I have just received a new shipment of airtight/waterproof zippers from TIZIP, and this time I ordered some MasterSeal 10 zippers in addition to the SuperSeal zippers I have been using since 2016.
Both zippers are the same size and have the same air pressure rating, but compared to the SuperSeal, the MasterSeal 10 is slightly lighter weight, less expensive, more flexible, requires less force to operate, and is easier to clean. It has only one seal and a somewhat lower cross-breaking strength than the SuperSeal (but is still very strong), and because it has exposed teeth, the MasterSeal may be less abrasion resistant than the SuperSeal, which is still the king of airtight zippers with its multiple seals, amazing strength, and fully enclosed teeth. Unlike the SuperSeal though, the MasterSeal has TPU on both sides of the tape, so TPU-coated fabric can be welded to either the inside surface of the zipper, which makes installation significantly easier.
Bruce Campbell of Fairbanks, Alaska, has been at the forefront of DIY Packrafting since the early days, and he has been testing the MasterSeal in a DIY Packraft and he tells me it’s been working very well, so I might offer that as an option if people are interested. I plan to start by offering this zipper in bow bag kits, but in the meantime, check it out here in the shop where it’s currently a standalone product.
8 Comments
Uncle Fred · February 15, 2024 at 4:52 pm
This is great. I could see these zippers being very nice for bow bags and ultralight builds. I was hoping Matt could offer a few master seals in a couple of different lengths.
TS · February 8, 2024 at 12:44 pm
Do these zippers loose their water proof seal if you shorten them? Curious how you go about it?
Matt (Admin) · February 8, 2024 at 1:24 pm
These zippers cannot be shortened like a regular zipper, they have to be ordered in the desired length from the factory.
Kurt · January 31, 2024 at 12:50 pm
Hiii…I’ve got an Kipara packraft and need to replace the zipper for the spray cover. Is that something that’s manageable to do? How so I do it?
Matt (Admin) · January 31, 2024 at 1:35 pm
Sorry, I don’t know anything about that. Maybe ask Kipara?
Daniel Meyer · August 27, 2023 at 10:19 am
Do you have any instructions for using the Masterseal instead of the Superseal. I have two Masterseals lying around from another project. I don’t need one of them and would like to use it for my Telkwa, maybe as seen in a customer build in the center of the rear seam.
Matt (Admin) · August 29, 2023 at 1:38 pm
I haven’t made specific instructions yet, but you can either install it the same way as a SuperSeal or you can iron it directly to the tube fabric from the “inside” side of the tube. You will be on your own if you want to install it in a seam, at least for the time being, as I haven’t done that yet myself.
Stephen · July 2, 2023 at 9:38 am
Hey Matt! Glad to hear youre planning on making bow bag kits 🙂 Its something I had on my mind to build as I just finished building my Skeena. Looking forward to you dropping the kit.