Zippers, neoprene & nylon.
3 questions got asked, 3 answers were provided. A little insightful education into the world of carry. Do you know what neoprene is good for? Do you know why zippers catch? Read on for a little Carryology 101…
1/ What is the advantage/disadvantage of using neoprene (like wetsuit material) on a bag? How is it for moisture/rain?
If high grade neoprene without cheap fillers is used, it can be baked to stretch 400%, but that gets expensive. Most neoprene used in bags is cheap (watered down with fillers), and stretches around 50%. It’s nice because it is thicker and more structured than regular elastanes, so sits flatter and feels more substantial. The downside is that the nylon jersey that is laminated to the neoprene for strength (unlaminated neo can ‘chunk’) and can get smelly if used in moist environments (it’s a knit, so it holds water and turns smelly). Very few brands use neoprene well in bags (other than as stretch gussets on the inside of sandwich travel bags). Aesthetically, if you want a nice sheen to the neoprene you should check in with the surf companies, they have it on lock.
2/ What is the main type of nylon used in most bags/backpacks? Or are there many types? I hear names like Codura and Ripstop and don’t know the difference?
Bags are most commonly made from woven Polyester or Nylon (PolyAmide). Polyester is cheaper and more a little more matte in appearance (most school bags and cheaper action sports brands bags are Polyester). Nylon is stronger, and has more of a shine to it. The really thin fabrics are nylons, most of the tech outdoor bags are nylon, and that thick weave ballistic used in travel is a nylon. Ripstop means there’s a check pattern woven through the fabric that you can see (usually 5mm squares or so). If a tear starts, it’s meant to hit the next woven line and stop tearing. Ripstop makes the most sense in really lightweight outdoor packs where a tear is more likely to happen. Cordura is just a brand name, who make both Polyesters and Nylons (yeah, confusing). The reason Cordura is talked about is that their fabrics are made from pretty high grade raw materials, and their backings are high grade, so the overall quality is high.
3/ Why are some zippers non-snag and others snag? What exactly is added to zippers to make it not get stuck? Is it the lining under the zipper?
Loads of things can affect zippers. The biggest is how quality the zip brand is. Zip teeth are tiny, and so if your manufacturing isn’t spot on, the ‘cogs don’t mesh’ so to speak. But then if a zip is sown in with uneven tension by a shit sower, it can get pulled on badly and not work well. Sometimes designers ask zips to bend sideways (which they don’t like to do), sometimes linings jam, sometimes the raw plastics they used are shit and deform too easily. There’s LOTS to go wrong in zippers.
NB: We don’t claim for these answers to be a 100% correct but form the experience we’ve had with the above topics, these are the insights we’ve gained. If you have anything to add, please let us know in the comments! Additionally, if you have any other questions you’d like us too have a go at answering, hit us up below. Thanks!
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In addition to this great information, zippers most commonly fail by way of slider. Dust/ debris can get in the teeth effectively slowing down the slider on its track. When this happens, or when people are forceful with zippers, the slider body is deformed which can keep the zipper teeth from aligning properly, or damage the zipper teeth.
Zippers are commonly split into two categories: coil and toothed. A coil zipper is a continuous spiral of plastic on both sides mated by the slider. It is most commonly found in luggage and in carry, where curves are needed.
Toothed zippers are also known as vislon zippers when made from plastic. They are made with individual molded teeth applied to a woven strip of fabric. They are not as keen to accept curves.
We are coming up on the 100th anniversary of the modern zipper (2013), so… get excited?
In my opinion there is only one company making a quality general use zipper, and that is YKK. I have worked with dozens of zippers, and nothing lasts like their product. The secret to their success is likely their choice of slider. The more a zippers’ slider is built to resist bending and deformation, the longer a zipper will typically last.
Great additional comments John. We agree that YKK are generally great for general purpose zippers. One issue with them is some of their manufacturing plants are not up to scratch with others. For instance, we’ve found YKK China zips better than many YKK India zips, which really makes consistently sourcing their best a headache!
We’ve also found that Riri are pretty amazing for the most waterproof zippers, and PK have some great anti-corrosion zips, but both of these guys can charge a bomb for this specialty stuff. As a general rule, YKK (so long as they are authentic) are a great standard.
Thanks for that additional information. I appreciate it! I work a bit with drysuits, and I know the cost for a ~60″ h2o proof zipper can be huge.
I work in the repair industry (specifically outdoors) and have found Riri zippers to be good until the teeth pop off. I wonder if there is any correlation to manufacturer.
Keep up the good work!
Thank.great article. It’s nice to know what to look for.
Very informative article, and thanks for mentioning CORDURA® brand fabric. From the classic air-jet textured nylons to ultra-lightweight high tenacity nylon and polyester fabrics, all of our fabrics are considered best-in-class for durability and performance. If you’re interested in additional background on our fabric technologies, we’d be happy to help! Send us an email – cordurabrand@gmail.com.
Tina Ingle
CORDURA(R) Brand
Account Manager
martina.ingle@invista.com
Thanks for getting in touch Tina.
If you do have any information that you think our readers would find helpful, we’re always keen to share.
For instance, do you have tips on choosing good bag fabrics vs bad, or some information about the industry shift away from PVC backings and how the new options stack up?
You can email us anything you think we’d find interesting to blog@carryology.com