Fabrics: Nylon v. Duck

S

Strobengh

Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
622
I've been looking and looking for the perfect hunting bag, and have finally decided to just make it.
My mom used to run a sewing company, so we have the tools and know-how.

The bag will be a waist-pack with detachable shoulder straps.

What I can't figure out is whether I want to use some duck (cotton) fabric or nylon.

Any thoughts/suggestions?
I don't know the first thing about types of Nylon, and would appreciate information/advice/suggestions.

What do you think are the advantages/disadvantages of one over the other?

Thanks
 
Hmmm....by no means am I an expert, so correct me if I am wrong.

Duck is an awesome fabric. I love my Duck Carhartt jacket, but the one thing is, I will never try to wear it in a downpour. Unless waterproofed, the duck cotton will absorb the water really quick and soak your goods inside. Duck is fairly heavy also.

Nylon like ripstop nylon is really good because it compacts easy, water resistant, is very light, and as the name states, won't tear easily. It is very expensive because of its features. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripstop_nylon

There is also cordura nylon, which I think you would want to look into. Very rugged and used in a lot of military applications. Lots of backpacks are made from cordura beacuse of its high strength. Its lighter than duck also and fairly waterproof giving the right treatment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordura

If you want to go really high end, there is gore-tex nylon which is made specifically by Gore. Lots of rain/snow jackets are made in gore-tex because of its breathablilty, packablity, and waterproof qualities. I don't think this is the way to go budget wise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore-tex

Those are what I can think of right now. My choice for your pack would be Cordura. Very rugged and will serve you a long time.

If you got ideas of what the bag might look like, I and probably many others might want to purchase one from you :)
 
companies like www.seattlefabrics.com offer large selections of fabrics ,strapping ,hardware all for the do-it-yourself types. To me the obvious choice would be Heavy Cordura .Cordura nylon is coated with urethane on 1 side ,doesn't rot or absorb water or get moldy like cottonduck. Very durable.
 
I'd go with 1000D Cordura. Most caving items that are fabric are made out of this. It is tough! I've never worked with it tough, but I've often though about making my own bag as well.

I had a post a day or two ago about a good survival bag. I really like the idea of having a good belt as a foundation, and then being able to add onto that. So a heavy duty gun belt / riggers / instructors belt is what I'm going to get, and then some modular packs and pouches.

Good luck!

L
 
yeah, i'd choose cordura over duck - it's tough (maybe tougher than cotton duck), lighter and isn't going to hold water the way soaked cotton does. there's a reason you don't see backpacks (or tents) made from cotton.

the only downside i guess is that it would melt under high temperatures - so don't set your pack down next to a roaring bonfire. but that wouldn't be wise regardless of what it's made of...
 
Thanks for the info all!

The main reason I'm holding onto hope for duck fabric is an old mil-surplus backpack I have had forever.
I absolutely love that pack!

Maybe I'll must make a little possibles bag out of the duck.

The bag that I'm making is heavily influenced by my mountainsmith Tour bag . . . I looked at the Kifaru website (as he is the original designer) but their bags are much bigger than what I want.

I carried the tour for years, but it's too loud when walking through thick brush, it doesn't have an option for shoulder straps (straps, not strap), and there isn't room on the waist belt to attach little bags, like my bullet case.

I'll probably just put some MOLLE straps on the top and back of the bag, as well as on the waist-strap. I'll also attach a zipper to the bottom seam closest to the back, and some strap points to the top of the bag so I can zip in some quieter material (camo or blaze orange) to cover the bag, which I can also use for additional storage b/c of the strap points.
Finally, the shoulder straps will be attached to a 5" or so wide strip of material over my back with more MOLLE straps on it so that I can attach bags higher up on my back if I want to.
 
Since noise is a consideration, check out some of the hunting suppliers for quiet-in-the-woods fanny packs with shoulder straps. Here's a link to one from Cabela's:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...20304&cm_ite=0006807515096a&_requestid=168558

(edit to add) The advice the others gave on cordura is spot on. Remember that cordura comes in several different weights, ranging from fairly flimsy (pretty thin and soft, but still tough) to very heavy-duty and stiff, as well as coated and uncoated. You'll likely want the coated to protect the bag's contents while hiking in dew-soaked brush or in the rain. The disadvantage of nylon cordura, as noted, is that it will ignite much easier than cotton duck material.

Mete's recommendation for Seattle Fabrics is on the mark. I've visited their store and they have a very extensive selection of outdoor and marine fabrics, fittings & accessories, threads, seam bindings, and what-not. Definitely give them a shot at providing the material for your bag.
 
Just to add another fabric to further confuse things :thumbup:
What about Wool? Quiet in the woods , sheds most of the water ,
very durable. If you can find an old worn out coat with the double cape
that may be a good alternitive. Can be reinforced on the inside with whatever, for the strength you may require.

Phil

Edit to add: I've just been using suspenders to spread the weight of my fanny pack. If you go with wool and make a practice (prototype ) one first I'd be interested in it.
 
Strobengh,
How old is your Mountainsmith? I have had mine for 3 1/2+ years. I have the Carin and a friend has the Tour and both of us added their strapettes which are like the old military suspenders. Makes it easier to carry with heavy loads. The noise is a problem, but anything made from mylon, even Cordura, will have that problem.
 
asking about material?
I am a fire-fighter cadet, so i know a thing or two about the topic, since our PPE and ropes are related subjects.
heres a chart

on a scale of 1-8, 1 being the best, 8 being the poorest:

nylon | cotton | H. Spectra polyethylene | polyethylene | polyester |
strength 3 8 1 6 4

wet str 85% 115% 100% 100% 100%
VS dry str

shock 1 6 7 4 3
load ability

float or sinks sinks floats float sinks
sink in water

abrasion 3 8 1 6 2
resistance

storage wet/dry dry wet/dry wet/dry wet/dry
requirements

nylon | cotton | H. Spectra polyethylene | polyethylene |polyester

resistance:
sunlight: good good good fair excellent
rot excellent poor excellent excellent excellent
acids poor poor excellent good good
alkalis good poor excellent good poor
oil & good poor excellent good good
gas



hope this helps at all



edit: NOOOOOOOO the auto format killed it!!!! =O damn i have no time now but i ll fix u a image chart tommorow
 
Strobengh said:
I've been looking and looking for the perfect hunting bag, and have finally decided to just make it.
My mom used to run a sewing company, so we have the tools and know-how.

The bag will be a waist-pack with detachable shoulder straps.

What I can't figure out is whether I want to use some duck (cotton) fabric or nylon.

Any thoughts/suggestions?
I don't know the first thing about types of Nylon, and would appreciate information/advice/suggestions.

What do you think are the advantages/disadvantages of one over the other?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Ultralight: silnylon
Tough: Cordura
Cool:cool:: ballstic nylon
 
Duck is for grandpa who had no choice.

Cotton duck will burn believe me, no advantage over nylon.

Wool soaks up water like a sponge and doesn't shed despite rumors. It doesnt soak up quite as much as cotton but nearly. Wool will still insulate when wet but it weighs a ton soaked.

Synthetics are the bomb. Tougher, lighter and water proof. Unless you are fighting fires for a living there is no reason to not use it.

Skam
 
see if this works....
n1223851522_30555711_6713.jpg



edit: ok it worked, the chart is in my firefighting text book =P its actually about ropes, but i think it could apply to this as well
 
skammer said:
Duck is for grandpa who had no choice.

Cotton duck will burn believe me, no advantage over nylon.

Wool soaks up water like a sponge and doesn't shed despite rumors. It doesnt soak up quite as much as cotton but nearly. Wool will still insulate when wet but it weighs a ton soaked.

Synthetics are the bomb. Tougher, lighter and water proof. Unless you are fighting fires for a living there is no reason to not use it.

Skam
Click to expand...

Say what you may about cotton duck: I love it.

I know it has its limitations, which is why I started this thread, and I doubt that I'll make a heavy use bag out of it (mainly because it would be too heavy), but I've made a few possibles bags out of cotton duck and I love them.

Synthetic materials have their place, but so do cotton materials. Just look at what you are wearing. ;)
 
I am a fan of both Cordura (not less than 600 though) and duck. Both have their places in hunting applications. If you are doing mainly stand hunting and are using your pack to simply get in and get out either should serve well. If you plan on still hunting or stalking then you should really consider fleece (either wool or synthetic). A few applications of Camp Dry well before hunting season begins will virtually waterproof even natural fleece. It is the quietest material in the woods. For the same reason avoid Velcro. Straps and or Fastex buckles are the way to go. I even try to avoid zippers but that is not a primary consideration. Good Luck with whatever you decide. This is your project. Take the suggestions and then come to your own conclusions.
 
Strobengh said:
Say what you may about cotton duck: I love it.

I know it has its limitations, which is why I started this thread, and I doubt that I'll make a heavy use bag out of it (mainly because it would be too heavy), but I've made a few possibles bags out of cotton duck and I love them.

Synthetic materials have their place, but so do cotton materials. Just look at what you are wearing. ;)
Click to expand...

Its not a useless material by any means, cotton. Like you say I wear it near every day. But never ever in the field for any reason other than a bandana.

It has no place in the bush as clothing and is even dangerous. SAR teams ban it for good reason. If natural is your shtick then wool is the way to go or even oiled canvas or leather kept well oiled or waxed.

Mixed fabric types are not as bad with a low % of cotton. For gear I wouldnt want to spend days with a cotton ruck soaking against my back but thats me.

Skam
 
skammer said:
Its not a useless material by any means, cotton. Like you say I wear it near every day. But never ever in the field for any reason other than a bandana.

It has no place in the bush as clothing and is even dangerous. SAR teams ban it for good reason. If natural is your shtick then wool is the way to go or even oiled canvas or leather kept well oiled or waxed.

Mixed fabric types are not as bad with a low % of cotton. For gear I wouldnt want to spend days with a cotton ruck soaking against my back but thats me.

Skam
Click to expand...

Cotton has no place in bush clothing, and it is dangerous?

A bit of a reach don't you think?
The cotton industry people are going to come find you!
 
Strobengh said:
Cotton has no place in bush clothing, and it is dangerous?

A bit of a reach don't you think?
The cotton industry people are going to come find you!
Click to expand...


If I had a buck for every hypothermic or pre hypothermic patient I had to cut their COTTON clothes off of and rewarm to keep them from going into shock I'd buy you a set of synthetic bush clothes.;)

Seriously though, you are better off naked than in wet cotton.

Skam
 
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