Cuben vs SilNylon: Pros v. Cons

[Cedar1974]

I am just curious which is the better fabric for what purpose. From what I can see Cuben is way more expensive, but is there a real advantage beyond the fact it is lighter and a bit stronger?

[Bubba]

IIRC cuben also doesn't stretch as silnylon does and it is a bit see through. If you have the money, want to save weight and don't mind more light under your tarp then cuben is probably the way to go.

[doogie]

Notes on Cuben and SilNylon (you decide if they are pros or cons)

Cuben: Higher cost, currently lightest weight tarp option, packs down small, completely waterproof (no misting), no stretch, very little water stays on the tarp, acts as greenhouse, fabric can break down if left in strong sun for extended periods, prone to abrasion failure, punctures easily, limited color choices

SilNylon: lower cost than Cuben but more than polyester (although I think the price is dropping more as it becomes more popular), weight is between cuben and polyester, stretches when wet, packs smaller than polyester tarps but not as small as Cuben, can mist through under hard rain, some water remains in tarp but less than polyester, lots of color choices

[CC_Cinci]

Other than the price difference, the major con of Cuben that has kept me from giving in and dropping $200-$300 on a tarp is the pack size. SilNylon will compress significantly more than Cuben of the same size. I guess I'll just stick with my lowly, old Superfly

[Dutch]

Other than weight another big pro for CF is it is repairable with tape. You should see WV's Frankin tarp.

[Cst]

I would disagree that cuben packs smaller than sil. In the stuff sack my superfly is about 2/3 the size of my HG cuben hex

[doogie]

That could be, I don't have any cuben to play with. I had heard on the forum that the issue was that cuben didn't stuff well, but needed to be folded or rolled to get it as small as possible. I am amazed at how small my silArgon tarp packs.

[CC_Cinci]

I would disagree that cuben packs smaller than sil. In the stuff sack my superfly is about 2/3 the size of my HG cuben hex

Agreed. My only evidence is based on the comparison of my Superfly with a HG Cuben Hex with doors in camo print (which is .62oz/sqyd vs .52). Despite being a larger tarp, the SF packs down significantly smaller.

[Brancher]

That could be, I don't have any cuben to play with. I had heard on the forum that the issue was that cuben didn't stuff well, but needed to be folded or rolled to get it as small as possible. I am amazed at how small my silArgon tarp packs.

I don't know about all that, but I have a DIY superfly 10X11 silny, an 8X11 silny tarp, and an HG cuben tarp, 9X11. They all pack well, I use snakeskins on all of em. The cuben is no issue at all regarding packed size - besides, I just put it in the outside kangaroo pouch of my Ohm anyway.

The Cuben is SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the 8X11 sil tarp, and I have had it out in a torrential downpour on the AT with no issues. It is a solid choice for someone who knows how to care for their gear, and I love the 6.5 oz as opposed to the 14-16-odd oz for the others. To me, the cuben is a bit more fragile due to puncture vulnerabiity but other than that is seems like it's pretty robust.

Lastly, I use mesh snake skins I made. I have some sil skins as well, but hte mesh ones are lighter, stretchier, and allow some moisture to escape while hiking the next day.

Hope this helps.

Cheers.