Insignia Cloth

I’ve talked about adhesive backed insignia cloth before but am back again with a few more years experience and renewed enthusiasm for this useful item.

https://www.sailmakerssupply.com/product/insignia-cloth/sailcloth

Photo shows a couple well used shoulder straps with 3/8″ closed cell foam wrapped in insignia cloth.  They weigh about 15 grams each.

Advantages/uses (in no particular order)

*Shoulder straps and waist belts can be made without sewing through foam by simply wrapping the foam with insignia cloth.  Connections to the ends of the straps/belts can then be sewn to the cloth without having to sew through foam.

*Insignia Cloth Wrapped Foam (icwf) is very durable.  I’ve used it on sit pads that I’ve used for years.  Bare foam sit [pads can turn into pine needle pin cushions.  Needles don’t penetrate icwf.

*icwf foam is washable.  I just run it through the washer and dryer with my regular laundry

*icwf straps are stiffer and less prone to stretching and spindling than sewn foam straps.

*Sewing through adhesive backed foam can sometimes gum up a needle..  I’m guessing that washing the icwf before sewing might reduce this.  Haven’t tested this idea.  I’m usually too impatient to wait.

*My wife and I have found a 1/4″ thick icwf waist belt to be as comfortable as our older belts 3 times as thick and 3 times as heavy.

*Adhesive backed Insignia cloth can be used to reinforce a backpack bottom

*Adhesive backed insignia cloth can be used to patch holes in many things.

*Adhesive backed rip stop repair tape is similar to adhesive backed insignia cloth but lighter duty.  Shoulder straps covered with it are less stiff and less durable.

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Interesting. Do you know the weight per sq yard? And what’s the denier.. or what thickness fabric does it feel like? The adhesive doesn’t pull apart over time?

AG,

When I weighed it several years ago it came out to about 4 ounces per square yard..  Weighing it is a bit tricky with the paper covered adhesive back. Edit-Just sacrificed a piece for updated weighing.  Came to abouit 5+ ounces without paper backing and 10+ ounces with paper backing.  “Challenge Sailcloth” printed on paper backing.

Don’t know denier.  Can’t feel both sides of the fabric due to adhesive.

Very durable.  Shoulder straps, waist belts and sit pad have lasted years with multiple usings and trips through the washer and dryer. Weakest area is the edge of the fabric where abrasion might loosen it a bit but it can be repaired by adding more insignia cloth.

Photos show military surplus foam covered with insignia cloth.  Probably 10 years old.

FOAM USED

I got a pm asking what type of foam I use for shoulder straps.  I think I’ve used the typical 3/8″ thick blue sleeping pad foam in most cases.  Should be a photo somewhere in this reply.

The photographed straps were cut off and reused so you can see the blue foam inside the insignia cloth.  Notice the tight bond between foam and insignia cloth.

I sewed webbing to the cut-off straps.  I may be going too far in my endorsement of insignia-cloth- covered foam straps but I think the insignia cloth might make it easier to sew through the foam.  Maybe it makes it easier for the assembly to pass through the machine?  Been awhile since I sewed these so  I don’t recall exactly how things went.  Insignia cloth may lower blood pressure and clear up acne too but I’ll wait for more data on these possibilities.

Thanks for sharing your findings. I will probably use it for the pack that is likely to be next winters project.