6 ms·

The definitive guide that you never wanted: Backpack fabrics (2017)

178 points by Alupis 5y ago

UI_at_80x24 5y ago
This guide is great for background and basic information. It contains a lot of information that I've had to piece together myself over the years. I am whats called a "Bikepacker", and I've made a lot of my own gear. I ride my bike (a LWB recumbent) instead of hiking; but still do the camping part like backpackers do (with the added nerd-points of using a hammock). If you are interested in the do-it-yourself side of these hobbies I can't recommend ripstopbytheroll.com enough. There is a lot of great guides, the prices are great; and I even met the guy once (before he started the website) at a hammock get-together.
- tomcam 5y ago
  > hammock get-together Uh how do those work?
  - UI_at_80x24 5y ago
    TL/DR: like a group camping trip but with hammocks. At the time I was a member of hammockforums.net It's a forum dedicated to hammocks, hammock camping, associated equipment, and discussions that usually relate to hammocks. There have been several "group camping" gatherings (pre-covid) in various parts of the world. At the gatherings that I attended there was 50-75 individuals all sleeping in hammocks. It was over a weekend in Indiana. The hammock community has a lot of cottage industry involvement, and a very large portion of the group actively contributes to ideas much like the OSS community does. There was a lot community spirit. Several people (and companies) brought equipment/gear/stuff to give-away. I as one of the few Canadians to show up brought Canadian beer, chocolates, and snacks. I won an under-quilt, some hiking chop-sticks (they screw together and have a belt-attachment), and a few other things all at no cost to me ($400+ worth of gear). So there we were 50+ hammocks all hung in the surrounding forest enjoying fellowship.
    - tomcam 5y ago
      Was hoping the answer would be something like this. I absolutely adore learning about subcultures I haven’t encountered before. Thank you for an illuminating answer.
gotmedium 5y ago
This is a great guide! Would love if there were additional info on pricing (per pound, per metric), any sustainability issues (see Dark Waters for teflon [1]), and lastly ownership (are these patent protected, largest manufacthrers) [1] https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/ https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/
- nivekastoreth 5y ago
  I would also really like some sort idea of just how easy or hard a material is to get odor out of. For a while now now I’ve just had to have multiple backpacks and rotate through them when one becomes too fragrant. If anyone has some guidance on how to get human ecology bacteria (i.e. that funky stank) out of synthetic materials that doesn’t result in smelling even worse of the cleaning agent, I’d love to hear it.
  - evan_ 5y ago
    Have you tried Defunkify? https://defunkify.com/ https://defunkify.com/ I haven’t used it myself but a friend swears by it.
  - getcrunk 5y ago
    Vinegar
  - SECProto 5y ago
    I haven't ever had an issue with stanky outdoors gear, but I've had luck removing stains from different gear by washing with either regular laundry detergent or "Oxygen-based cleaners" (oxiclean and knockoffs) as they have a different mechanism of cleaning, and drying in sunlight and fresh air.
snowwrestler 5y ago
Ripstop weave does not help waterproofing. Nylon is no more likely to tear when punctured than any other thread. Packcloth is a weave, not another name for polyester. Polyester is stronger than cotton, not weaker. X-PAC does have fibrous strands since it is a laminate of woven fabrics. Also I think it is somewhat confusing to list thread materials like nylon and polyester, along with brand names like Dyneema and Cordura. Most Cordura fabrics are nylon, for example. Coatings are probably the weak point of durability for many packs. Any of the synthetic fabrics, even light weights, can easily last decades with normal use. But as the article notes, even with the best care, you won’t get much more than 15 years on the coatings. And when polyurethane goes bad, it’s gross. It smells horrible and becomes a sticky goo. It is depressing that despite decades of advancement in outdoor gear, companies are still just spraying PU on and calling it good.
- maxerickson 5y ago
  I wonder what the environmental impact of outdoor gear is relative to things like gallons of gas and pounds of beef. Like is it worth paying much attention to smallish items that last 15 years?
  - SECProto 5y ago
    > is it worth paying much attention to smallish items that last 15 years? No in the sense of emissions and garbage creation from them are negligible. But ensure you pack out everything you pack in, not washing your dish(es if you're bougie) near the water source, etc are very important principals to maintain hiking and camping conditions for whomever comes next. Because that plastic wrapper will definitely last more than 15 years.
    - whoisburbansky 5y ago
      Wait what’s wrong with washing your dishes near the water source?
      - SECProto 5y ago
VirusNewbie 5y ago
I have a Tumi backpack made of ballistic nylon and it looks brand new after ~8 years of daily use and going to various countries/vacations. I can't think of another product I own that gets regularly used and still looks the same, so it's pretty impressive and worth the $400 price tag.
- bloodyplonker22 5y ago
  I also have an older Tumi backpack and it has been great. However, I have noticed that ever since Tumi was acquired by Samsonite, the quality has gone downhill by an extreme amount. The zippers used to be made of very thick and sturdy metal, but those are gone, in favor of cheaper and flimsier zippers. The fabrics are much cheaper, thinner, and weaker now as well.
  - partomniscient 5y ago
    Can echo this. My first Tumi was great but failed due to user error (internal spills that were my fault). My second degraded much quicker - zips and strap stitching failed. Moved to a Victoronix, which seems to be even better than the first Tumi, but its only been in use a few years so far.
8f2ab37a-ed6c 5y ago
Fascinating stuff. I remember my Timbuk2 with a custom vinyl panel falling apart pretty quickly, which made me realize just how big of a deal picking the right fabric for your everyday bag is. I've been pretty pleased with my Peak Design gear these last few years, I've yet to find a brand that makes bags that feel as well-built. They're not cheap though.
- steve_adams_86 5y ago
  I’ll second you there, my PD 30L pack has been pretty amazing for a year now. It still looks brand new but gets used heavily about 5 days per week. A year isn’t that much I guess, but I’m always blown away by how durable it has been. It really does look a lot like the day I got it. Apart from being durable I love the way it looks and the overall utility is hard to beat too. While it isn’t cheap, I can’t see myself needing more from a bag or breaking this one soon enough for the cost per year to seem high relative to other bags I’ve had. Also worth mentioning is that their customer support is second to none. I’m just a customer for what it’s worth, not getting paid to say anything about them.
  - nl 5y ago
    I got a Peak Design 30L when they did their Kickstarter, so I've been using it since heavily I guess Jan 2017 (although a lot less since 2020), and it's been great. The fabric backing on bottom parts of the padding at the back of the pack has started to wear through though. I guess this is where it rubs most on my back, and I was walking maybe 5km a day with it daily for a few years. Still, very happy with it.
    - steve_adams_86 5y ago
      Ah, this reminds me - I’ve walked with mine a lot too, and the only thing I can really criticize is that the shoulder straps aren’t quite what I’d like them to be. They seem a little too narrow. When my pack is light it’s not so bad, but if it’s really loaded, it gets pretty uncomfortable. Do you know if the bag has changed much since the kickstarter? I wonder if they’ve addressed potential wear like you’ve experienced. Regardless, 5 years is not bad for a heavily used bag!
galago 5y ago
If someone is reviewing backpacks, zippers are also critical. I bought what I thought was a decent hiking pack from what we Americans call an "Army surplus store" for what seemed a good price. After a couple months two of the zippers had failed and I ended up throwing it away because I don't think there was any reasonable way to fix them. They were not YKK zippers (which I leared about) and I guess that was my mistake for not realizing that would be the point of failure. The old phrase "The poor man always pays twice." is in play here. Brands do have meaning, because they provide some assurance that the product meets some level of quality.
- 2muchcoffeeman 5y ago
  I'm still surprised brands still use non YKK zippers.
  - iamacyborg 5y ago
    Riri make great fashion zippers
- throwaway984393 5y ago
  For what it's worth, if the rest of the pack is still good, you can often replace zippers with buttons, clasps, rivets, or another type of closure. It's worth attempting a fix if only to keep more junk out of landfills.
  - bujak300 5y ago
    Or replace the zipper. Any shoe maker or tailor can advise if one is not inclined to do it themself.
    - lorenzhs 5y ago
      Often it’s just the thing that goes up and down that needs to be replaced, that’s a 5$ fix
aluminum96 5y ago
One additional feature you might find (it's ubiquitous on motorcycle gear) is Kevlar stitching, especially double-stitching (two or more parallel rows of stitches). The material is only as friction resistant as the stitches holding it together.
SeanLuke 5y ago
I was fortunate to buy a Tom Bihn Brain Bag when they were, for a short time, making it in 420 Denier High-Tenacity Parapack with a Ballistic bottom. Parapack is a tough and lightweight parachute nylon common in the 1960s, but now is very rare, especially for a backpack. It's very different from ripstop etc., smooth like silk but strong. I used to wear out laptop backpacks about once a year. This bag has lasted me ten years so far and it still looks nearly new. https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/parapack https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/parapack
willcipriano 5y ago
I've got a dyneema backpack[0] that I can recommend, pricey but waterproof and very light. I'm not a ultralight backpacker by any means but when I am climbing big hills I appreciate the ounces saved. Bonus is the black one is fairly inconspicuous for a stealth camp. [0]https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/collections/packs/products/2400-windrider https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/collections/packs/prod...
silisili 5y ago
Spectra and Dyneema are used for braided fishing line. It's scarily strong for its size, but at least in fishing, is incredibly prone to abrasion. Is this true for bags also?
- brians 5y ago
  Yes. Exactly. Dyneema bags are light, strong (i.e., hold a heavy load), flexible, can have good water resistance and attractive colors—and will wear a hole through in one drag through an airport.
wirthjason 5y ago
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bag fail. Then again most of the duties are lugging a computer around. Usually I just get tired of the bag and want something new because there’s a slightly different use case where another bag is optimized for that. But bags are like old friends. They all have personalities and are unique in their own way. I have an old Chrome messenger bag from college that’s 20 years old. It’s still going strong but I have a different bag now (still a Chrome though) which has an integrated laptop compartment. The bag is still going strong today and whenever I take it out to use it’s like talking to an old friend and retelling stories of the past.
- Talanes 5y ago
  Bags definitely acquire character. I remember realizing a few years ago that I get frequent comments on my old college messenger bag now that I never did when it was new.
ganzuul 5y ago
Synthetic polyfibers are one of the primary causes of microplastic pollution, so for fashion items they should be avoided. That Rayon material which Cordura initially represented for example is biodegradable. We need a different category than synthetic fibers in English terminology for these altered fibers.
Guffton 5y ago
Anyone know what the gi= means at the end of the url?
- ValentineC 5y ago
  Stack Overflow suggests that it might be some sort of cross-domain fingerprinting: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41222966/medium-authentication-session-across-domains https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41222966/medium-authenti...
  - Guffton 5y ago
    Interesting - thanks.
- jbj 5y ago
  seems to work fine without as well, could it be related to the platform "medium"?
jbj 5y ago
a week ago, I came across this user submitted gallery of homemade hiking gear: http://www.extremtextil.de/naehprojekte/kunden-galerie.html http://www.extremtextil.de/naehprojekte/kunden-galerie.html some of them are quite impressive
xtiansimon 5y ago
I bought a North Face backpack from the outlet on Palo Alto in 1988. I still have it today. The internal coating is failing in spots. But the worst damage was to the foam padding in the back. Gone. Turned to dust. Unfortunately, because I bought the bag from the outlet, it’s not eligible for warranty repair. I bought a motorcycle last year to take on trips. Not sure what luggage system I want to use, so I turned to the ol North Face and I took a razor to the backing, removed the padding materials, shoulder straps and hip belt. Now it’s improvised moto luggage for clothes, tent, sleeping pad, tent pole. Let’s see how google images hosts for HN: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AMvqmTHYxTqnPJrR8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/AMvqmTHYxTqnPJrR8
natch 5y ago
Dyneema aka cuban fiber is my favorite for lightweight bags, although it's not perfect. Comes in many grades down to near tissue paper thin which is great for small stuff sacks. Obviously, while impressively strong, the thin grades are weaker than the thicker ones, but still amazing. It doesn't like abrasion, so don't drag it across rocks, easy enough; just set your bag down instead of throwing and dragging it. "Well there are situations when you need to…" just avoid getting into those situations. I found my mini first aid kit bag is wearing thin (it's made of the tissue paper thin white color) so for my next mini first aid kit bag I'll go up one level. Don't use it for something where lack of breathability would cause problems… it's pretty impervious to moisture. For the thinner grades, the thread holes can be a weak spot. Thin bags need to be handled a bit more gently. Thicker grades are brutishly strong.
- heelix 5y ago
  One of my prize bits of camping gear is my cuban fiber hammock tarp. At 12'x8', it comes in around 7-8oz. Compared to my sinylon 11'x8' at 19oz, it is remarkably lighter. Absolutely bomb proof in nasty weather with heavy winds/rain. The main drawbacks were the purchase price (ouch) when that material was first out, it is opaque enough that you wake up with sunrise, and it sounds like a drum in the rain.
  - natch 5y ago
    Curious, assuming it has panels, how are they attached together? Sewn, or glued / double sided taped? Or both? Or all one sheet with no seams?
real-dino 5y ago
I'm looking for a decent compact duffel bag, which can double as a oversized backpack. Ballstic nylon sounds like the stuff! Good for taking on holiday when you don't want to store a suitcase till the end of time! :D What's an IKEA bag made from out of interest?

178 points by Alupis 5y ago

This guide is great for background and basic information. It contains a lot of information that I've had to piece together myself over the years. I am whats called a "Bikepacker", and I've made a lot of my own gear. I ride my bike (a LWB recumbent) instead of hiking; but still do the camping part like backpackers do (with the added nerd-points of using a hammock). If you are interested in the do-it-yourself side of these hobbies I can't recommend ripstopbytheroll.com enough. There is a lot of great guides, the prices are great; and I even met the guy once (before he started the website) at a hammock get-together.

tomcam 5y ago
> hammock get-together Uh how do those work?
- UI_at_80x24 5y ago
  TL/DR: like a group camping trip but with hammocks. At the time I was a member of hammockforums.net It's a forum dedicated to hammocks, hammock camping, associated equipment, and discussions that usually relate to hammocks. There have been several "group camping" gatherings (pre-covid) in various parts of the world. At the gatherings that I attended there was 50-75 individuals all sleeping in hammocks. It was over a weekend in Indiana. The hammock community has a lot of cottage industry involvement, and a very large portion of the group actively contributes to ideas much like the OSS community does. There was a lot community spirit. Several people (and companies) brought equipment/gear/stuff to give-away. I as one of the few Canadians to show up brought Canadian beer, chocolates, and snacks. I won an under-quilt, some hiking chop-sticks (they screw together and have a belt-attachment), and a few other things all at no cost to me ($400+ worth of gear). So there we were 50+ hammocks all hung in the surrounding forest enjoying fellowship.
  - tomcam 5y ago
    Was hoping the answer would be something like this. I absolutely adore learning about subcultures I haven’t encountered before. Thank you for an illuminating answer.

gotmedium 5y ago

This is a great guide! Would love if there were additional info on pricing (per pound, per metric), any sustainability issues (see Dark Waters for teflon [1]), and lastly ownership (are these patent protected, largest manufacthrers) [1] https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/ https://m.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/

nivekastoreth 5y ago
I would also really like some sort idea of just how easy or hard a material is to get odor out of. For a while now now I’ve just had to have multiple backpacks and rotate through them when one becomes too fragrant. If anyone has some guidance on how to get human ecology bacteria (i.e. that funky stank) out of synthetic materials that doesn’t result in smelling even worse of the cleaning agent, I’d love to hear it.
- evan_ 5y ago
  Have you tried Defunkify? https://defunkify.com/ https://defunkify.com/ I haven’t used it myself but a friend swears by it.
- getcrunk 5y ago
  Vinegar
- SECProto 5y ago
  I haven't ever had an issue with stanky outdoors gear, but I've had luck removing stains from different gear by washing with either regular laundry detergent or "Oxygen-based cleaners" (oxiclean and knockoffs) as they have a different mechanism of cleaning, and drying in sunlight and fresh air.

snowwrestler 5y ago

Ripstop weave does not help waterproofing. Nylon is no more likely to tear when punctured than any other thread. Packcloth is a weave, not another name for polyester. Polyester is stronger than cotton, not weaker. X-PAC does have fibrous strands since it is a laminate of woven fabrics. Also I think it is somewhat confusing to list thread materials like nylon and polyester, along with brand names like Dyneema and Cordura. Most Cordura fabrics are nylon, for example. Coatings are probably the weak point of durability for many packs. Any of the synthetic fabrics, even light weights, can easily last decades with normal use. But as the article notes, even with the best care, you won’t get much more than 15 years on the coatings. And when polyurethane goes bad, it’s gross. It smells horrible and becomes a sticky goo. It is depressing that despite decades of advancement in outdoor gear, companies are still just spraying PU on and calling it good.

maxerickson 5y ago
I wonder what the environmental impact of outdoor gear is relative to things like gallons of gas and pounds of beef. Like is it worth paying much attention to smallish items that last 15 years?
- SECProto 5y ago
  > is it worth paying much attention to smallish items that last 15 years? No in the sense of emissions and garbage creation from them are negligible. But ensure you pack out everything you pack in, not washing your dish(es if you're bougie) near the water source, etc are very important principals to maintain hiking and camping conditions for whomever comes next. Because that plastic wrapper will definitely last more than 15 years.
  - whoisburbansky 5y ago
    Wait what’s wrong with washing your dishes near the water source?
    - SECProto 5y ago

VirusNewbie 5y ago

I have a Tumi backpack made of ballistic nylon and it looks brand new after ~8 years of daily use and going to various countries/vacations. I can't think of another product I own that gets regularly used and still looks the same, so it's pretty impressive and worth the $400 price tag.

bloodyplonker22 5y ago
I also have an older Tumi backpack and it has been great. However, I have noticed that ever since Tumi was acquired by Samsonite, the quality has gone downhill by an extreme amount. The zippers used to be made of very thick and sturdy metal, but those are gone, in favor of cheaper and flimsier zippers. The fabrics are much cheaper, thinner, and weaker now as well.
- partomniscient 5y ago
  Can echo this. My first Tumi was great but failed due to user error (internal spills that were my fault). My second degraded much quicker - zips and strap stitching failed. Moved to a Victoronix, which seems to be even better than the first Tumi, but its only been in use a few years so far.

8f2ab37a-ed6c 5y ago

Fascinating stuff. I remember my Timbuk2 with a custom vinyl panel falling apart pretty quickly, which made me realize just how big of a deal picking the right fabric for your everyday bag is. I've been pretty pleased with my Peak Design gear these last few years, I've yet to find a brand that makes bags that feel as well-built. They're not cheap though.

steve_adams_86 5y ago
I’ll second you there, my PD 30L pack has been pretty amazing for a year now. It still looks brand new but gets used heavily about 5 days per week. A year isn’t that much I guess, but I’m always blown away by how durable it has been. It really does look a lot like the day I got it. Apart from being durable I love the way it looks and the overall utility is hard to beat too. While it isn’t cheap, I can’t see myself needing more from a bag or breaking this one soon enough for the cost per year to seem high relative to other bags I’ve had. Also worth mentioning is that their customer support is second to none. I’m just a customer for what it’s worth, not getting paid to say anything about them.
- nl 5y ago
  I got a Peak Design 30L when they did their Kickstarter, so I've been using it since heavily I guess Jan 2017 (although a lot less since 2020), and it's been great. The fabric backing on bottom parts of the padding at the back of the pack has started to wear through though. I guess this is where it rubs most on my back, and I was walking maybe 5km a day with it daily for a few years. Still, very happy with it.
  - steve_adams_86 5y ago
    Ah, this reminds me - I’ve walked with mine a lot too, and the only thing I can really criticize is that the shoulder straps aren’t quite what I’d like them to be. They seem a little too narrow. When my pack is light it’s not so bad, but if it’s really loaded, it gets pretty uncomfortable. Do you know if the bag has changed much since the kickstarter? I wonder if they’ve addressed potential wear like you’ve experienced. Regardless, 5 years is not bad for a heavily used bag!

galago 5y ago

If someone is reviewing backpacks, zippers are also critical. I bought what I thought was a decent hiking pack from what we Americans call an "Army surplus store" for what seemed a good price. After a couple months two of the zippers had failed and I ended up throwing it away because I don't think there was any reasonable way to fix them. They were not YKK zippers (which I leared about) and I guess that was my mistake for not realizing that would be the point of failure. The old phrase "The poor man always pays twice." is in play here. Brands do have meaning, because they provide some assurance that the product meets some level of quality.

2muchcoffeeman 5y ago
I'm still surprised brands still use non YKK zippers.
- iamacyborg 5y ago
  Riri make great fashion zippers
throwaway984393 5y ago
For what it's worth, if the rest of the pack is still good, you can often replace zippers with buttons, clasps, rivets, or another type of closure. It's worth attempting a fix if only to keep more junk out of landfills.
- bujak300 5y ago
  Or replace the zipper. Any shoe maker or tailor can advise if one is not inclined to do it themself.
  - lorenzhs 5y ago
    Often it’s just the thing that goes up and down that needs to be replaced, that’s a 5$ fix

aluminum96 5y ago

One additional feature you might find (it's ubiquitous on motorcycle gear) is Kevlar stitching, especially double-stitching (two or more parallel rows of stitches). The material is only as friction resistant as the stitches holding it together.

SeanLuke 5y ago

I was fortunate to buy a Tom Bihn Brain Bag when they were, for a short time, making it in 420 Denier High-Tenacity Parapack with a Ballistic bottom. Parapack is a tough and lightweight parachute nylon common in the 1960s, but now is very rare, especially for a backpack. It's very different from ripstop etc., smooth like silk but strong. I used to wear out laptop backpacks about once a year. This bag has lasted me ten years so far and it still looks nearly new. https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/parapack https://www.tombihn.com/blogs/main/parapack

willcipriano 5y ago

I've got a dyneema backpack[0] that I can recommend, pricey but waterproof and very light. I'm not a ultralight backpacker by any means but when I am climbing big hills I appreciate the ounces saved. Bonus is the black one is fairly inconspicuous for a stealth camp. [0]https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/collections/packs/products/2400-windrider https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/collections/packs/prod...

silisili 5y ago

Spectra and Dyneema are used for braided fishing line. It's scarily strong for its size, but at least in fishing, is incredibly prone to abrasion. Is this true for bags also?

brians 5y ago
Yes. Exactly. Dyneema bags are light, strong (i.e., hold a heavy load), flexible, can have good water resistance and attractive colors—and will wear a hole through in one drag through an airport.

wirthjason 5y ago

I don’t think I’ve ever had a bag fail. Then again most of the duties are lugging a computer around. Usually I just get tired of the bag and want something new because there’s a slightly different use case where another bag is optimized for that. But bags are like old friends. They all have personalities and are unique in their own way. I have an old Chrome messenger bag from college that’s 20 years old. It’s still going strong but I have a different bag now (still a Chrome though) which has an integrated laptop compartment. The bag is still going strong today and whenever I take it out to use it’s like talking to an old friend and retelling stories of the past.

Talanes 5y ago
Bags definitely acquire character. I remember realizing a few years ago that I get frequent comments on my old college messenger bag now that I never did when it was new.

ganzuul 5y ago

Synthetic polyfibers are one of the primary causes of microplastic pollution, so for fashion items they should be avoided. That Rayon material which Cordura initially represented for example is biodegradable. We need a different category than synthetic fibers in English terminology for these altered fibers.

Guffton 5y ago

Anyone know what the gi= means at the end of the url?

ValentineC 5y ago
Stack Overflow suggests that it might be some sort of cross-domain fingerprinting: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41222966/medium-authentication-session-across-domains https://stackoverflow.com/questions/41222966/medium-authenti...
- Guffton 5y ago
  Interesting - thanks.
jbj 5y ago
seems to work fine without as well, could it be related to the platform "medium"?

jbj 5y ago

a week ago, I came across this user submitted gallery of homemade hiking gear: http://www.extremtextil.de/naehprojekte/kunden-galerie.html http://www.extremtextil.de/naehprojekte/kunden-galerie.html some of them are quite impressive

xtiansimon 5y ago

I bought a North Face backpack from the outlet on Palo Alto in 1988. I still have it today. The internal coating is failing in spots. But the worst damage was to the foam padding in the back. Gone. Turned to dust. Unfortunately, because I bought the bag from the outlet, it’s not eligible for warranty repair. I bought a motorcycle last year to take on trips. Not sure what luggage system I want to use, so I turned to the ol North Face and I took a razor to the backing, removed the padding materials, shoulder straps and hip belt. Now it’s improvised moto luggage for clothes, tent, sleeping pad, tent pole. Let’s see how google images hosts for HN: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AMvqmTHYxTqnPJrR8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/AMvqmTHYxTqnPJrR8

natch 5y ago

Dyneema aka cuban fiber is my favorite for lightweight bags, although it's not perfect. Comes in many grades down to near tissue paper thin which is great for small stuff sacks. Obviously, while impressively strong, the thin grades are weaker than the thicker ones, but still amazing. It doesn't like abrasion, so don't drag it across rocks, easy enough; just set your bag down instead of throwing and dragging it. "Well there are situations when you need to…" just avoid getting into those situations. I found my mini first aid kit bag is wearing thin (it's made of the tissue paper thin white color) so for my next mini first aid kit bag I'll go up one level. Don't use it for something where lack of breathability would cause problems… it's pretty impervious to moisture. For the thinner grades, the thread holes can be a weak spot. Thin bags need to be handled a bit more gently. Thicker grades are brutishly strong.

heelix 5y ago
One of my prize bits of camping gear is my cuban fiber hammock tarp. At 12'x8', it comes in around 7-8oz. Compared to my sinylon 11'x8' at 19oz, it is remarkably lighter. Absolutely bomb proof in nasty weather with heavy winds/rain. The main drawbacks were the purchase price (ouch) when that material was first out, it is opaque enough that you wake up with sunrise, and it sounds like a drum in the rain.
- natch 5y ago
  Curious, assuming it has panels, how are they attached together? Sewn, or glued / double sided taped? Or both? Or all one sheet with no seams?

real-dino 5y ago

I'm looking for a decent compact duffel bag, which can double as a oversized backpack. Ballstic nylon sounds like the stuff! Good for taking on holiday when you don't want to store a suitcase till the end of time! :D What's an IKEA bag made from out of interest?