Cordura® re/cor™ 1200D

Most people hear Cordura and think nylon. This one is not. Cordura re/cor 1200D is woven from RPET yarn, a 100% recycled high-tenacity polyester made from discarded bottles and packaging, spun to meet the same durability spec the Cordura name is built on. You get the abrasion story without the virgin petroleum story, which is a rare combination in a heavy pack cloth.

The construction is a 900 denier warp against a 1200 denier fill in a plain weave, finished at 9.2 oz per square yard. That is a genuinely heavy fabric, in the same class as the 1000D nylon most tactical and workwear builds default to, and it behaves like one. It has body. It stands up on its own in a panel. It holds a crease where you press it and it does not collapse into the seam when you are stitching a corner.

Being polyester rather than nylon changes two things worth knowing. It absorbs less water, so it stays lighter in the rain and dries faster. It also holds colour better under UV, which matters more than you would think on the brights. Ten colours here, including four fluorescents, and those neons are the reason to reach for this over a standard black pack cloth. Fluorescent nylon fades.

It is a heavy fabric and it sews like one. On a domestic machine, keep the layer count down and go slowly through the corners. It does not fray badly for a woven, but raw edges will fuzz over time, so bind or fold anything exposed.

Best for backpacks and duffels, tool bags, bike and pannier builds, workwear reinforcement panels, dog gear, motorcycle luggage, and any pack bottom or corner patch that needs to take a beating. Sold per half yard and shipped folded. Order a sample if you want to feel the weight before committing to a build.

Specifications

Construction

Performance