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.
12 Comments
Sam · December 5, 2025 at 11:36 am
Hi Matt, sorta on the same thread as bow bags and your existing dry bags, I was wondering if you might consider making a kit for float bags for whitewater canoes. The ones you find at NRS and NorthStar (http://bit.ly/44a0ydC) and such are so expensive. I also think it would be really cool to have bags that had the ti-zip zippers so you could actually store a little gear inside as well as use them for flotation!
Matt (Admin) · December 6, 2025 at 8:57 am
Hi Sam, I’m not opposed to the idea, but I’ve never used canoe float bags and couldn’t tell a good one from a bad one, so someone would have to send me a pattern. Cheers!
Stephen · December 1, 2025 at 2:50 pm
Hey Matt, still planning on a bow bag kit? Been coming back on here from time to time to check for updates but thought id ask more directly! Thanks 🙂
Matt (Admin) · December 2, 2025 at 11:03 am
Hi Stephen, thanks for reminding me about this. I initially thought I would do a bow bag kit, but then I realized I couldn’t offer one at a reasonable price compared to what was already available elsewhere, but your comment made me go and take another look around and it looks like things have changed (in other words, everything is expensive now!). I’m currently in the middle of prototyping a new packraft model, but when that’s done I’ll take a closer look at the bow bag. The zipper is the really expensive part, but it looks like most other bow bags don’t use a waterproof/airtight zipper, so that would be an advantage. My plan is to make it like a pierogi, with a rounded piece of fabric folded in half, with a zipper mounted near the fold and some attachment points added around the edge. The edge would be closed with a seam strip, much like my drybag kits. If you want to try making one in the meantime, I could put together a basic kit for you – there wouldn’t be an instructional video, though, so you’d have to watch the others that are posted and do some figuring for yourself. Send me an email if that’s something you’re interested in. Cheers!
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.