Introducing Printed X-PAC with OutdoorINK

[ripstopbytheroll]

Hello everyone! As we continue our efforts to bring digital textile print technology to high-end outdoor fabrics, we’re starting to unlock some really cool stuff...

One of several underground projects we’ve been working on since the start of this year is an X-PAC variant that’s suitable for printing. By printing, I mean that we’re able to start with a base X-PAC fabric and from there create any pattern OR any color for the finished material.

If you're not familiar with X-PAC, it's a very popular pack material used by a number of vendors and DIYers. Between X-PAC and Dyneema, you basically have the materials being used for almost ALL ultralight packs and related accessories.

At first this was just an idea. I mean it's never been done before and we didn’t really know if it would work at all. But with several rounds of sampling, testing, and working with directly with the engineering team that manufactures X-PAC, we’ve fortunately been able to come up with something that actually works!

The custom variant we're producing is called V15. If you're interested, the material has the following construction:

• 150D Polyester face with C6 DWR
• 0.25 mil PET film
• 50D Poly taffeta backing

And if you’re wondering what that looks like…

X-PAC V15 Base.jpeg

In addition to being a print ready, V15 also eliminates the X-ply grid in favor of a plain weave. We did this for a couple different reasons, but mainly because the X-grid has been known to create abrasion/wear points as it's raised off the surface of the otherwise flat fabric.

Also, as pointed out by a known pack vendor, it can be a pain to cut multiple panels so that the grid is always pointing the same way when sewn into the final product. Not sure I can say No grid = No pain, but it certainly makes things easier.

We’re starting with the V15 variant as a good balance of durability and weight between VX21 and VX07, but we’re already working on other custom print ready variants…

X-PAC V15 Bahama Blue.jpeg

Now to the good stuff... Like, why should you care about Printed X-PAC? First, we’ll be printing and stocking X-PAC in colors both inside and outside the standard DP color wheel. But if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also be able to create and order ANY color X-PAC on-demand with no minimum. Said another way, you can now order as little as one yard of X-PAC in ANY color you want, all at a very reasonable price. For example, we only charge $2 more per yard to create a custom color vs buying a stock color....

X-PAC V15 Color Map.jpeg

If you’re so inclined, you can also pick up an Omnicolor X-PAC color map. This is a linear yard of fabric with over 1300+ color swatches and corresponding ID codes. Once you have the color map, you can use it to pick your colors by taste OR to locate color matches to existing gear. For example, you have a ULA pack and want to DIY an X-PAC hip belt pouch that perfectly matches. With the color map, that’s now possible...

So that’s it for now. We do have a lot more coming in the next few days like patterns and custom image upload capability. We’ll keep everyone updated here with those developments.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to let us know. As always, thanks for your support of what we do.

THANK YOU

[HandyRandy]

Sounds great! So I suppose a polyester pack would be great for rainy days because it would hold less water, right? The dual color is cool because you could choose a bright interior for visibility and something else for the outside! Improvements to abrasion resistance are great for a pack too! Which vendors out there would be willing to make a pack out of this material as a custom request for those who can’t DIY yet? So we’ll be able to choose any Omnicolor or OutdoorINK pattern for this fabric right from the start?

[Caminante]

I love this. X-Pac is tied for my first favorite pack material with HyperD 300 (for different reasons, obviously) but the color options were never the best. Onward and upward.

[Intimidator]

Sounds great! So I suppose a polyester pack would be great for rainy days because it would hold less water, right? The dual color is cool because you could choose a bright interior for visibility and something else for the outside! Improvements to abrasion resistance are great for a pack too! Which vendors out there would be willing to make a pack out of this material as a custom request for those who can’t DIY yet? So we’ll be able to choose any Omnicolor or OutdoorINK pattern for this fabric right from the start?

Hey there!!!!

You can indeed choose any pattern you would like! As far as the polyester goes: yes technically, although you might not really see much a difference over other laminate fabrics with a nylon face because they are all super waterproof and not much water can absorb into them anyway. 2.92 DCF Hybrid for instance, also has a polyester face.

As far as the dual printing, this X-Pac is just like any other variant where one side has color and the back side is white/pale. Sorry for any confusion on that...

I am certain some pack makers would be willing to make custom items from the fabric. Especially those that already use X-Pac now. I would check out Waymark Gear, Superior Wilderness Designs and others. They make some pretty awesome stuff with custom color bags and accessories etc. Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any other questions.