Tortuga is a product-first company. For us, performance comes first.
Our goal is to design the absolute best gear for world travel. All of our products should perform well and last forever. That means we must balance the latest technology with the most proven solutions.
Body Fabric: SHELL
SHELL is a three-layer, laminated “sailcloth” material originally developed for the sails of racing boats.
Sailcloth works well for sails and backpacks because it is durable, lightweight, and waterproof.
SHELL is 100% recycled and uses no harmful TPU, PVC, DWR, or other coatings.
The durable, water-repellent (DWR) coating is C0 meaning that it contains no fluorocarbons like PFAS/PFOA.
Unlike other laminated fabrics that use solvent-based adhesives, SHELL doesn’t contain any VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Construction
- Recycled polyester face fabric with C0 DWR treatment
- 45° recycled polyester cross-ply
- Recycled ripstop polyester backing fabric
Specs
We use two versions of SHELL:
- SHELL200: Travel Backpack
- SHELL70RS: Packing Cubes
| SHELL200 | SHELL70RS | |
|---|---|---|
| Face Fabric | 200D recycled polyester | 70D recycled polyester ripstop |
| Weight (oz/yd²) | 5.9 oz/yd² | 5.05 oz/yd² |
| Weight (gsm) | 200.1 gsm | 171 gsm |
| Tear Strength (ATSM D2261): Warp | 26.7 lb | 17.8 lb |
| Tear Strength (ATSM D2261): Fill | 24.8 lb | 14.1 lb |
| Abrasion Resistance (ATSM 3884) | 500 cycles | 300 cycles |
| Waterproof: PSI | 200+ PSI | 200+ PSI |
| Waterproof: Bar | 13.8+ Bar | 13.8+ Bar |
Zippers: YKK
Tortuga only uses best-in-class YKK zippers for durability, water resistance, and security.
We use PU-coated zippers for the best balance between water resistance and ease of use. For security, you'll find lockable zippers on the main compartments of our bags.
A travel backpack is only as good as its weakest component, and zippers are often the weakest parts of a bag. Cheap, low-quality zippers can distort and break. A broken zipper will ruin the backpack you invested in and trusted to travel the world with you. That’s why we only use the best zippers we can find.