MATERIALS
CHOSEN.
NOT JUST ACCEPTED.
Every material in a CRU product was selected because nothing available off the shelf would do the job properly. This is what we use, and why.
This is what we use, and why. Months spent sourcing the bespoke laminate before committing to a 200m minimum order
Materials across every CRU product — each chosen against a specific functional requirement
Off-brand hardware substitutes — genuine NEXUS and Cobra components only, sourced directly
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PRIMARY BODY FABRIC
BESPOKE LAMINATE
COMMISSIONED SPECIFICALLY FOR CRU - NOT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE
This is the fabric CRU is built on. It forms the main body of most products in the range — the face you see, touch, and operate every day on set.
It doesn't exist off the shelf. Nine months of supplier visits, samples, and testing established that nothing available would do what the product required: a fabric that operates cleanly under a stiff panel, supports one-handed zip operation under load, and holds its structure and appearance across years of working use. When no existing option met that standard, the fabric was commissioned at a 200-metre minimum order from the supplier who got it right.
That decision costs more than buying off the shelf. It is also the reason CRU feels different the moment you put it on.
The laminate is fully waterproof across its face — meaning rain, spray, and surface water don't penetrate the fabric body itself. As with any sewn construction, stitch lines are not waterproof; water can wick through needle holes under sustained immersion. The laminate is built for the conditions a working day produces. It is not designed for submersion, and should not be treated as such.
ONE-HANDED ZIP OPERATION
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY UNDER LOAD
LONG-TERM APPEARANCE RETENTION
WATERPROOF FACE FABRIC
EXCLUSIVE TO CRU
PRIMARY BODY FABRIC
AIR TEXTURISED NYLON
HIGH-TENACITY NYLON - AIR TEXTURISED FINISH
Air texturised nylon is used where the product needs to absorb punishment without adding weight. The air texturising process — which gives the yarn its characteristic surface texture — increases bulk and resilience without increasing mass, producing a fabric that grips, wears well, and maintains its structure under sustained use.
The polyurethane coating adds water resistance. This isn't a weather-proof claim — it's the practical protection needed when a shoot runs into rain, a location is wet underfoot, or a bag gets set down somewhere it shouldn't. The kit stays functional.
HIGH ABRASION RESISTANCE
PU WATER-RESISTANT COATING
STRONG STRENGTH-TO-WEIGHT RATIO
PRIMARY BODY FABRIC
MILSPEC NYLON WEBBING
MIL-W-17337 · 0.75", 1", 1.5", 2" · BLACK AND COYOTE TAN
MIL-W-17337 is the military specification standard for nylon webbing used in load-bearing applications. It defines the minimum tensile strength, elongation limits, and construction requirements that webbing must meet to be used in equipment where failure has real consequences.
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CRU uses this standard throughout — in the MOLLE loops on the belt, the pouch gussets, the attachment straps, and anywhere the webbing is expected to carry load or anchor something in place. It runs in four widths (0.75", 1", 1.5", and 2") depending on the structural requirement of each application, in black and coyote tan.
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Using milspec webbing in kit built for film and TV is a deliberate choice. The standard exists because the consequence of webbing failure in military use is serious. The consequence of your pouch tearing loose on set is different — but the kit shouldn't be built to a lower standard just because the stakes are lower.
MIL-W-17337 CERTIFIED
BLACK AND COYOTE TAN
FOUR WIDTHS
STANDARD
MIL-W-17337
WIDTHS
0.75", 1", 1.5", 2"
COLOURS
BLACK, COYOTE TAN
APPLICATIONS
MOLLE loops, Pouch gussets, Attachment straps
PLASTIC HARDWARE
ITW NEXUS HARDWARE
GENUINE NEXUS COMPONENTS - SOURCED DIRECTLY
ITW NEXUS is the hardware manufacturer whose buckles, clips, and adjusters appear in military, law enforcement, and professional load-bearing equipment globally. Their components are made to a consistent dimensional and strength standard — the reason they became the default hardware for equipment that cannot afford to fail.
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CRU uses genuine NEXUS hardware throughout. Not off-brand replicas — the actual components, sourced directly. The cheaper alternative likely comes from the same factory at a lower quality tier. The difference is not always visible. It is always present.
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The decision to use the real thing costs more margin. It is not negotiable.
GENUINE ITW NEXUS
NO OFF-BRAND SUBSTUTES
CORROSIOIN RESISTANT
CONSISTENT DIMENTIONAL TOLERANCE
LIGHTWEIGHT
PRIMARY CLOSURE HARDWARE
COBRA BUCKLES
USED ON BELT AND PRIMARY CLOSURE POINTS
Cobra buckles are the standard closure hardware for military belts and chest rigs where the requirement is a fastening that seats positively, holds under load, and releases quickly when needed. The double-locking mechanism — which requires deliberate actuation to release — means the belt stays closed under the kind of movement and load a working day produces.
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The seating of a Cobra buckle has a tactile quality that standard side-release buckles don't. It closes with a definite click and resistance that tells you it's engaged. For crew who put their belt on the same way every morning, that moment is part of how the working day starts.
DOUBLE LOCKING MECHANISM
POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT FEEL
HIGH LOAD RATING
QUICK RELEASE UNDER DELIBERATE ACTUATION
STRUCTURAL PANELS
CURV
THERMOSETTING POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITE - STRUCTURAL PANEL APPLICATIONS
CURV is a self-reinforced polypropylene composite — a thermosetting plastic whose structural properties come from the way its molecular structure is aligned during processing rather than from added fibres or fillers. The result is a material that is significantly stiffer and more impact-resistant than standard polypropylene at the same weight.
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In CRU products, CURV is used where a panel needs to hold its shape under sustained load — keeping the belt platform rigid, maintaining pouch structure across a long day, providing the backing that allows one-handed operation to work as intended. It is the structural reason the kit sits the same way at hour fourteen as it did at crew call.
HIGH IMPACT RESISTANCE
RIGID UNDER SUSTAINED LOADS
UV AND CHEMICAL RESISTANT
FULLY RECYCLABLE
LIGHTWEIGHT
CONSTRUCTION THREADS
BONDED NYLON THREAD
HIGH TENACITY - BONDED FINISH - USED THROUGHOUT CONSTRUCTION
Bonded nylon thread is the construction thread used throughout every CRU product. The bonding process — a resin coating applied to the yarn — increases tensile strength, reduces fraying at cut ends, and improves resistance to abrasion where the thread contacts hardware or fabric over repeated use.
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The seam is the last line between a product that holds and one that doesn't. Bonded nylon thread is used because it performs consistently across the temperature range a working day produces — including outdoor locations where UV exposure and temperature variation would degrade lesser thread over time.
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It is not a visible material. It is the reason everything else holds together.
HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH
ABRASION RESISTANT
WIDE TEMPERATURE RANGE
UV STABLE
MINIMAL FRAYING
EVERY MATERIAL CHOSEN.
NOT JUST ACCEPTED.
The 5-year warranty on every CRU product is backed by these materials. Not by a policy document — by what the kit is actually made of, and the standard it's built to.
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If you have a specific material or construction requirement for a department or production, the Bespoke Issue programme is the place to start that conversation.
A NOTE ON RATINGS
The materials above are chosen for properties like water resistance, load bearing, and abrasion resistance. Those properties belong to the materials. A finished product's performance depends on how it's built and how it's used. Unless a specific rating is stated in a product's description, CRU products are general utility kit for carrying tools and equipment — not waterproof, weight-rated, or certified for any specialised or safety-critical purpose. Don't use them for anything load-bearing in a safety sense. If you need a certified rating for a specific job, talk to us through Bespoke Issue and we'll tell you honestly whether we can meet it. These materials are highly capable — but capable is not the same as rated, unless we've specifically said so.