Ecopak EPL/EPX Ultraweave

[nunatak]

James Taylor: Roll tops are especially unsuited for this material, as it is the part of the modern pack seeing the most scrunching/repeated folding. Of course roll tops needs both abrasion resistance (for those of us traveling in canyon country and bushwhacking) and some level of waterproofness, so…

I made a pack with a lid instead of roll top, using Ultra TX, a lined laminated version of UltraWeave. This gives me abrasion properties and the ability to shed water without having to roll the fabric all the time:

View post on imgur.com

Similarly I used Ultra TX for a seamless compound curved bottom piece to get the durability where it really matters when scrambling around on sandstone.

For me the value of Ultra TX is still somewhat up in the air, but initially it seems a lot better.

 

[Brock Dubbels (Spaceman)]

can ultra 200 withstand iron ons?

[OSutt]

Does anyone have advice on the long-term stability of the EPLX lamination? I’m trying to decide between EPLX200 and UltraGrid for a SWD pack and would be grateful for some feedback. I excluded UltraX as I am skeptical that it has drastically improved the tendency for delamination (and don’t do very much off-trail bushwhacking).

[Chris L]

Why wife has a fairly heavily used pack in EPLX400. The inner film has held up very well. The poly face fabric is much easier to bond to than UHMWPE.

That said, EPLX200 seems very light duty to me. I’m a hobby MYOG pack builder. I bought some EPLX200 and felt it was quite thin – noticeably lighter feeling than similar Xpac X21. I personally wouldn’t want a pack made from it unless it was going to be treated carefully. I’d go with the Ultragrid.

[OSutt]

Thanks for your input, Chris. I have limited experience with laminated fabrics – just a 2015 Katabatic Artemis that used a 420D nylon with PET backing (called V40). It has held up well, some punctures sustained during baggage handling, but otherwise very durable. I like the structural rigidity provided by laminates, especially in the case of this pack which would be a 70L roll top. My prospective pack would have EPLX400 on the bottom, Ultragrid pockets, and Ultrastretch on the front. So the EPLX200 would really only be “exposed” on the top and upper sides.

[Author]

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