If you can find some joy with the crafting classes, it's a good investment where gear repair is concerned. You're both able to repair mid-dungeon if you can self repair, and self repair has the boon of over-repairing. Repair at 1%, get 101% durability. Repair at 99%, get 199% durability. And merchants in the three regions' capitals ends up cheaper as a whole than repairing through the NPC menders.