Ultralight Fabrics
Hi All,
So..... lets talk about PBD packs and ultralight fabrics. This is no secret.... we buy all our fabrics from ripstopbytheroll.com. Great guys, great customer service and good prices.
This being said, if you ever want any of our pack, pouches or gear in another color or fabric, just ask us......... If ripstopbytheroll has it, we can make it.
Right now we make our packs in these UL fabrics:
Dyneema (DCF) = Very popular and super light weight and super strong..... the down side..... it's super expensive. My personal choice for weight verse durability. Have hiked many of miles with a Dyneema pack and just loved it. It's crinkly and not the nicest looking material, but it will take abuse.
HyperD300 = I really like this fabric and we have done a ton of testing on it. It's nearly as light weight as Dyneema and holds up pretty well. Best part.... it's the cheapest on the list. We do all our 1st "gen" prototyping with HyperD300. Another cool aspect.... it comes in a huge variety of colors. The downside is it will wear quicker and blemish easily. Don't get me wrong though, its a diamond ripstop and it is strong and tough. Very difficult to tear. Ran many of HyperD300 packs thru tons of thorns, brambles, bushes and rocks and to my surprise, no rips.... Another huge plus is, this fabric is actually waterproof. With the exception of the stitch holes. water just beads right off. Don't be afraid to get a pack made in HyperD300, it will do a great job for you.
https://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/hyperd-300-diamond-ripstop-polyester
Robic 420/210 Ripstop. This fabric is a ripstopbytheroll house brand. It's beyond strong and really tough as nails. The 420D version is amazing. A simple square grid pattern, you can run this fabric across steel wool and not cause a scratch. I have a Robic 420D 3-1 trailpack that I have personally hiked over 500 miles with and the darn pack still looks brand new. The fabric lays down well and holds a shape. We love using this fabric on water pockets and shoulder straps. Almost kind of a synthetic leather feel. Downsides...... it's weight. This fabric, especially the 420D, will add about 33% more weight to a pack. It's also not waterproof and questionable water resistant. It will wet thru pretty quick in a down pour.
https://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/robic
HDPE Gridstop = My favorite fabric on the planet.... for it's feel, look and strength. I mean a pack made in HDPE Gridstop, looks like a million dollar pack. This fabric would be considered a great "all around" fabric. It's attractive, strong, easy to work with and not too heavy. The price is reasonable too....If you look very closely at the fabric you will notice the predominate square grid but you will also see a diamond grid. It's strong and would be a good choice for a good multi-day pack or thru hiker.
https://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/210d-hdpe-gridstop
X-Pac = Simply..... not my favorite. We do sell packs and pouches in X-Pac and trust me, many customers like the fabric. I am not a big fan. It's hard to work with, really requires seam taping or sealing to hold the threads together and it creases very easy. I can deal with the crinkly look on Dyneema, but the X-Pac all crinkled up on a pack or pouch just does not sit well with me. The fabric reminds me a plastic shower curtain also. I am sure. seam sealed correctly, it would be a strong nearly indestructible waterproof pack. X-Pac does offer the fabric in a couple different weights and many colors, which is nice. VX15 is a good weight to strength balance.
https://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/x-pac/products/x-pac-vx15?variant=12386491465776
Any questions or comments, just email us. Happy to help out if we can. Jim T.