Materials

I strive to use the highest quality and most durable materials available.  

Many of the fabrics I use have some UHMWPE content. Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene is an extremely strong fibre, (~15 times stronger than steel by weight)  that absorbs no water, is incredibly light and uv stable. UHMWPE is also branded as Dyneema, Ultra or Spectra by various brands, but all have the same properties. 

The downside to UHMWPE fibres is that they are very slippery, and therefore quite unstable in a weave by themselves. Fabric manufacturers get around this by using them in laminates (adhering the fibres to a mylar or polyester film, or sandwiching the fibres between two layers of film) or adding coatings to fabrics. Laminated fabrics hit a sweet spot of low weight, high strength, good water resistance and good stitch holding power, although some are more robust than others. I prefer to use 3 or 4 layer laminates which have an internal layer of polyester fabric, which increases durability, reduces delamination issues and prevents stitch elongation at heavy loads. The downside to these fabrics is they cannot be seam taped internally to make the gear fully waterproof. I consider this a pretty minor tradeoff for longer life of the gear, and recommend that any vital items or electronics are packed in drybags or similar for protection anyway.  

Xpac

The main Xpac fabric I use is UVX40. UVX40 is possibly the ultimate pack fabric available on the market today. It is available in white or silver. 

Breakdown of laminate layering is below:

40% UHMWPE/60%polyester ripstop

Black post-consumer recycled polyester X-PLY® at 22°

0.25 mil polyester film

50 denier polyester taffeta

It is a relatively heavy fabric at 242 gsm, but the 4 layer construction and Ultra face fabric means it will last a very very long life of use and abuse. It also retains a nice flexible structure which other laminates don’t emulate as well. 

Challenge 

Challenge outdoor fabrics are a branch of Challenge Sailcloth, focusing on laminates for outdoor use. 

Challenge Ultra is a woven laminate available in 4 weights, 100d, 200, 400d, and 800d. The 400 denier variety is the main pack fabric I use at ASoP, specifically the 400TX version. This has a 66.6% Ultra face fabric, a waterproof film laminate containing an x-grid of Ultra fibres, and a 70d ripstop polyester backing. It is a similar weight to the UVX40 at around 244gsm, but has a significantly stiffer structure to it.

I also use the 800TX variant, which comes in at 367gsm, predominantly as a reinforcing layer on high wear areas. For smaller/lighter packs and accessories, I also use the 400x and 200x variants - a much lighter variant that does not have the inner ripstop layer. This fabric can be fully seam taped for waterproofness, but is less durable long term. All Challenge Ultra fabrics are available in black and white. 800TX is only available in Black currently .

Other Fabrics I commonly use are listed below:

Other fabrics can be ordered by request. 

A special thanks here to Graeme and Penny at MYOG Australia, for their assistance in sourcing the majority of the fabrics and trims I use. I would highly recommend reaching out to them if you have any queries about sourcing fabric or trims for your own making or production in Australia/NZ.