Buying outdoors fabrics in NZ?

I think you're mostly stuck importing from the States. I make a fair bit of my own gear, just finished a solo alpine tent, fly from Silnylon, floor from DCF, got the fabric from https://ripstopbytheroll.com/ Freight prices aren't too bad if it's a light package, become horrendous beyond some weight, so I think you would be better going through a NZ website such as https://www.canvascompany.co.nz/ if you want heavier canvas, PVC or similar. Maybe it's possible to get fabric directly from China if you can figure out the quality of what you are getting and get the amount you want, and are prepared to take the risk. It's a bit bizarre in some ways to get fabric sent from China to somewhere in North Carolina, then all the way back to NZ. I had success with getting some long waterproof zippers (Drysuit type) directly from a Chinese manufacturer. (For closing the skin on a folding kayak I made). They were good to deal with, answered emails quickly in English and the product turned up.

Talk to some of the sailmakers for offcuts/contacts for textiles, as a number of high performance textiles used in ultralight gear have marine origins for high performance sails. Just appreciate some sailmakers will be very busy at the moment... Other useful sources can be the repair shops like Twin Needle or Macpac or manufacturers like Cactus, or upholstery fabrics for outdoor furniture. I've also come across people using used airbags cut from car wreaks. Another name to follow up on is https://www.theshanngroup.com/

cant remember who, someone on this aus forum sells material for outdoor gear, post a message on the appropriate forum https://bushwalk.com/

Thanks. Yep, got an order from Rip Stop on the way. Really good shop and great options. The shipping price wasn’t too bad, but doubles the cost of fabric for making a tarp! Ah well. And it just arrived in customs, over two months to get here - due to pandemic shipping issues presumably. Thanks for the canvas company link, looking to make a bigger bike saddle bag than my small Carradice so that should be helpful. Good shout NZBAZZA re sailmakers. staying in Nelson so I’m sure there’ll be a few around. Have you personally tried to get offcuts from the likes of cactus and such? Cheers Waynowski, I’ll sign up and have a geeze.

heres the Aus company i was thinking about https://www.tiergear.com.au/shop/diy-supplies

@Waynowski: Thanks for the link to the Australian company. First glance however would put their prices higher than Ripstop by the Roll in the USA. RBTR has 1.1 oz silpoly at US$6.75/yard = NZ$9.40/yard = NZ$10.30/metre versus Tier Gear which has 1.1 oz silpoly at A$15/metre = NZ$16/metre. Freight charges might or might not be cheaper? My last order through RBTR was for 4 yards of 0.75 oz ripstop (US$39.13) and 3 yards of 0.51 oz DCF (US$$86.40), freight was US$14.49 which doesn't seem too bad. (Though DCF is expensive however you look at it) If a NZ company imported such fabric, they'd add their freight costs, convert to $NZ, double it then add GST, you'd be paying al least 2-3 times as much.

Well as far as I know Ripstop aren’t producing the fabrics themselves, they’re sourced from Asia - though perhaps to their spec (but they have such vague info about the testing of their fabrics, that I doubt this). So presumably someone else could be importing the same/similar fabric from source at much lower cost than Ripstop sell it. Of course the market is probably far too small to be ordering high enough quantity. Even the two shops in Europe that sell that stuff have very limited selection of lightweight fabrics compared to Ripstop. If there was some local manufacturing there might be the possibility of jumping on the back of their purchasing power - I wonder if Aarn packs still produce in NZ?

i got something couried from aus once, never again $80 , america was way cheaper around $20 for a garment ... i think aussie has a bad reputation.. the volume done in america makes everything pretty cheap...

Oof that’s crazy. I’ve had hugely varied shipping costs from the states. I guess it depends on who the retailer uses as their courier. USPS seems to be the most affordable generally