Is cuban fiber hotter than silnylon in the summer?

[sliver]

I was thinking since CF is translucent that it is probably hotter and possibly a bit of the greenhouse effect. At high altitude, it would be a significant advantage in the cold if it was hotter. Conversely, in the summer, it would be a distinct disadvantage.

Does anyone have any experience comparing sil-nylon vs cuban fiber in direct sun?

[SilvrSurfr]

I was thinking since CF is translucent that it is probably hotter and possibly a bit of the greenhouse effect. At high altitude, it would be a significant advantage in the cold if it was hotter. Conversely, in the summer, it would be a distinct disadvantage.

Does anyone have any experience comparing sil-nylon vs cuban fiber in direct sun?

I don't spend a lot of time in my hammock during daylight hours, so it's kind of a non-issue. I don't think my CF tarp is any hotter than any other tarp, but I might get a sunburn easier with cuben fiber!

[MDSH]

I used the heavier, .74 ounce material on mine in green to get as much shade as cuben might provide and still be lightweight. Plus, we pitch camp under trees, right?



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[breyman]

CF certainly provides less shade as some sun gets through, so I suppose it'd be a bit hotter. I also don't spend much time under a tarp during the day so I can't say for sure.

The few times I have slept under a tent or enclosed tarp of any kind it got a bit hot under regardless of material. The great thing about a tarp is that it's easy to prop up sides to get some nice air flow going.

[sliver]

Sometimes I'm able to camp where there's shade in the morning but, more often than not, I get woken up by the sun heating my tent up. And, at high altitude, the sun is pretty intense so it's nice to be able to sit in the shade for breakfast and lunch, taking a nap, etc.

Given the cost of CF, I'm trying to figure out the pros and cons over sil-nylon. CF appears to be about half the weight of sil-nylon (comparing the Superfly vs the Winter Palace), which is pretty attractive. But, I'm not sure I like the fact that it's translucent.

Part of the equation is that I grew up in the Sonorran desert and I really do not like resting in the sun for any length of time. Consequently, I prefer full shade.

Can you get CF that's opaque?

[SilvrSurfr]

Sometimes I'm able to camp where there's shade in the morning but, more often than not, I get woken up by the sun heating my tent up. And, at high altitude, the sun is pretty intense so it's nice to be able to sit in the shade for breakfast and lunch, taking a nap, etc.

Given the cost of CF, I'm trying to figure out the pros and cons over sil-nylon. CF appears to be about half the weight of sil-nylon (comparing the Superfly vs the Winter Palace), which is pretty attractive. But, I'm not sure I like the fact that it's translucent.

Part of the equation is that I grew up in the Sonorran desert and I really do not like resting in the sun for any length of time. Consequently, I prefer full shade.

Can you get CF that's opaque?

HG has a camo pattern. That would add 3 oz. to the HG Winter Palace.

You're taking what I would consider a strength (translucent) of cuben fiber and turning it into a weakness. Do you really break out the tarp for lunch and naps? I lived in the Sonoran desert and never hiked that way, nor would I in the Rockies. I'd get where the heck I was going.

It seems a strange criteria for tarp selection: must provide excellent shade when mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

[sliver]

Weaknesses and strengths are relative to the solution requirements. In this case, translucence is an asset if you like looking through it and want the extra warmth. Or, it's a weakness if you're trying to maximize shade.

In most cases, I use a base camp strategy where I hike in, set up camp in a good location, and then fish or do short sight-seeing hikes. That's my normal MO when I camp for 2-3 days to minimize my setup/break down time.

It sounds like what you do is pack up every morning and hike to your next camping spot. If I was doing that, I wouldn't set up my tarp every time I took a break either.

Thanks for the info on the camo pattern. That would probably work just fine. I didn't realize that was an option.

[OutandBack]

Sometimes I'm able to camp where there's shade in the morning but, more often than not, I get woken up by the sun heating my tent up. And, at high altitude, the sun is pretty intense so it's nice to be able to sit in the shade for breakfast and lunch, taking a nap, etc.

Given the cost of CF, I'm trying to figure out the pros and cons over sil-nylon. CF appears to be about half the weight of sil-nylon (comparing the Superfly vs the Winter Palace), which is pretty attractive. But, I'm not sure I like the fact that it's translucent.

Part of the equation is that I grew up in the Sonorran desert and I really do not like resting in the sun for any length of time. Consequently, I prefer full shade.

Can you get CF that's opaque?

I have both and the only pro to CF is weight. There are a lot of cons IMO.

[wisenber]

Weaknesses and strengths are relative to the solution requirements. In this case, translucence is an asset if you like looking through it and want the extra warmth. Or, it's a weakness if you're trying to maximize shade.

In most cases, I use a base camp strategy where I hike in, set up camp in a good location, and then fish or do short sight-seeing hikes. That's my normal MO when I camp for 2-3 days to minimize my setup/break down time.

It sounds like what you do is pack up every morning and hike to your next camping spot. If I was doing that, I wouldn't set up my tarp every time I took a break either.

Thanks for the info on the camo pattern. That would probably work just fine. I didn't realize that was an option.

If you leave your tarp set up for multiple days, silnylon probably isn't a good choice either as it does not like extended UV exposure. With that being said, you might want to look at PU coated polyester as that is more UV resistant and offers the best shade. It's also the heaviest option of the three. Leaving a silnylon tarp up in direct sun for multiple days will certainly shorten its service life.

[JollyGreen]

I have both and the only pro to CF is weight. There are a lot of cons IMO.

Instead of just saying there are a lot of cons, why don't you elaborate?