Nylon is of the most popular fabrics for outdoor equipment like tents, sleeping bags, hiking quilts, backpacks, and more. It is known for its strength, resiliency, and minimal weight. But there’s a lot more to nylon than meets the eye, and knowing more about it, how it’s made, and the different types of nylon available can help you make choices when shopping for gear. Today, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about nylon and what types of nylon you should be looking for when you shop.
Nylon is actually a type of plastic. More specifically, it is a synthetic polymer that has had a profound impact on modern society since its invention. It can be spun as threads and then woven into fabric, or it can be used in injection molding, 3d printing, and other hard plastic applications. You will find nylon in virtually every type of manufacturing, including in many types of outdoor gear.
Nylon was invented at the DuPont Chemical Corporation in the late 1920s. It was the brainchild of chemist Wallace Carothers, who in 1927 began research and development on creating a synthetic fiber that could mimic the qualities of silk. (Carothers and his team were also responsible for another material that’s important in outdoor gear– Neoprene.) Polymers that could be spun into fibers that mimicked natural material were in high demand, and after undergoing several iterations, the fiber we now know as nylon was patented in 1935.
In 1938, nylon made its commercial debut when it was used to replace animal bristles in toothbrushes. But most people heard about it the next year later, when it was showcased at the 1939 New York World’s Fair with the introduction of women’s stockings– what we now simply call “nylons.” When WWII came around, virtually all nylon production was used by the military to make parachutes and parachute cords.
After WWII, surplus nylon rope was sold to consumers, who used it for mountaineering and other outdoor activities. Nylon came into use for backpacks in 1967, when Gerry Outdoors developed the first modern nylon backpack. Today, nylon can be found in an incredible amount of outdoor gear.
Nylon is widely used as a performance fabric in outdoor gear due to its excellent combination of properties that make it well-suited for a range of outdoor activities and conditions.
Wondering about the advantages of nylon? Here are the key reasons nylon is a top performer in the outdoor industry.
Nylon is not without its downsides. No fabric is perfect for all situations, so it’s important to know the qualities of nylon that make it less applicable in certain situations.
It’s important to note that many of these downsides can be corrected through advancements in textile technology and fabric treatments. For example, manufacturers often combine nylon with other materials or treatments to enhance its performance.
The nylon construction process is quite unlike natural fiber processing. The first step in nylon production is polymerization.Chemicals are mixed and undergo reactions under controlled conditions. This reaction produces a polymer solution known as a “nylon salt.”
The nylon salt is then dissolved in a solvent to create a spinning solution. This solution is forced through tiny holes in a device called a spinneret to form long, continuous filaments. As the filaments emerge from the spinneret, they solidify into fibers.
The newly formed nylon fibers are drawn, which means they are stretched to align the polymer chains and increase the fiber’s strength and toughness. This drawing process can be done in multiple stages to achieve the desired properties.
After drawing, the nylon fibers are cut into the desired lengths and packaged for various applications. They can be woven or further engineered to create high-performance materials.
Whether you’re wearing nylon-based outdoor gear that offers exceptional durability and moisture resistance, or enjoying the comfort of nylon-based clothing that remains lightweight and breathable, knowing how nylon is made can help you understand the versatility and reliability that nylon brings to a wide range of products. Because it’s an engineered product, formulas and weaves can be tweaked to best suit a particular application.
Both nylon and polyester are synthetic materials commonly used in outdoor gear, but the two are not the same thing. Generally speaking, nylon is going to be more popular for gear because it is so much tougher, and polyester is more commonly used for clothes because it’s more comfortable.
Nylon vs. Polyester At A Glance
| Nylon | Polyester | |
| Chemical Composition | Both are derived from petrochemical sources | |
| Strength and Durability | Well-known for exceptional strength, abrasion resistance, and durability | Strong and durable, but it tends to be less abrasion-resistant than nylon |
| Water Resistance | Can be treated to be water-resistant or even waterproof. | Naturally hydrophobic, meaning it repels water to some extent, and can also be treated for increased water resistance. |
| Drying Time | Dries very quickly. | Dries quickly, but not as fast as nylon. |
| UV Resistance | Decent resistance to UV radiation but may degrade over time when exposed to prolonged sunlight | Known for its excellent UV resistance and is often used in outdoor fabrics
that require prolonged exposure to the sun |
| Cost | Tends to be slightly more expensive than polyester. | Inexpensive to manufacture. |
| Environmental Considerations | Both nylon and polyester are derived from petrochemical sources, which raises environmental concerns. However, efforts are being made to recycle these materials and reduce their environmental impact. | |
Most of the terms for nylon are fairly non-descriptive. Nylon is a family of polymers, each one slightly different and useful in specific applications. The nylon types that are most likely to be used in outdoor equipment include:
We’ll be honest: to the average consumer, knowing about Nylon 6 or Nylon 6/6,6 isn’t important when purchasing nylon items. The distinction between them is slight and primarily a matter of chemistry. The one you do need know about is ripstop nylon.
Ripstop nylon is a robust, versatile type of nylon that is exceptionally durable and resistant to tears– hence the name. Ripstop nylon is engineered by weaving nylon fibers in a technique that incorporates thick reinforcement threads. Usually, these threads are also nylon, but sometimes ripstop is a nylon/polyester blend.
The ripstop weaving pattern creates a distinctive crosshatch design in the fabric. This gives the fabric the ability to prevent tears or rips from expanding further. When a tear or puncture occurs, it tends to stay confined to a small area around the point of damage, effectively halting its progression.
Another major advantage of ripstop nylon is that it is very lightweight, especially compared to fabrics with similar durability. It is also highly packable, and can be compressed into a compact form for easy transportation and storage.
Ripstop nylon is frequently used in applications where durability and tear resistance are critical. In the realm of outdoor gear, ripstop nylon is a favored choice for items like tents, backpacks, tarps, and sleeping bags due to its capacity to withstand rugged conditions, abrasion, and exposure to the elements. It also finds application in performance clothing, particularly in outdoor and adventure sports attire such as pants, jackets, and shorts.
Denier isn’t a type of nylon. Rather, it is a unit of measurement used to describe the thickness or diameter of nylon fibers or threads. Denier is typically represented by the abbreviation “D” but can also be written as “den” or “d.”
Denier doesn’t exactly refer to the thickness of nylon cloth. Instead, it measures the thickness of individual nylon fibers. Specifically, it represents the mass in grams of 9,000 meters of the nylon fiber. Generally, a higher denier value indicates thicker and stronger nylon fibers. Thicker fibers are typically more robust and can withstand greater stress and tension without breaking.
Fabrics made from finer, lower-denier nylon threads may be used in lightweight clothing or sheer hosiery, but backpacks and tents should be made from thicker, high-denier nylon. For example, daypacks typically use 210 denier cloth, while backpacks may use cloth that’s as heavy as 630 denier. The higher the denier, the stronger the fabric. High-denier nylon fabric is also heavier than lower-denier fabric, so take that into consideration if you’re looking for ultralight gear.
Nylon’s versatility and performance characteristics make it popular for manufacturing all types of outdoor gear. It helps enhance the durability, functionality, and comfort of these outdoor products, making them more reliable and suitable for a wide range of outdoor adventures. Here are some examples of hiking and fishing gear where nylon is commonly found.
Nylon is one of the most ubiquitous materials in today’s outdoor hobby. Gear manufacturers love it because it is strong, lightweight, and versatile– all of which add to the quality of the gear. Understanding how nylon works, especially knowing what makes ripstop nylon special and how to interpret denier, makes it easier to find outdoor gear that will perform well and last a very long time.
