Bushwalk Australia

i recall reading a couple of articles a while back about kevlar in outdoor gear, macpac may have incorporated kevlar in the fabric for its pack
recently an award was given to new gear for addeing kevlar, cant recall exactly what it was, possibly this one?
http://gizmodo.com/Kevlar-softshell-jacket/

anyone know if there is much kevlar in outdoor gear?

I have jeans that have a Kevlar lining that I use for motorbike riding. Yes sometimes I may be a bit clumsy whilst I'm walking in the bush but I still don't plan to hit the track hard enough to need Kevlar in my hiking clothes.

Snowzone wrote:I have jeans that have a Kevlar lining that I use for motorbike riding. Yes sometimes I may be a bit clumsy whilst I'm walking in the bush but I still don't plan to hit the track hard enough to need Kevlar in my hiking clothes.

One word... Scoparia.

I'd like an eVent jacket with Kevlar areas to prevent puncture damage.

Miyata610 wrote:

Snowzone wrote:I have jeans that have a Kevlar lining that I use for motorbike riding. Yes sometimes I may be a bit clumsy whilst I'm walking in the bush but I still don't plan to hit the track hard enough to need Kevlar in my hiking clothes.

One word... Scoparia.

I'd like an eVent jacket with Kevlar areas to prevent puncture damage.

I'm not entirely convinced that Kevlar would stop puntures in jackets. Its certainly tough when it hits bitumen but the stuff in my jeans would still let a sharp prickle or thorn go through the fabric.

Hi

Kevlar is a woven material and as such can be defeated by anything that is suitably sharp enough. Even with bullet proof vests there is a certain pistol round that can sneak through as well as a few rifle rounds being developed to do the same thing. Once again human inventiveness is being used to find someway to harm each other.

For pack material I would imagine UV and abrasion resistance is the holy grail along with “self healing” from small holes. Canvas swells so can self-seal and has good performance over a long life but it is the abrasion damage that tends to do packs in.

Pack weight is one area that significant weight savings can be made but I am not convinced that compromising harness comfort and abrasion resistance is the way to go to save the grams. I have a Dyneema pack and doubt if it will fail under load even when stuffed full but have no idea if this will continue due to UV damage. It is strong and light but likely susceptible to abrasion damage. But if you can come up with a material that can handle abrasion resistance then this would be a worthwhile break through.

I would be interested on Kevlar’s abrasion resistance quality and capacity to handle UV. I suppose at the end of the day availability, cost, and manufacturing issues will also decide if Kevlar is the way to go.

Cheers

i think they are only putting a small percentage of kevlar into the fabrics, i think its more to up the abrasion resistance,
i dont think its cheap stuff so using a lot of it would up the price a lot. so i wouldnt go chasing snakes in a hurry wearing any of this stuff.....dont know what the properties of it are regarding texture, too much might also alter the fabric feel and dynamics....
time will tell how effective it proves to be..maybe it's all a gimmick to get people to pay more for something or be more likely to buy it....

Climbing (Jamb) gloves, wore out several pairs when I was still climbing> worth every penny, much, much cheaper than iodine and Band-Aids. I am still using my last pair for a cut-guard glove when I bone chickens

I have kevlar threads woven into the leather of my mountain boots. I believe it is intended to help reduce abrasion. Not really sure how successful its contribution has been - but it looks technical

Dyneema / spectra has high UV resistance but low heat resistance. Not sure about kevlar.

wayno wrote:i think they are only putting a small percentage of kevlar into the fabrics, i think its more to up the abrasion resistance,
i dont think its cheap stuff so using a lot of it would up the price a lot. so i wouldnt go chasing snakes in a hurry wearing any of this stuff.....dont know what the properties of it are regarding texture, too much might also alter the fabric feel and dynamics....
time will tell how effective it proves to be..maybe it's all a gimmick to get people to pay more for something or be more likely to buy it....

The lining in my jeans is 100% Kevlar. It feels somewhat like a thick tightly woven cotton. I do know that it irritates the skin on some people. Yes abrasion resistence whilst sliding along on bitumen is the purpose I am using it for, Not that I intend to test it out.

nq111 wrote:Dyneema / spectra has high UV resistance but low heat resistance. Not sure about kevlar.

My washing instructions suggest that it needs to stay out of direct sunlight.