Fabrics and tearing?

3: be careful with your gear?

I'm pretty careful with my gear. I've had stuff look like-new after months of use.

Still, when I went hiking in Vibrams for the first time, I got over-confident and slipped on a rock. I fell about 18 inches, landed on my bum, and ruined a $150 pack and a $100 pair of pants at the same time. Dang!

Now, I essentially won't use anything that can't be reasonably abused and easily repaired. I do think about durability for more than half a second.

My suggestion is to get a really durable rain shell with a smooth face. A nice Arcteryx or Patagonia shell like Gore-Tex Paclite, not the flimsy GoLite or Marmot Mica 3-layers. That way, you can protect your down stuff with it. That's what I do, and it works pretty well.

You stole words out of my mouth Michael : )

That doesn't work for everybody but…

so .. yes.. go with #3, and expect some attrition too.( #4 ? )

we don't have the data as to if your bag was torn during use, or was damaged in transit.
i use a very stout pack, and that protects to some degree the delicate inner things.
perhaps a heavy duffel bag (thrift store), left outside the station at the destination would be an idea.

good luck,
v.

none …

if you are using UL gear against sharp objects or abrasions, youll get hole/rips/tears …

thats a fact of life and the price you pay for UL fabrics in general

there a reason why people still use beefy shells where weight isnt the primary concern

even with regular wear everyday youll eventually put pin holes or wear out high contact areas of normal jackets, much less UL ones …

ripstop can help, but ultimately the fabric is still UL

either

– get soemthing beefier, 40D+ or more

– pay for worn gear every few years and be prepared to patch up/seam grip it every now and then

– treat it like a newborn baby and use it only when you have to

thats all there is to it

;)

It would be great to see a listing of all (or the most common) fabrics out there along with a description/comparison to the other fabrics for: water resistance, wind resistance, abrasion, weight, etc. etc. Has there been an article published on that… A Guide to Backpacking fabrics?

Billy

as some examples:

http://featheredfriends.com/fabrics/

http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=about&page=Product%20Details&ContentId=4#4

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Technologies.html