Cuben diy hammock with mossy sock?

**Lyndon** · 05-26-2009, 08:57

Anybody have an address where I can get the Cuben fabric and mossy sock pronto? I would also appreciate any links to hammock plans that require as little sewing as possible (don't have access to a machine). I would love to try to construct a Cuben hammock this coming weekend, as I leave a week from Monday for Belize.
Lyndon
I didn't think about it, but I wonder if there are hammock makers in Belize, that I can just buy a 'throw away' hammock in the market. Last time I was there, all they had were wide open mesh nylon ones, which were fine for lounging, but not for sleeping or mosquito use.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 05-26-2009, 09:19

you can get Cuben from questoutfitters, but I don't really think that's the route you want to go, given other things you've said. At $28 / linear yard before shipping, that's a pricey piece of gear if you're worried about it getting nicked. Then again it's so light and compact you could just carry it around in your pocket. But the real killer here I think is that Cuben doesn't breathe at all, you'd be in a bathtub of your own sweat where you are going.

If I were you I'd pop for a SkeeterBeater Pro, $80 before shipping. Built-in bugnet, enough room for anybody, you won't go into chapter 11 if it is liberated from you. Spray it well with Permethian, let it dry, and away you go.

I had an SBPro and liked it, but wasn't going to use it because of my DIY affliction and so rotated it off to someone else.

Grizz

**Lyndon** · 05-26-2009, 23:21

Thanks, Grizz
I had NO idea how pricey that fabric was! I am now thinking that there will be hammocks available in the city market in Belize City.

Yes, the Skeeter Beater and Pro model were suggested by several people, but when I added up shipping, it was close to $50, so I ordered a Thai hammock
off of ebay. I couldn't find anybody who reviewed them here, or anywhere else online, so I will do that when I get back from Belize and helping my 90 year old mom in Illinois. I figured if the Thai hammock is plain crappy, I, at least, got a small tarp out of the deal. What bums me out is I bet dollars to donuts that it won't arrive by post before I leave on June 8. So it goes.

Man, that cuben fabric shouldn't be so expensive. Who weaves it?
Rumpelstiltskin?

**GrizzlyAdams** · 05-26-2009, 23:42

Originally Posted by Lyndon

Thanks, Grizz
I had NO idea how pricey that fabric was! I am now thinking that there will be hammocks available in the city market in Belize City.

Yes, the Skeeter Beater and Pro model were suggested by several people, but when I added up shipping, it was close to $50, so I ordered a Thai hammock
off of ebay. I couldn't find anybody who reviewed them here, or anywhere else online, so I will do that when I get back from Belize and helping my 90 year old mom in Illinois. I figured if the Thai hammock is plain crappy, I, at least, got a small tarp out of the deal. What bums me out is I bet dollars to donuts that it won't arrive by post before I leave on June 8. So it goes.

Man, that cuben fabric shouldn't be so expensive. Who weaves it?
Rumpelstiltskin?

The stuff was originally developed for sails in racing yachts. It isn't fabric at all, it is some sort of polyurethane layer in which high strength fibers are embedded. Amazing stuff : amazing light, amazing strong, and amazing expensive!

Grizz

**T-BACK** · 05-27-2009, 05:01

Imo, Cuben is not the panacea fabric we had hoped it would be. I'm sure it's great for its intended purpose but falls short on duribility when it come to hiking. It is very strong and light weight but it also punctures easily. On a ship that's not a problem but under a tree in storm force winds is a differnt story. I learned a hard and expensive lesson when wind torn branches made several holes in my tarp during a thunder storm. I had to throw my ground sheet over the ridgeline of my hammock to stay somewhat dry. It was a long night. I'm with Grizz, stick with more conventional fabrics.

**Lyndon** · 05-27-2009, 07:15

Brian,
That does not sound like a good camping night.

What did you switch to from the cuben?
Lyndon

**GrizzlyAdams** · 05-27-2009, 07:18

Originally Posted by T-BACK

Imo, Cuben is not the panacea fabric we had hoped it would be. I'm sure it's great for its intended purpose but falls short on duribility when it come to hiking. It is very strong and light weight but it also punctures easily. On a ship that's not a problem but under a tree in storm force winds is a differnt story. I learned a hard and expensive lesson when wind torn branches made several holes in my tarp during a thunder storm. I had to throw my ground sheet over the ridgeline of my hammock to stay somewhat dry. It was a long night. I'm with Grizz, stick with more conventional fabrics.

Interesting point about using it in a tarp. There it is your main line of protection and durability is key. With the weight advantage it is easy to see the attraction though.

I've been experimenting with Cuben for some non-tarp uses lately though. One that I particularly like is for protection against rain blowing in under the tarp (which has to be pitched wider for a bridge hammock). I made it in the shape of a bridge hammock---complete with end-caps, but then put a slit in the material down the center of the body, essentially endcap-to-endcap. This opens the inside up for air, while leaving the sides down for 360 degree protection. Attached to the corners of the bridge hammock with elastic so there is give on the sides getting in and out. A couple of ounces at most.

There are other things I'm doing with Cuben which will be reported on in the fullness of time. i.e. once I get it working to my satisfaction!

Grizz

**T-BACK** · 05-27-2009, 08:05

Lyndon,

I switched back to sylnylon. I have experimented with spinnaker cloth and found that it is pretty darn durable and more water proof than the 1.1-1.3 oz sylnylon that many of us use. I would love to make a tarp I designed out of it but right now, I can't justify the cost. While on my hike I changed to a backup sylnylon tarp that i had ready for my wife to send to me. I later bought a Winter Tarp from Ed Speer. It had more coverage and saved some weight. You are right about the trip. It was a long night thinking about all the money and time invested while mopping up water the best I could with my camp towel and sweating under a piece of plastic. On the other hand, it could have been worse. Had it been cold I could have found myself in a survival situation huddling in my rain gear without the use of my sleeping insulation.

Grizz,

Nice idea on the bridge. Cuben is super light and absolutely waterproof.

**Lyndon** · 05-27-2009, 08:05

Grizz,
Photos are worth their weight in gold.
Nobody was hammock camping at the Yellowstone Madison site this past weekend, but I wanted to post some poor German kid who was bike touring the US, using a cheap blue Walmart tarp. It was rainy and cold Sunday night!
Brrrrrrr....and the skeeters were bad on Saturday evening.

But my camera memory was full. I didn't know it until I got home. Missed a lot of shots, and guess there must have been a signal on this Canon Powershot, but sure didn't know it. Got to either clean up the chip or order another one.
On a side note, I was up at REI last night, and on their hammock display, they had Eno hammocks and the Byer Moskito Traveller Hammock. But not their usual display of Hennessey. I wonder if they have decided to only carry them online.

Thanks, T-Back for filling me in on your fabric of choice.
Lyndon

**gardenville** · 05-27-2009, 18:54

Originally Posted by Lyndon

Anybody have an address where I can get the Cuben fabric and mossy sock pronto? I would also appreciate any links to hammock plans that require as little sewing as possible (don't have access to a machine). I would love to try to construct a Cuben hammock this coming weekend, as I leave a week from Monday for Belize.
Lyndon
I didn't think about it, but I wonder if there are hammock makers in Belize, that I can just buy a 'throw away' hammock in the market. Last time I was there, all they had were wide open mesh nylon ones, which were fine for lounging, but not for sleeping or mosquito use.

Hi Lyndon,

I have made and used a Cuben Hammock. You can find the thread at this link here on this site:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=693

Check out the link and if you have any questions let me know.

This is a Ed Speer type of design and needs no sewing.