Quiet fabric for a backpack

[JSimon]

Anyone have any suggestions for a durable QUIET fabric that I can use to make a backpack? I was originally going to use fleece, but it just stretches so much and isn't terribly durable. I also thought about using wool but that also stretches and it's fairly expensive. I got some bucksuede material that is nice and heavy but it is pretty loud when I drag my fingernails across it. What fabric are the big name manufacturers using in their packs? I have a couple of cabelas packs and a Blacks Creek pack that appear to be the same material which is fairly quiet. I just don't know what the trade name is for that type of fabric.

[Covey]

I'd say if you go with some of the heavier wool it won't have much stretch. Johnson woolen mills has 18 or 20oz for under 30$ a yard and most good packs are 70 to 125$ and look how much fun you'll have sewing it! Jason

[Grey Taylor]

They probably won't do it but it's worth a try: call a company that uses material you like and see if they'll sell you a few yards. A lot of that stuff is proprietary or is unavailable to the consumer across the retail counter.
I know when I worked at a backpack manufacturer I was always happy to sell fabric we used to people seeking it. I knew how frustrating it was to have an idea but not be able to source the fabric for it.
If nothing else works, see if these guys will work with you in some way:   Top Value Fabrics  
I used them a lot in the past and they were good folks to work with. However, they may not be able to cut 2 or 3 yards off a 100 yard roll for you.

Guy

[LKH]

My wife has made them for me out of cotton, polarfleece and the latest is some windbloc.  The quiet feature is really not that important.  You won't have it on when you shoot and it doesn't make that much noise behind you anyway.

[Indie]

Why don´t you use Denim or Linen and impregnate it with beeswax?

Stefan

[Liquid Amber]

For quiet, wool leads.

The key is owner satisfaction; don't worry over a couple bucks that are insignificant in the long haul.  I've owned an assortment of day packs over the years, the oldest being the loden, wool Gray Mountain rucksack in the middle.  A lined, fleece Cabelas is on the right and a Johnson Woolens on the left.  

Gray Mountain is out of business a long time or operating under another name.  It is my favorite, being patched and stiched together over the past 25 plus years.  I use it for general outdoor activities such as quick evening hunts, hanging/taking down stands and carrying an assortment of fly fishing needs in my Old Town and walking local ponds.  

The Johnson Woolens plaid is my regular hunting pack, holding more than needed, a pack that stays loaded during hunting season and hung on a peg over my bow in the shop.  

The Cabelas is a good pack, a little heavier and noisier because of the lining.  It rarely gets used, but is the one I pick for nasty weather when I need protection for my camera or other goods.

If anyone has an older Gray Mountain not being used.....I know someone who would provide it a good home.  

 

[joe skipp]

I use a Day One Pack in ASAT Bucksuede, very quiet and will resist rain. Day One also offers the same pack in Wool...not cheap but the stuff is quality.

[cacciatore]

I second wool,King of the Mountain as a good one but the price is not cheap too.

[lpcjon2]

If you cant do wool use Fleece and just back it with a heavier material,Something waterproof would work well.Or you can go to a K mart or Walmart and look at kids school back packs they have tons of camo and you can find them cheap!

[JSimon]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm going to be making the backpack myself, so I'm actually looking for a source for some of these fabrics. Although it will be rewarding to make it myself, I kind of hate to spend more than $20 a yard on the fabric, especially if I screw it up. Heavy wool might not be a bad way to go. I love the looks of the center pack in Liquid Amber's post. That's the same basic style, that I'm going to make, just a little bigger for hauling in my outer layers. The pack is going to buckle to a modular pack frame that I already have so I'm not going to put shoulder straps on it - basically just a bag with a few pockets on the outside.

I might just go with the bucksuede that I have too. It is a nice fabric but I was just surprised at the noise when I raked my fingernails on it. Seems like brush and branches would be a little noisy rubbing on it and I would like the pack to be as quiet as possible when walking through the thick stuff.

[cacciatore]

You can buy a heavy wool blanket made for the army for $10 and have enough material to make a couple.

[BowHuntingFool]

JSimon, I use bucksuede pants from Predator, I really do not have a problem with noise, I think they are rather quiet IMHO.

[Gary Logsdon]

Bisongear wool packs.  Really like my "Elk Hunter" model.

[Guru]

Sounds like a great project!  The quest for the perfect pack seems to be never ending for me.

 By making your own, you'll get to incorporate everything "you" want in a pack, and arrange pockets and such for your personal preference, very cool!

Take pix    

[Bill Carlsen]

I've got a DAY ONE daypack and it is all fleece. Have had it two seasons and it is great. You can actually wash it with your hunting clothes to descent it. One of the things Gary does to his pacs is a lot of webbing across the back which helps keep it in shape. I just love it...quiet and washable.

[joe skipp]

My bucksuede pants and pack are quiet. Are you sure its not Saddlecloth? That material will get noisy in cold weather. Wool or heavy fleece however will be absolutely quiet when easing through brush.

[LKH]

thegreenpepper.com

Do a google on the above.  It's a place my wife has bought goretex, windblow and all sorts of fabric.  I haven't bought a piece of hunting clothing or gear except a new sleeping bag and tent for years.  She makes everything and this is the place.

[JSimon]

Originally posted by joe skipp:
My bucksuede pants and pack are quiet. Are you sure its not Saddlecloth? That material will get noisy in cold weather. Wool or heavy fleece however will be absolutely quiet when easing through brush.

Yeah, it's Predator bucksuede. It is pretty thick and stiff. The back is white and is noisier than the sueded side. I was just at Walmart looking at their fabrics and they had a brown "fashion bucksuede" which was much thinner and very quiet, so I wonder if the different thickness has something to do with it. I really want to use it for this project cause I like the predator camo. It sounds similar to the nylon when I do the fingernail test though. It really crinkles when you wad it up. Maybe washing it a couple of times would soften it.

I bought some specific side release buckles to attach it to my pack frame and I have a bunch of webbing straps, zippers, etc. so I just hate to have that much time and materials into it only to decide that the fabric is too noisy, stretchy, etc. Wool might be a good way to go but I kind of want it to be camo. I know it isn't necessary, but I like camo! Decisions, Decisions....

This is the predator bucksuede material. I really like it, just wish it was more quiet:
   
   

[JSimon]

Originally posted by Guru:
Sounds like a great project!  The quest for the perfect pack seems to be never ending for me.

 By making your own, you'll get to incorporate everything "you" want in a pack, and arrange pockets and such for your personal preference, very cool!

Take pix        

I'm the same way. The pack I want to make is very specific as it will attach to a Blacks Creek Rigg Itt pack that I strap my Lone Wolf climbing sticks to. I have a small Cabelas Elite Scout pack that will actually attach nicely to the Rigg Itt but it is too small for a bunch of extra layers and I don't need the shoulder straps and stuff. That's a good idea about the pix. I'll have to take a bunch throughout the project and post them.

BTW, Dick in Seattle helped me find this antique sewing machine in my local craigslist. After cleaning it up, it works awesome. I'm brand new to sewing but I've made a handful of fleece bomber hats shown below. Hopefully this pack project isn't too difficult. I might buy a backpack pattern off the internet and adapt it to my project. The patterns should give me some good instructions on attaching zippers and making pockets.