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  1. #1
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    Spinn vs. Sylnylon

    Besides weight & price, what is the difference between Spinn and sylnylon? Is Spinn worth the extra $ ?

  2. #2
    Senior Member Quoddy's Avatar
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    I've found that Spinntex is even more waterproof (spray resistant) than silnylon. Of course the big advantage, besides weight, is that it doesn't stretch in varying weather conditions. Once rigged tight, it's tight.
    I my Warbonnet

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    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    Schmitty,

    Spinn doesn't relax when wet like silnylon. During most evenings, the humidity goes up as the temperature cools so what was once a tight pitch, now droops and flaps in the breeze. The common cure for this, other than re-staking, is to use elastic line tensioners: more weight.

    The only downside to Spinn, IMO, is that it is somewhat more noisy than silnylon when the wind is blowing.

    BTW: I just ordered a MacCat Spinn tarp from Brian at OES. It's in the mail!
    Last edited by MAD777; 05-14-2009 at 18:56.

  4. #4
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    Spinn (sil-rip-poly (?)) has a higher breaking strength than SilNylon of the same weight
    I think i remember reading the 0,7oz Spinntex surpasses 1,1oz Silnylon

    Also as Polyester is hydrophobic it doesnt soak in any water even if the coating was not 100% waterproof, and it doesnt sag in the wet, so you/your tensioners wont need to compensate for that.

    It is also more UV-resistant, but if you use a lighter SilPoly it will probably be around the same, based on the same fabric weight, Silpoly lasts 1,5x longer (half-life of 6months versus 4)

    I wondered the same thing (actually i was quite certain was not worth the cost to me) and ended up going for pretty much the same thing as Spinntex


    Disadvantage beside the noise might be ,the higher fragility of the thinner stiffer fabric (abrasion,loss of breaking strength after folding..)




    EDIT: haa too slow..

    just ordered a MacCat Spinn tart
    aha?
    Last edited by utilisateur; 05-14-2009 at 20:07. Reason: disadvantages

  5. #5
    Senior Member Carolinahammockhanger's Avatar
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    Thanks guys! Before this thread I loved my OES silnyl MacCat Deluxe tarp. It still rocks but now I want a Spinn one. I figured they were weaker if lighter. So they are definitely stronger? And Christmas is so far away. Thank goodness my current tarp is so cool. Brain make the best tarps!

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    I have not seen any scientific data on the Spinntex tearstrength, but the mill will certainly have some, i have no idea who makes it tough.
    As to what people think about it/their experience,i read both Spinntex having higher tensile strength than 1,1oz SilNylon and the opposite.
    Unfortunately as the finish has an influence on this you cant take the data from a similar fabric from another manufacturer to compare the numbers.

    It is not really intended to be used continuously for a long time in the first place so one should definitely handle it with care

  7. #7
    Senior Member drewboy's Avatar
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    I don't want to be a wet blanket in all this, but my experience is that Spinn is not in general stronger than sil. While the shear strength and resistance to tearing is good, it is in other regards a more delicate material, and you will need to exercise more caution in handling it. It is much more susceptible to puncture damage. I speak from personal experience in this, having had tears made in my spinn tarp when a branch brushed against it. Silnylon has the disadvantage of stretching in humid conditions, but this also means it will stretch more when poked. If you are OK in exercising special care in the handling of your tarp, then spinn is a great answer and can save you weight.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Carolinahammockhanger's Avatar
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    thanks drewboy for clearing that up for me

  9. #9
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    I think that if you treat your Spinn with the same care that you already treat your sil, you won't have any problems. I've posted this before, but my Spinn tarp took a direct hit from a falling branch; not a twig. It fell from about 30' and landed square on the wall of the tarp before bouncing away. The stuff is tougher than most people (myself included) give it credit for, but still a lightweight fabric and will tear if treated poorly.

    The other points are spot on as well. No moisture, no stretch, lightweight, uv resistant, more expensive. I love the stuff! If I could afford to have every tarp made of Spinn, I would. The noise is minor and not really an issue after a couple of hours under the tarp. After that, you won't even notice it.

    I do have some concerns about the long-term durability of Spinn. We'll just have to wait and see.
    Trust nobody!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by utilisateur View Post
    Spinn (sil-rip-poly (?)) has a higher breaking strength than SilNylon of the same weight
    I think i remember reading the 0,7oz Spinntex surpasses 1,1oz Silnylon

    Also as Polyester is hydrophobic it doesnt soak in any water even if the coating was not 100% waterproof, and it doesnt sag in the wet, so you/your tensioners wont need to compensate for that.

    It is also more UV-resistant, but if you use a lighter SilPoly it will probably be around the same, based on the same fabric weight, Silpoly lasts 1,5x longer (half-life of 6months versus 4)

    I wondered the same thing (actually i was quite certain was not worth the cost to me) and ended up going for pretty much the same thing as Spinntex


    Disadvantage beside the noise might be ,the higher fragility of the thinner stiffer fabric (abrasion,loss of breaking strength after folding..)




    EDIT: haa too slow..


    aha?

    i've heard some of those claims too. here's some of what i know:

    not all spinnaker fabric is polyester, most is nylon actually, and seems identical from what i can tell to the ones claimed to be polyester such as exp. it's the treatment that makes them different than regular sil which is only treated with silicone.

    i'm also skeptical of claims of higher strength. pound for pound, nylon is stronger than polyester and sil is made from a slightly larger denier fiber and is heavier overall. one does have a pure sil treatment while the other has resins and chemicals added to reduce stretch on the bias so this could be a factor in tear strength.

    as for waterproofness, some spin cloth may indeed have a higher water column number when new, but in the durability tests i've done, waterproof-when-new spinn loses alot/most of it's waterproofness after some abuse while sil retained alomst all of it's waterproofness after the same tests. (i basically just rubbed and crinkled samples between my hands for 5 mins or so in a moderately vigorus manner and gave the shower head test both before and after). how much real-life wear is that equivalent to? i don't know.

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