Carbonite Carbon Fiber Travel Bags
Strong as carbon fiber, but flexible as canvas? Water-, stain-, grease-, and scratch-resistant? What kind of leprechaun spun this Carbonite gold?
The EDC masters at Bastion Gear have launched a new line of travel bags - "the Ferrari of travel bags" - made from carbon fiber fabric. Their Carbonite collection includes a 45" duffel and a toiletry pouch crafted from high-tech materials that usually carry even higher price tags. Here though, Bastion has cut a new cloth, creating a TPU-coated flexible 3K carbon fiber blend, and selling their bags directly to consumers in a more affordable price range.
The sleek Carbonite travel bag is sized to meet airlines' max carry-on requirements at 45 linear inches. Its design is simple - 3 organizing compartments, 2 sleeve pockets, and 1 zipper pocket. A roomy interior without a lot of flourishes keeps the bag light and efficient. Pair it with the Carbonite toiletry pouch, made of the same lightweight material, and you'll have an additional separator for your grooming supplies and makeup, watches and jewelry, or thong th-thong thong thongs.
Through April 17, 2018 the set is available to Kickstarter backers for $399 to $429 (early bird / standard). You can also grab just the toiletry pouch for $99.
About Carbonite Carbon Fiber
The 3K carbon fiber used in Carbonite travel bags is made from polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN) that undergoes a pyrolyzing process to achieve a desired stiffness of 33 million pounds per square inch. The resultant strands form threads to be woven into a flexible cloth, which is then coated with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to maintain that flexibility.
Normally, raw carbon fiber is applied to a shaped mold and coated with epoxy to cure and harden it - as in race cars, airplanes, etc. Using the TPU instead allows Bastion to create a 3K carbon fiber 2 x 2 twill cloth that remains flexible, and ready for turning into rugged but sophisticated travel bags.
The TPU-coated carbon fiber is waterproof, but Carbonite bags are water-resistant since their seams, stitching, and zipper are not sealed. So too are the bags resistant to stains, oil, and grease; any exposure to them should be easy to clean off with soap and water. Carbonite doesn't take to scratches thanks to its tough material base, and has some "self-healing" abilities if it gets dented.
Read more about Carbonite bags and their carbon fiber material, and pledge for your own here on Kickstarter.
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