Understanding the Science Behind Osage River

07/02/2024 - Science is hard. So is our gear. And one definitely has something to do with the other. But understanding what is behind the science that makes Osage River Gear so good can be complicated to someone unfamiliar with some of the terminology. 

We’re here to help. 

Today, we’ll be looking at the material used to produce quality gear from Osage River; more specifically, 600D and 900D Nylon, and why we use it in our products. 

The terms 600/900D comes from what’s known as the “Denier Rating”. This rating system is a unit of measure that is used to indicate thickness in fabric. The actual calculation (if you’re a nerd like me) is g/9k or one kilometer of fiber divided by 9,000 grams. Moreover, the most common way of calculating a Denier Rating is to weigh a 900-meter sample of fiber and divide that result by ten. 

Now that I’ve gotten the geek stuff out of the way, we can get down to how all of this translates to our gear being awesome. 

In simplest terms, the higher the Denier Rating, the thicker and more durable the fabric is. As an example, I’ll be using a scale starting with a cheap tent and ending with a Kevlar bullet-proof vest. 

The cheapest nylon tents have a D-rating of somewhere in between 40-60D. This is for a reason. Tents are expected to be lightweight and breathable. This creates a vulnerability in the fabric, however, as it's extremely thin and fragile. Kevlar, on the other hand, is expected to stop literal bullets and typically has anywhere between 400-1100 D-rating (some go as high as 12,000D). 

So with that scale in mind, it’s clear to see that we use some pretty tough fabric in our gear.

 Some of the benefits of 600/900D Ballistic Nylon are… 

• They're known industrywide for their strength and durability making them ideal for products that are expected to maintain their integrity despite regular -and often harsh- use.
• They're strong, but not so dense that our backpacks will dislocate your shoulder or ask you if you “even work out, bro”.
• Water Resistant. Our 600/900D are coated with a water-resistant polymer making sure your gear stays dry. 

Most of our competitors use 200-400D polyester that is not treated for water resistance. In other words, it’s pretty much useless to anyone that doesn’t like rips, tears or wet socks. 

At Osage River Gear, we have a motto; We won’t sell it to you if we wouldn’t use it ourselves. We’re staffed with avid gear nerds and outdoorsmen who know what’s like to have cheaply-made gear fail, so while we’re designing it for you, the customer, we’re secretly also making it awesome for our own use (don’t judge us). 

We know you’ve got options when it comes to your gear, but we really do think you’ll be happy with your choice of a quality bag or cot from Osage River Gear. So give us a try!