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I have been looking for a hammock tarp for quite some time now and I keep asking myself the same question...Do I want to give up the money for a nice cuben fiber tarp or stick with silnylon tarps. I have two tarp options in mind, the OES MacCat silnylon tarp or the HG Hex cuben fiber tarp. So what I am trying to ask is if I should fork up the money for a cuben fiber tarp or go with silnylon. I just wanted to get the opinion of the forums before i make a purchase
The question you should be asking is does weight matter? If you're just car camping and weight isn't an issue then go with sil and spend the extra money on some other hammock goodie. If you're backpacking and wanna keep unnecessary weight out of your pack then go with cuben and don't look back.
I have a Zpacks 4 season cuben and about an hour ago received my HG cuben hex. Since I use them primarily for backpacking I am extremely happy with my purchases.
I think whichever way you go you will be happy with the product it's just a matter of which one suits your needs.
+1 on the above advice. Suit your gear to how and why you use it rather than what is the newest and coolest thing out. I like cuben have have several pieces and think its a wondorous material. That said, I cannot see myself shelling out for the cost too many times since my silnylon gear (and others) though not as light or advantageous, are cheaper and are workhorses. I also have the ability to have several for the price of one and the gearhead in me loves that!
In agreement with above posts, if you want to save the weight you can get more tarp (Cuben 4 season with doors) and the weight is less than half of a sil without doors. If money is issue sil is a great product.
Just need to figure what fits your style of packing and budget :)
People mention how it's nice to get light through the semi-transparent cuben, but think about that. If you're like me, you don't like light in your face in the morning. If I wake up and it's light out at 5:30AM, I need to throw a black shirt or something over my face to get back to sleep. Cuben would be very difficult for me to deal with. Face masks suck. So the dark color of my BMJ tarp is a big plus for me.
Assuming you backpack and don't already have a silnylon tarp, then I would go cuben without hesitation. Because, you are going to be buying a tarp anyway and you are looking at only the difference in price.
I you already have a silnylon tarp that you are happy with, then the equation becomes more complicated.
I spent $90 on a used JRB tarp and, while it's a nice tarp, I am trying to lighten my pack and wish I'd spent the extra $ for cuben.
I finally pulled the trigger and picked up a cuben fiber hex tarp from HG. It was expensive but I think it will be worth it and it was on a Black Friday special! Thanks for all the wonderful input and helping me make my tarp decision!
plus 1...good advice.Quote:
Originally Posted by hammock_monk
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fudge
Congrats (jealous) ;)
Congrats on your choice..
Happy hanging
Ahhh....so lightweight you will think your hand is empty)))))) Enjoy your new shelter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fudge
Here is my homage to the Cuben from HammockGear......
Shug
Congrats on your new tarp! ...and you won't need line tensioners. Cuben won't "sag" like silnyl does.
Good for you. I am also very jealous.
I own the best of both worlds, a Superfly and a Cuben Tarp. Prefer the Cuben.
It depends in part on what the rest of your gear is like. Are there any parts of your hammock setup that would also benefit from an upgrade? If so, prioritize. Spend your money on what provides the most comfort, either on the trail or in camp.
I agree to some extent; however, to me it's seasonal: when it doesn't get light until 8 AM and it gets dark at 4PM, I would like the extra light.Quote:
Originally Posted by markr6
Hmm.. the light issue is something I didn't consider. My first cuben tarp is just about to be delivered. I camp mostly back home in Sweden, where in the summer it gets dark around midnight and light again at 2.30... in the south... and I really, really, really like to sleep in...
Sounds like it's time to throw a sleep mask in the pack. :laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by K0m4