GPSGuided wrote:wayno wrote:you'd need radical new materials to be developed to reduce weights a lot further.
Is there still much room to move in terms of material? It's already near transparent.
in theory yes, you have graphene which is extremely strong and light and atoms thick and can be used like a fabric but it hasnt been developed enough to be cost effective on its own, it gets combined with other materials at present. its been around for years but its difficult to manufacture and real progress hasnt been made to ramp up its production cost effectively.
carbon fibre doesnt seem to be used much in pack frames , that could save weight... but it can be brittle.. a lot of manufacturers have steered clear of cuben fibre or been very cautious about its adoption, its not as resiliant to abrasion as nylon, and its a lot more expensive and difficult to sew..
the lightest denier of nylon is at the limit of what the milling machines can deal with to create fabric without breaking the thread.. and then there's the issue about its durability.