Can anyone teach me about nylon fabric?

[Alan]

Curiousity got the best of me today.

I see fabric descriptions such as 210D Oxford Nylon, 70D Nylon, and 70D Nylon Taffeta while reading about Hennessy hammocks.

As I recall, my HH Exped was 210D Oxford Nylon. I wouldn't consider it "soft" like the 70D Nylon fabric used on the Desert Rat. Randy let me test his Desert Rat last weekend and it felt good against the skin, cool, and "soft". To compare, the 210D fabric of the Exped seemed more "rough", course, and thick.

Do the numbers relate to thickness or weave count?
Is 70D Nylon taffeta "softer" than 70D Nylon?

Not really sure that I'm asking the right questions.

[Randy]

Dawg. That is all above my pay grade,,,,,I just know I lke the Desert Rat, and all the others.....
yours truly
HH.. Hammock Ho

[Ramblinrev]

D = denier which is a measure of the thread and therefore weave density. The higher the number the thick the thread strand and so the denser and "nobby" the weave. The denser the weave and the bigger the thread the more substantial the fabric. Pack cloth (or nylon canvas) is a higher Denier than ripstop.

[Alan]

All I know is the Desert Rat might feel REAL good when the temps skyrocket but someone has a used Explorer UL for sale which has similar specs. The fabric of the EUL shows to be 70D Nylon Taffeta...thus prompting my inquiry.

I just wonder if the EUL would be warmer than the DR given the EUL comes in a darker color.

[sclittlefield]

D = denier which is a measure of the thread and therefore weave density. The higher the number the thick the thread strand and so the denser and "nobby" the weave. The denser the weave and the bigger the thread the more substantial the fabric. Pack cloth (or nylon canvas) is a higher Denier than ripstop.

Rev sums it up pretty well.

Generally speaking, these are common conversions when talking weights and denier:

200d = 4.0oz
70d = 1.9oz
30d = 1.1oz

Ripstop has the grids in it, to stop rips from continuing once they start. It does a fair job of it. Ripstop can be soft or firm, depending on many factors. Ripstop comes in many weights / deniers - but is most commonly found in 1.1 and 1.9oz.

Taffeta does not have grid pattern like ripstop. It tends to be a bit more abrasion resistant, where ripstop is more tear resistant. Taffeta does not do well with tears. It also can be soft or firm - generally it's softer than ripstop. Taffeta comes in many weights / deniers - also most commonly found in 1.1 and 1.9oz.

Oxford is like Taffeta on steroids. It's just a much more rugged cloth, and due to the higher denier, is not as comfortable against the skin. OWF says it well - Oxford is ideal where Packcloth would be used, but lighter weight is preferred. Oxford is almost always 200/210 denier.

Hope that helps a bit. Fabric is a confusing animal and all of this that I mentioned is usually the case - there are many many variations from the norm.

[gargoyle]

wow Scott, I just learned alot..I'll forget it by tomorrow, but thanks for the info.

[Alan]

Rev and Scott,

Wow! Thanks for the info. I've learned a great deal and I think it has helped me make a decision.

[Randy]

I smell a Rat,,,,,,,, Desert Rat,,,,, that is.........

[Redoleary]

Believe it or not I just read the def. of denier yesterday in a book about sails, and it is the weight in grams of 9000 meters of yarn. Not sure how they came up with 9000 Meters?

[Alan]

I smell a Rat,,,,,,,, Desert Rat,,,,, that is.........

You got that right! Since HH dropped the price to $140 for the DR...I ordered as quickly as I could!