My buddy found his leak by spraying soapy water on the pad and seeing where it bubbled.

When you said reading a compass and map got you back fast, that shows how RELIABLE basic tools are. Tech can die exactly when you need it, like in that fog. How did you first get good at using a map on your own?

My grandfather always kept a jar of assorted springs and latches in his workshop. He fixed most things around the farm with just those bits and some common sense. I see @the_ray's point about factory parts for important things, though. The real trick is knowing when a ten dollar part is enough and when you're just putting a band-aid on a bigger issue. That latch might hold for years, but on a daily driver, I'd want to be sure it won't fail at a bad time.