Packcloth is a tough, durable, nylon fabric used for luggage, backpacks, book bags, and tarps. Since most of the fabric is waterproofed, it does not breathe. Keep the cloth out of puddles and seal the seams to keep water out. Packcloth is both lighter in weight and stronger than cotton canvas. Our packcloth generally consists of fabrics in the 400-430 denier range. (A denier is the gauge or thickness of a yarn, commonly specific to nylon fabrics, and is defined as the thickness of one gram of fiber stretched out in a filament one quarter of a mile long.) Contains nylon.

Cordura cloth is like packcloth but tougher and more durable. It is resistant to abrasion but will readily damage other fabrics with which it comes into contact. We stock 500 and 1000 denier. Seams must be sealed to maintain water protection. Contains nylon. Uses include backpacks, luggage, sea bags, duffel bags, and sophisticated rock climbing packs.

Ballistics cloth is a heavier packcloth with a denier of 1050 or 1250. Since Ballistics has a higher thread count per square inch, it is heavier than Cordura. Ballistics cloth is not abrasive, and is usually sold with a waterproof coating on it. Contains nylon. For uses, see Cordura.

Fleece

Today’s fleece fabric is a high-tech, high performance, outdoor apparel product that is very easy to sew because it's extremely forgiving. Fleece is extremely warm and soft to the touch. It wicks away moisture from the body, so it feels dry, even when soaking wet. Fleece offers tremendous warmth in comparison to its weight and offers high fashion colors, textures, and designs. Fleece fabric is made by first twisting fibers into yarn, then knitting the yard into fabric. To raise the fibers and create a downy surface, the fabric is brushed with wire brushes. This process makes the cloth compact. Finally the fleece is then sheared and finished. Uses include mittens, jackets, blankets, socks, pants, sleepers, and anything else that needs to be soft and warm.

Neoprene

Neoprene is an extremely versatile synthetic rubber and was originally developed as an oil-resistant substitute for natural rubber. Neoprene is noted for a unique combination of properties, which has led to its use in thousands of applications in diverse environments from car fan belts to wet suits, waders, insulated can holders, sports gloves, pet collars, and elbow or knee pads.

It resists degradation from sun, ozone and weather, remains useful over a wide temperature range, displays outstanding physical toughness, and has outstanding resistance to damage caused by flexing and twisting. Neoprene will conserve your natural body heat but it does so at the cost of keeping you damp if you’ve gotten wet. Recommended care: carefully, thoroughly rinse and let air dry completely. Store in a cool, dry and dark place.

No-See-Um Netting

No-see-um netting, aka Mosquito Netting, is so finely woven that it prevents not only mosquitoes and black flies but even the tiniest of no-see-ums from getting to you. Soft, flexible, lightweight, bug proof polyester netting is great for repairing your tent or making a bug shirt or hood.

Ripstop and Taffeta

These 100% nylon outdoor apparel fabrics have poor absorbency (which is why they dry so quickly), and have good abrasion resistance. Nylon is highly durable and resistant to moths, mildew, and most chemicals. It is also wind resistant and colorfast.

Ripstop is woven with a combination of lighter and heavier threads to form a grid-like pattern. Uses include tents, tent awnings, sleeping bags, kites, light jackets, pants, tarps, stuff packs and windbreakers.

Taffeta is lightweight with a high thread count. Taffetas with a thread count of 160x90 or more are downproof. They can be used for many of the same applications as Ripstop and are commonly used as lining for insulated jackets.

Supplex

Supplex is a lightweight, 100% nylon outdoor apparel fabric made by DuPont which imitates the look and feel of cotton. It is also sometimes blended with natural fibers. Supplex is soft and flexible, can be used for anything from fashion garments to outerwear and ski apparel, can be machine washed and dried, and packs down very small.

Toughtek

Toughtek is an abrasion resistant, leather-like grip fabric made of 100% polyester backing with a rubber outercoating. Coated with a copolymer formula on one side, it is rugged and nonslip in wet, dry, hot, and cold conditions. This fabric works well for many applications:

Glove palm and finger patches
Luggage/Handbag/Backpack straps, bottoms, and lumbar patches
Footwear soles and panels
Seat covers and chair cushions
Patches for jackets, pants, and shorts
Miscellaneous uses for outdoor apparel such as table covers, jar openers, shelf liners, and body armor

Thinsulate™

ThinsulateT is a synthetic microfiber insulation made be 3M and is commonly used in outerwear. Denver Fabrics carries the UDS type, known as ThinsulateT "Ultra," which is softer, warmer, with better drape than the original ThinsulateT. We carry 2 weights; 100 and 150. The greater the weight, the greater the insulation provided. Both are double scrim (scrim on both sides of the insulative fibers). Some specific attributes of ThinsulateT are:

Moisture Absorbtion Absorbs less than 1% of its weight in water, helping you stay warm in damp conditions.
Breathability
ThinsulateT is breathable.
Durability
It will not bunch, matt or thin out.
Insulation
Inch for inch, Thinsulate is nearly twice as warm as down.
Allergenic
Thinsulate is hypoallergenic.
Water Protection : Thinsulate is not waterproof or water repellant. It may be used with shell fabrics that are.

Please Note:

Nylon fabrics will fade and rot with prolonged direct exposure to sunlight.
These fabrics are not suitable for outdoor furniture, awnings, etc.