A rucksack’s seams are a potential entry point for water: even if the pack fabric is waterproof, if the seams leak, the contents of your rucksack will get wet. Although many canvas packs are made from waterproof material, most manufacturers use a light nylon binding tape. These tapes are usually dyed using wetting agents so dyes can penetrate deep into the binding. Leftover wetting agents can create a capillary action, wicking water through the seams and into your pack.

In 1992 One Planet (then Aiking) developed a process for applying the waterproof qualities of Waterloc fabric to the construction of our rucksacks. All the main internal seams of our canvas-bound packs are bound with a four-fold, eight-ounce canvas binding.

Remember, conditioning your canvas pack will shrink and tighten the canvas and seams, improving waterproofness. To ensure the seams are as waterproof as possible, a pack will need to be conditioned before use.

Thread and needles
The seams are bound using twin needles, resulting in two lines of stitching (14 stitches per inch in total) for extra durability. Small needles are used, reducing the size of the holes, while the large polyester-core, spun-cotton wrapped thread is strong and also swells when wet, filling any remaining gaps.

The binding process required the development of special sewing machines – built in Australia – as well as needle guides to stabilise the needle, reducing needle damage and making the process consistent and even.

All our canvas rucksacks use canvas binding. Our synthetic packs, such as the Longreach travel pack, use synthetic binding tape. We
have chosen to use nylon binding on these packs as it keeps their price down, and when travelling your pack is unlikely to be exposed to extreme foul weather. One Planet packs with nylon binding are constructed using twin needles.