Tyvek Backpack

[D LARSON]

Roger, thank you for your knowledgeable insight on Kevlar thread. You are a wealth of information.

[Tim Marshall]

Kendall,

Primaloft can be used for quilts but it requires you to "quilt" it. It must be stabilized to the fabric throughout the large panels. Climashield on the other hand can just be edge stabilized (sewn to the fabric on the edges) making it a much simpler choice for MYOG quilters like myself. Also XP has highest CLO i know of making it warmer for the weight.

-Tim

[Jim Colten]

Hey guys, we hooked another one! he-he

Kendall,

An emphatic ditto to what Tim said about XP being easier to work with for quilts. But I do like Primaloft for clothing, where you get quite a bit of quilting for "free" as part of the construction process.

Regarding a 2" thick synthetic quilt. Warm quilt! For PL or XP That'd offer an insulation value of about 6CLO … which would keep me comfortable at about 10*F with little in the way of insulated clothing (nylon pants and shirt over a light poly base layer, warm socks) … as always, YMMV

A single layer of 5oz XP would likely serve you down into the lower 30's … well down into the 20's if you add lightly insulated clothing that you will likely want to also have along at those temps.

[Jason Griffin]

Very nice job on that pack! Could you give some close up shots of your seams please?

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Jeremy

> would that 3M tape work well for sealing Tyvek seams as well

3M9485PC is used and sold as a 'seam stick' transfer tape for making lightweight spinnakers for racing yachts. They do actually make some spinnakers with JUST the tape: no sewing at all. It makes a 'permanent' bond.

As an example, some may remember a light-weight Dimension Polyant fabric which had a bright orange layer of PU coating on one side. It was often called something like 'titanium' as it may have had some titanium oxide in the PU coating to make it UV-resistant. It was originally made for NASA as a fabric for (very) high altitude ballons. The coating was utterly waterproof, and quite thick and well-bonded. My first MYOG snow tent was made of this stuff.

I had some 3M9485 tape on a bit of this fabric for testing. After a few days, I tried to peel the tape off the coating. It wouldn't come off; instead it ripped the coating off the nylon cloth. That's a fairly strong bond!

Yes, it will bond to Tyvek, and yes, it should be good.

Cheers

[Kendall Clement]

Tim & Jim

Thanks for the great advice. I wasn't thinking that I have cocoon wear as well. I just got back from picking up my sewing machine. I think I want to start with a quilt. Climashield XP sounds great. Now, I just have to find a pattern and instructions that I like and order the materials. So, I probably wont start for a couple of weeks. It'll give me time to familiarize myself with the machine. BTW the materials are surprisingly cheap compared to buying gear from a manufacturer! I was shocked at some of the prices I've seen! And, you don't have to compromise. You can make your gear just the way YOU want it. Of course, that's not news to you guys.

>Hey guys, we hooked another one! he-he

-LOL- Yeap! I think you got another convert. I'm looking forward to learning how to make my own.

Kendall

[Ralph McNall]

Congrats on the sewing machine, Kendall.

So the seams for the tyvek backpack are a combination of thread and tape. The thread was polyester, I think I got the regular size from Gutermann at Joann Fabric, they also had a heavy duty. The pieces of tyvek that I had were on the smaller side so I often had to join 2 together to make a larger piece, and that was done with adhesive transfer tape like the stuff mentioned in earlier posts. I found it to be amazingly strong. I thought of making the whole pack with only taped seems, but I had a hard time picturing how it would all come together and have the shape that I wanted. I would still need thread to attach the mesh pockets and straps. Sewing tyvek is definitely different than most fabrics, and is really more like paper. Dupont recommends about 5 threads per inch and it works out pretty well, giving a fairly strong seam without tearing apart from the perforations. Never the less, I still went back and taped all my seams. Primarily it was to add strength, but also to waterproof it. The hardest part about sewing the tyvek for me was ending the seam. Usually you can back tack at the beginning and end of a line, but that doesn't really work, so I just relied on the tape to keep the thread from coming undone. I'll have to come up with a project where I can play around more with only taped seams. Perhaps a tyvek tent will be next…

Oh, and watch out for sewing through that tape – it will gunk up your needle and make a mess. I found I could use a little bit of wax on the needle if I had to get through a spot that I had already used it.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Ralph

> I found I could use a little bit of wax on the needle

Ah so! You are SO right about getting adhesive on the needle – a real mess. I had not thought about using wax, but I will try it out. I have tried light oil, but it is rather messy and does not last very long at all. Make marks on the fabric too.

Another problem is that the thread can get adhesive on it as well, and that also gums up in the eye of the needle.

Cheers

[Rod Lawlor]

Roger,

You may also like to try a spray on Teflon lube on the needle. Oil and fabric scare me a bit. I always expect the oil to degrade the fabric rather quickly, although I'm not sure if this is true or not.

What's your stance on 100% polyester thread? I used some today to repair my Mid.

[Dan Dyk]

Recycle Tyvek envelopes for ditty bags. Turn inside out so printing is inside. Closing flap can be cut off or used as bag flap or reinforcement of top. Roll a "cuff" about three or four thicknesses, crease each fold, maybe 1/2". Use paper punch to make holes around cuff, then thread a drawstring through holes. Or, two lengths of string, making loop of each after threading through holes. Pull loops and wrap and tie. Tyvek can be "softened" by crumpling into a ball several tiems. crushing and rolling in your hands. Tyvek bag will also serve to fetch water. Good as emergency mitts, over gloves. Or booties. Mukluks or gaiters can be made from Tyvek. Good for full face balaclava maybe with slit eyeholes, in bright snow. You can make slit goggles also. On and on. Tyvek footprint mat for your tent.

[Jeremy G]

I am slowing becoming a convert as well. It was easy enough before to just buy my own gear as I got bonuses, but with the economy down, no more bonuses… so now I start making my own gear.

My wife is totally making fun of me and telling everyone that I am going to take up sewing. Funny thing is that just a couple years ago I told her that she should sell her sewing machine as she never used it and hated sewing. I guess it all comes back around…

I think I am going to start working with Tyvek just because I already have it… Not sure how easy it is to work with, but we will just have to see. I had crafted a Tyvek bivy last summer with a footbox, but an open top… Never got a chance to use it. I just used Tyvek Tape to make it, but sewing it will be a whole different story.

Being an engineer, I have drafted up a few different designs in AutoCAD. Don't normally draw in 3D, so there has been a bit of a learning curve there. But it is nice to get a visual of what I am creating before I start cutting up a bunch of fabric.

How does working with Tyvek compare with SilNylon or other Nylons? I will be working with the HouseWrap type. Would it be best to crumple it up and wash it before I sew it?

[Joe Clement]

I'm going to make a tyvek bivy some time myself. Need a good plan though……

[Jeremy G]

Joe,

I've been thinking about making another one as well and have found a couple plans that I would modify a bit.

Backpacking Lite out of the UK has a super simple bivy pattern.

Six Moons Designs also has a bivy pattern on their website as well. It has a mosquito net attached to it which I would remove and then extend the top up like a normal bivy. These shows how to make a footbox which would be nice.

I was thinking I would take from a little of both of these and draw up my own template. Since I am 6'-4", I would probably add a little bit to the length.

If I get a chance later, maybe I will draw one up in AutoCAD and post on here…

[Kendall Clement]

Jeremy,

If you don't mind, I'd like to see your bivy plan when you're done. I looked at the Six Moon Designs bivy lasty night and had the same thoughts as you about the netting.

Kendall

[Joe Clement]

Some guys on here had a neat bivy plan, I'll have to go look for it.

To the OP….amazing backpack.

[Jeremy G]

I'm going to start a new thread for the Bivy Pattern as it is definitely off track from the OP.

Here's the link to the new thread…

We kind of hijacked this thread and I certainly don't want to take away from the great workmanship of the backpack!!

[Kyle Purcell]

Like everyone else has said, this is top shelf work! And please be sure to give a durability report. I have thought about makeing many different things out of tyvek, but durability has been an issue. However, if something as "high traffic" as a pack fairs well, we might see a lot more tyvek around my house. Again, great job.

[David Olsen]

"As Matthew said, it is very stiff and hard. That means it runs poorly through a machine needle. This can create a lot of friction, which heats up the needle and that then melts the Kevlar in the needle. Messy."

Perhaps you mean Spectra, which has a low melting point.

Kevlar, like Nomex, chars rather than melts, which is
why it is used in fire fighting gear.

Kevlar behaves like a cross between thread and cable. It will
break down some when bent sharply– like wire or cable. So
you lose some of the strength just running it through the sewing machine.

It also deteriorates in sunlight.

The strongest seams I know in Tyvek come from a heat sealing
machine.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Dave

You may be right about the melting bit. What I found was that the thread frayed at the needle, creating a mess. I ASSUMED this was due to heat, but it may simply have been breaking due to extreme bending at the fine needle.

I have edited my posting accordingly.

Thanks
Roger

[John Canfield]

I use db92 Coats Star Nylon Bonded thread for all pack building w/ my walking foot machine. Working with leather, I use 120db.

When using a needle feed machine, I use db69 for pack building, but prefer the strength of the 92 in many instances.

I only use bonded thread. I have repaired a few hundred backpacks and other miscellaneous carry products and have found core spun thread to be a weaker alternative in the long run.

I also agree about the kevlar thread. Not needed!

I have seen a Rip-Curl surfboard bag made in partnership with Dupont. Interesting stuff that tyvek… I am excited to see it in the consumer world outside of homewrap.

Lastly, needle choice is pretty important when working with a new material.

JC

[Conner D]

Kendall,
I recently started MYOG and am using a Singer Brilliance. It was around $115 and I was going to get the non-computerized version (under $100) but they were out of stock. It is a great machine and I'm sure the lower level Singer machine is just as nice. One really nice feature of the Brilliance, though, is the automatic needle threader which has saved me probably 30 min (so far) or just threading needles.
-conner

Edit: sorry, I didn't realize that post was 3 years old haha…

[John Canfield]

I didn't realize it either! I was looking for info on people who have worked with tyvek, and forgot to look at the date.

JC

[Byron Johnson]

try spiderwire as an alternative thread choice. its a fishing line made to handle anything thrown at it ($15 a spool roughly). many different tinsel strengths but honestly I have caught 20+ pound fish on 8 lb version like they are just not up to the challenge.

if you run it through a machine let us know how it compares; I have only hand stitched to date.

[John “Jay” Menna]

I sure would like to know how well Tyvek held up. It seem like uninteresting choice for a backpack.

[Oliver Nissen]

Henrik Morkel spotted Pajak Sports offering a Tyvek sleepingbag at Outdoor last year. I don't think they've been selling it this year:

http://hikinginfinland.com/2013/07/outdoor-news-iii.html

When it comes to fabrics retailers are picky – pretentious even. Tyvek and similar non-wovens just don't have the right connotations unfortunately. There's a lot of wasted potential.

[Author]

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