Challenge Sailcloth is a world-renowned manufacturer of sailing fabrics, sailcloth and many other fabrics for the maritime sector with decades of experience. With the sustainable ECOPAK™ backpack laminates, Challenge Sailcloth has been offering a backpack laminate made from 100% recycled polyester since 2020. The ULTRA range, which is also new, is optimized for maximum performance, which is achieved through a new type of construction and a very high proportion of ultra-high-strength UHMWPE fibres. Similar to a sail laminate, ECOPAK™, as well as ULTRA, have an outer fabric laminated together with a UV-stable, highly waterproof polyester film or a ripstop polyester lining. The range of use is determined by the use of different outer fabrics.
ECOPAK™ from Challenge Sailcloth
With ECOPAK™, the blue CrossPly polyester fibres typical of sail laminates are located between the outer fabric and the polyester film or lining. These increase the tear resistance and prevent the material from stretching in all directions. The CrossPly fibres lying diagonally in a diamond pattern give the ECOPAK™ backpack laminates their typical, technical look. In the EPLX styles, the smooth film is on the inside, while in the EPX styles have a thin, slightly transparent 70den ripstop polyester lining laminated on the inside. This thin lining gives the fabric additional stability, e.g. at particularly stressed seams, and provides brightness inside backpacks and bags. The range of use is determined by the thickness of the outer fabric and the associated abrasion and tear resistance. Fabrics from 70den to 1680den are used as outer fabric.
With ECOPAK™, Challenge Sailcloth focuses not only on performance but also on sustainability:
- All components of the ECOPAK™ laminates are made from 100% recycled polyester. This means that metre for metre, over 20 plastic bottles are recycled and more than 450g of carbon dioxide is saved.
- The outer fabric is made from REPREVE® yarns collected from the ocean, all other components are made from post-consumer PET bottles
- only environmentally friendly, PFC-free C0 impregnations are used
- all adhesives are solvent-free
- No Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are used in the production of ECOPAK™
- Thanks to an innovative production process, energy-intensive drying processes during lamination are reduced
- ECOPAK™ lies flat on the table when cut and has CrossPly fibre that lies evenly from edge to edge - this prevents waste when cutting to size
- The polyester outer fabric used is similarly abrasion resistant or even more abrasion resistant than similar fabrics made of nylon and is therefore very durable
- Because ECOPAK™ is made from 100% polyester, it is completely recyclable
ULTRA from Challenge Sailcloth
Challenge Sailcloth's ULTRA laminates use a blend of ultra-high strength UHMWPE fibres and polyester for the outer fabric. Thanks to the very high proportion of 67% UHMWPE fibres, this achieves maximum abrasion resistance, tear strength and durability. This blend is combined with a matt, waterproof and UV-stable 0.5mm recycled polyester film on the inside. The result is the ultimate ultra-lightweight backpacking fabric! Places with heavy punctual stress such as shoulder strap attachments or daisy chains should be backed with an additional layer of fabric to prevent tearing.
Challenge Sailcloth has also kept sustainability in mind when developing the ULTRA laminates. However, the focus is on performance - which leads to slight compromises in terms of sustainability:
- The UHMWPE fibres are made of fossil-based materials. According to the current state of the art, sustainable alternatives are not technically feasible.
- Depending on market availability, recycled polyester is used for the polyester content in the outer fabric. If you value 100% recycling in your backpack fabric, we recommend the ECOPAK® laminates, which are made from 100% recycled polyester.
- The UV-stable PU film used is made of recycled polyester from post-consumer PET bottles.
- Only environmentally friendly PFC-free C0 impregnations are used
- No VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are used in the production of ULTRA
- All adhesives are solvent-free
- Thanks to an innovative production process, energy-intensive drying processes are reduced during lamination
