kids about protecting the environment we love to spend time adventuring in. Patches help us do that! Patches help us continue to give marks to our memories and keep on going!
Jess Garsed
I caught a curb with my spiked shoes while walking around town and scuffed a couple of small holes into my beloved parka. Fortunately, I was able to simultaneously repair and decorate my ’shield’.
Kelli Marks
I have been wearing my ski pants since 2021 and in 2022 they needed a patch. I added a flower patch that some people have thought is just part of the design of the pants.
In 2023, Kelli gifted me some heart Noso Patches when we visited her in Jackson — and I added them on to cover some more holes. I love how the NoSo Patches add flair to my ski pants.
In December, when riding on the chairlift at Deer Valley—I ended up COVERED in grease from the chairlift. A kind employee let me know they wash them for me. I finally got them back and was able to start wearing them—now that they’re all nice and clean—I noticed some more small holes have formed—time for some more patches!!!
Three Cheers to This Year’s Winners!
Congratulations to this year’s winners. And a sincere thank you to everyone who submitted their Love the One You Have story. We appreciate how clever, creative, and conscientious you all are. It takes every single one of us to effectively patch the planet.
Until next year! Check out our repair patches online or in your favorite retail stores.