I was reading a thread about comparing Seek Outside to Kifaru packs (https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/so-fortress-vs-kifaru-mw.120855/) and the issue of pack noise came up. Since it is a potentially general interest thing I though of making it its own thread.
I own 3 X-PAC bags (all from SO):
1 fortress in X-PAC X51 white camo
1 fortress in X-PAC X42 olive green
1 (old style) peregrine in X-PAC X51
All packs have been used, in the order:
Peregrine basically every day for 2 years (more ?)
White camo fortress a fair bit, say every day for almost one year.
Olive fortress just a few times.
The olive fortress looks and feels new and is crinkly and noisy. The heavier duty X51 peregrine is a quiet (or as noisy) as the cordura face. There is not extra 'X-PAC crinkle noise'. The white fortress is in between *I think* (but Ihave not used it in 2 years and I stored it away and I cannot go compare it to the peregrine, especially from an airport where I am now. The Peregrine is flying in the cabin with me).
So my take is that the issue of noise in X-PAC is there for stuff that is new or not used much (if you just use the bag for hunting a few times a year it will stay new and noisy for years to come). If you use the bag often it will lose the crinkle *without losing waterproofness*. Since I never though of keeping an ear out for it I cannot say how much use X-PAC needs to see before quieting down, but it does.
Tl; dr: the crinkle noise eventually goes with use but the waterproofness of the fabric stays.
I own 3 X-PAC bags (all from SO):
1 fortress in X-PAC X51 white camo
1 fortress in X-PAC X42 olive green
1 (old style) peregrine in X-PAC X51
All packs have been used, in the order:
Peregrine basically every day for 2 years (more ?)
White camo fortress a fair bit, say every day for almost one year.
Olive fortress just a few times.
The olive fortress looks and feels new and is crinkly and noisy. The heavier duty X51 peregrine is a quiet (or as noisy) as the cordura face. There is not extra 'X-PAC crinkle noise'. The white fortress is in between *I think* (but Ihave not used it in 2 years and I stored it away and I cannot go compare it to the peregrine, especially from an airport where I am now. The Peregrine is flying in the cabin with me).
So my take is that the issue of noise in X-PAC is there for stuff that is new or not used much (if you just use the bag for hunting a few times a year it will stay new and noisy for years to come). If you use the bag often it will lose the crinkle *without losing waterproofness*. Since I never though of keeping an ear out for it I cannot say how much use X-PAC needs to see before quieting down, but it does.
Tl; dr: the crinkle noise eventually goes with use but the waterproofness of the fabric stays.