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X-Pac Backpack Fabric

Posted on 15th Aug 2017

X-Pac™ fabric originates from the sailcloth industry, the same industry that developed Cuben and Spinnaker, among others. The need for huge yardages of ultralight, ultrastrong, waterproof fabrics (plus customers with deep pockets - yachts aren’t cheap) means sailing drives innovation.

The outdoor industry benefits from these innovations. Spinnaker, Cuben, and now X-Pac™ are widely used in backpacks, SAR, bike packs, and ultralight gear.

X-Pac™ is lightweight, forever waterproof, UV resistant, and has good tear, puncture, and abrasion resistance. It’s a perfect backpack fabric.

X-Pac™ is a laminate consisting of:

Nylon face fabric
X-Ply polyester yarn insert for bias stability and tear strength
PET (Mylar) film for waterproofing and stretch control.

The nylon face fabric comes in different deniers such as 210, 330, 500, 1000, etc. The higher the number the more durable and heavier the fabric will be.

The X-Ply polyester yarn is laid down in a polygonal pattern to provide bias stability and increase tear strength.

The PET film makes the fabric waterproof forever and prevents stretch, even if the face fabric gets wet.

Put together, these features make X-Pac™ lightweight, durable, waterproof, highly stain resistant, and very strong.

Such a feature set is hard to find, and why we use it in our backpacks.

Which Fabric is Right For Me?

The differences in the X-Pac™ fabrics we use are in the face fabric and the color. X21 uses a 210D face fabric, while X42 uses a 420D face fabric.

420D is thicker, stronger, and more abrasion resistant than 210D.

210D is lighter than 420D, and plenty rugged for normal use through moderate bushwhacking.

In general, if you're a backpacker leaning toward ultralight and hike a lot of established trails, X21 is your fabric.

If slot canyons, rope hauls, rock abrasion, and extreme bushwhacking are in your future, choose X42.

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