Where is all the "fake" gridstop?

[Kodiak Firesmith]

Lots of packmakers such as Exped sell packs in a non-dyneema gridstop that is definitely not the real 140d or 210d gridstop.  Yet even on Alibaba I can’t find anything that looks like dyneema 210d/140d gridstop.

Anyone else had luck sourcing more affordable gridstop?  I’m going to be doing some design prototyping and can’t bear to spend $26/yd on packs that won’t see much use.

[Damon A]

Believe Rockywoods has 210D for $17/yd.  Although if you’re just making prototypes why not design them using something much cheaper? Think makeyourgear sales a 300D polyester for $8/yd that would work.

[Sam C]

That Dyneema stuff is ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene.  The “fake” stuff you are looking for, as exampled by your Exped reference, is called high-modulous-polyethylene, or HMPE on the Exped website, and is, as a matter of fact, the same stuff.  There are a few companies that do this sort plastic, but I believe that Dyneema is the only one who specifically makes it in the form that we all know it as (outdoor gear fabric).

So, my guess is that Exped is using Dyneema but I suppose it is possible they are having the fabric specially made for them, hence the name “change” since Dyneema is trademark.

[Mark Fowler]

Dyneema is a brand name for HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene) just as Dacron is a brand name for polyester. Using the generic version keeps the cost down.

From the ZPacks web site – “This product was formerly referred to as “Dyneema X Gridstop” however it is now made with equivalent HDPE fiber rather than branded Dyneema.”

PS – every time you buy Cordura you send a few cents off to the Koch brothers to help them screw up the planet.

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