Can you play a piece of Ninja Gear that gives a flat bonus to turn a failed roll into a success?

Question

In Ninja Burger, you attempt to deliver tasty food to people. Along the way, you need to pass skill checks (such as Climbing at -2 to get to the International Space Station, because nowhere is outside our delivery zone). To help with this, there are various things that help, including Ninja Gear, some of which gives a flat bonus to, say, Climbing rolls. (There are other pieces of gear that grant an automatic success after you have failed; I am not asking about these, they're clear enough.)

Can you play (and apply) Ninja Gear that gives a flat bonus after you have failed the roll, or do you have to have the gear in play before rolling?

The manual says two things about this :

1) "If you come to a hard roll, don’t be shy about asking for help" (implying that you need the gear before the roll)

2) "If you fail any roll, and cannot turn your failure into success by making a legal re-roll, playing a card, or using a special ability, you have failed the mission." (Implying that playing a +1 bonus after the roll might work.)

Answer 1

Yes, in the rules under Fortune Cards (page 4):

If you fail a skill roll, but you have a useful item in your hand and enough money, you may buy that item from your hand. If it gives you an automatic success or increases your skill enough that you succeed, then you made your roll!