Imago in Cordura vs Ballistic Nylon

[bchaplin]

Does anyone know if the cordura version of the Imago is lighter than the ballistic nylon, and if the properties, such as tendency to stain and water repellency during a rainfall, are any different?

I have a ballistic nylon Imago that I like a lot, but it is very heavy. I was deciding about getting an alternative version in cordura, particularly for traveling when I might be carrying it for a long time. It would be helpful to know if there is a meaningful weight difference, and if there are any disadvantages to the cordura. The weather-resistance factor is important.

[michael]

I don't think the Cordura would be that much lighter than ballistic nylon. To be honest I prefer the ballistic nylon due to its (IMO) better water repelling and stain repelling capabilities.

I only wish TB would have made the Buzz sling bag in ballistic nylon. I have the ID, Buzz and Western Flyer and think the ballistic nylon looks and feels much better than Cordura.

If you want light weight, you'd need the bag made out of Dyneema. That would give you significant weight savings and still maintain stain and water repelling capabilities.

Also Cordura seems to me to pick up animal hair and other items much more than ballistic nylon.

[marbenais]

It is lighter, but I don't think it's significantly lighter. It is SLIGHTLY less water-resistant than the nylon.

[wennefer]

I have the Imago in cordura. I think it's probably a little lighter and a little less water resistant than ballistic. I actually like it for the Imago because it makes the bag feel a little less structured, which I like in the messenger style bags.

[moriond]

Hi bchaplin,

I have the Imago in both Cordura and Ballistic nylon, and the weight is pretty close for the two bags. If you ordered your Imago with the standard strap, have you tried the Q-AM Shoulder Strap? I can use either bag if the items I'm carrying are flat, light, or fill the length of the bag evenly. The times that I prefer the Ballistic nylon are when there are smaller, heavier items, that would otherwise cause much more sagging in the Cordura (e.g., heavy camera parts, and when I used to carry a 12" PowerBook that was shorter than the Imago (which was designed to match the length of the 13" MacBook length).

I find that using custom straps works a lot better for me on all these bags -- I use the Absolute Strap with the ID bag and the Q-AM strap on the Imago. I'm just glad that I got my Imago in ballistic nylon (and cork) when there were more color options available. Hunter green/Cork/Sage is long gone!

moriond

[bchaplin]

Thank you for the comments. That's very helpful. I find the design of the Imago very useful as my everyday bag but it is heavy. However I don't think the cordura version is for me either. Getting the Absolute strap for this bag was probably a mistake, since by itself it weighs quite a bit. I will try changing it out for something else.

[Kinsale]

I find that using custom straps works a lot better for me on all these bags -- I use the Absolute Strap with the ID bag and the Q-AM strap on the Imago. I'm just glad that I got my Imago in ballistic nylon (and cork) when there were more color options available. Hunter green/Cork/Sage is long gone!

moriond

I have the same ballistic hunter/cork/sage Imago bag and also use the Q-am strap. I really like that combination of bag and strap, the padded neck section of the strap is very comfortable especially when the bag is fully loaded. I can overload the Imago and still wear it comfortably as a crossbody bag. It's so convenient to tighten and loosen the strap depending on the load or thickness of my winter coat. Easy to do it one-handed.

I also like the ballistic version because cat hair doesn't stick to it nearly as much as with my cordura Cafe bags.

[bchaplin]

Thank you -
When you wear the Q-AM strap, does the Imago rest on your back or on your side?
(I'm not crazy about back-pack style configurations; I would rather see my bag at all times.)
Beth

[Kinsale]

I wear my Imago as a cross-body bag that sits to the side at my lower hip. Sometimes I will just swing it to the back if I'm in a narrow space but most of the time it's to the side. I don't use the bracing strap which you would use to secure the bag to your back for cycling, etc.