Some Kinda Funky Ripstop

I was poking around at Eddy Bauer (Man is that ever a store to push you into DIY to save money :scared: ) and found a really nice down jacket that used a material I haven't seen before.

The tag said it was 100% ripstop nylon, but it felt very soft and supple compared to any ripstop I've ever seen. Also, the 'grid' that defines ripstop was there, but the squares were tiny. I'd say the squares on average ripstop are in the 1/8" range, maybe slightly larger, but this stuff couldn't have been bigger than 3/64".

I'm curious if anybody knows anything about this material, and where I might acquire some.

It would make an amazing inner sleeping bag liner, or even a hammock material if it's strong enough.

It is likely a micro-fiber fabric of some sort. Without actually seeing it can't say any more. Taslan and supplex (both trade names) have a similar feel but are not considered "ripstop" although I suppose the ripstop pattern could be woven into it.

A lot of higher end down garments are using a 15-20d ripstop. Usually, the lower denier ripstops have extremely small grids compared to the standard in 30d or 70d. Also, with the lower deniers, yarn count tends to be higher, giving a smoother feel. Pertex Quantum is like that, I have a down bag made from it.

Thanks Scott! I was hoping you might chime in. I figured if anybody was going to know, it would be you.

Any chance of seeing some of that on DIY Gear Supply some time in the near future? ;) I just did a bit of googling and the stuff is wicked hard to find if you only want a few yards.

It seemed awfully light for a single layer or bridge hammock, but I thought it would make a dandy quilt, or maybe some clothing.

I too would love to see it at DIY Gear Supply.

In the mean time you might want to check out the Momentum fabric at http://thru-hiker.com/materials/

And the 7d and 8d fabric at http://www.titaniumgoat.com/Fabric.html

Jason

ditto with the above

By which I mean -- is water repelency being adequately tested for all risk conditions?

I am down near dew point around freezing every night and seeing frost some. Those conditions, I'll bet, are different than splash. So, my down quilts are getting wet more often and unpreventably so, than I expected.

I've bought some digital camo from these folks. They mention taslan and some other combinations of nylon/cotton. Seem to sell the ends of bolts/remnants and the stock changes. Descriptions are a little light - some just say 'light weight' or the like.

http://stores.ebay.com/Fabricsupplie...=p4634.c0.m322