Photos here are out of date, info is correct as of Sept 2023

Note on waterproofness: regardless of materials used, sewing fabric is the act of putting hundreds of tiny tiny holes into it. Because of this it’s pretty impossible to call any sewn bag “waterproof” with a straight face. Bags made of non-breathable vinyl fabrics with welded or taped seams may keep water out, but they also keep any moisture inside, leading to smelly bags full of smelly things. With this in mind I make bags that could be considered very water resistant, but that still breath. All bags are lined with a durable water repellant (DWR) treated recycled packcloth, the main body is fully seam bound, bags are designed for low seams, and stitches on the body fabric do not go through the liner which creates a sort of labryrinth for the water to navigate. For the most moisture-anxious, there are further waterproofing treatments that can be applied to each specific material.

Body Fabrics

No. 8 Duck Canvas is a heavy duty canvas fabric that is near-waterproof without requiring any treatment. Numbered duck is constructed with tightly woven thick plied yarn. When damp, the yarns slightly expand and press so tightly against one-another that they the fabric becomes totally impenetrable by water. No. 8 duck isn’t the most popular fabric today due to it’s higher weight, but a loaded touring bike is a heavy thing, and if you’re going to go ultralight on your gear why not have the bags tasked with protecting them be a bit tougher? That’s my personal take. My personal panniers (easily my most used bags) are duck canvas army bags from the 40s or 50s, and they’re still going strong. Modern tech fabrics are good, but I don’t think they’ll survive the next 80 years as well as a heavy numbered duck. Use waterproofing wax for full waterproofing and an aged look.

Available Colors: Burgundy / Natural Undyed / Tan / Black / Olive Green

Ecopak EPLX400 is a recycled polyester laminate fabric made by Challange Sailcloth in Connecticut. It’s a solid lightweight and techy option for people more concerned about overall weight. “Laminate Fabric” means it’s made of a few layers, a 400d polyester face treated with a no-flurocarbon DWR, a 45 degree CrossPly, and a 0.5mil UV resistant matte film backing. I like that this material is recycled and less wrinkle prone than other laminates. The material itself is waterproof and finished construction is very water resistant. Full waterproofing can be achieved if you treat the seams with a silicone seam sealer. (Sil Net, Gear Aid, or just a homemade mixture of mineral spirits and silicone caulk.)

Available Colors: Black / Coyote

Ecopak EPX400 is pretty much the same as the EPLX400, except instead of a 0.5mil film backing it utilizes a 70D ripstop backing. The face fabric is the same, and so is the CrossPly layer and no-flurocarbon DWR.

Available Colors: Orange

Trim

Binding and Webbing are always available in the default black, and often in one or two other colors. This is dependant on me getting a lot of different sizes and specs of things in a similar color, and because of the issues with different materials taking dye differently/dye colors shifting between lots/dyes being different between manufacturers, there is usually some variation within a set even.

Available Colors: Black / Coyote / Foliage