Thoughts on cuben fiber

[gRaFFiX]

CF is highly unfriendly towards high temperatures. A spark will melt through CF like xenomorph blood through a spaceship.

"What's a Xenomorph?"

"It's another bug-hunt."

[Bomber]

Love that movie.... reminds me of my home neighborhood

[Bat]

I love my cf stuff sacks and dry bags. Big weight saving. Still waiting on my tarp from pack. He is running behind schedule because the manufacturer is running behind. Have fun making things!

[WV]

How resistant are cuben to embers and sparks?(i'm thinking woodstoves placed under the tarp here).

I've used my Bushcooker wood stove under my cuben tarp a couple of times, but was extremely careful. The tarp was about 3' above the stove, and I put my hand up to feel the temperature at the tarp several times. It was not very hot there. The stove uses a very small fire economically and doesn't throw off sparks, so I felt I could risk it.

The cuben is essentially HMPE fibers (like Spectra or Dyneema) in very thin polyester sheeting, so both materials have low melting points. I'm guessing that a hot spark would make a small hole, but not set the tarp aflame. I don't want to find out in the field, but will someday do a test when I have a scrap left from making something. Holes are easily repaired with cuben tape, and unlike similar repairs (sewn patches) to silnylon tarps, the end result is stronger than the original, not a point of weakness.

[MarshLaw303]

it seems that this thread is treating cuben fiber as one thing, all the same. Cuben fiber comes in so many weights that it is important to consider which one will be used for the application. i use .33, .48 and .51 oz yd2 cuben fiber materials to make quilts, but i am considering dropping the .33 as it is scary thin and makes me nervous of failure while i make the quilt. I have also used .74 to make some quilts and shelters and it is very strong and i trust it in a shelter that is well made and takes into consideration that sewn ridge seams will over time pull apart. (i used a mylar tape over my seams but since those shelters have long left my shop i can't speak to the long term durability of this option, i only made a few cuben shelters before i realized shelters aren't my specialty). There are also cuben fiber options with a more durable mylar film and they can be found in weights of 1.25, 1.5 and up and up. I don't suspect that the cuben fiber your sailing friend is offering is of the lightest weights, i can't be sure but i'd bet it is at least as heavy as silnylon if not much more (love to know when you get it how right/wrong i am on this one). Just saying that you can't just talk about cuben fiber and its pros/cons as the different weights have different pros/cons.

-Tim

[WV]

Good points, Tim. I should have specified that my cuben tarp is CT1K.08, which is about .5 oz/sq.yd. I'm pretty happy with it, but I believe many of the shops selling cuben tarps use stuff that is about .7 oz. (I have to be happy with it. I bought 27 meters. )

[lazy river road]

Does any one know what weight cuben ZPacks uses? I was phishing around his website looking for it but could not find it.

edit: just found it. .51 oz per square yard.

[MarshLaw303]

i think they use .51 for tarps and 1.5 for packs, i think

-Tim

[Oh-No]

it seems that this thread is treating cuben fiber as one thing, all the same. Cuben fiber comes in so many weights that it is important to consider which one will be used for the application. i use .33, .48 and .51 oz yd2 cuben fiber materials to make quilts, but i am considering dropping the .33 as it is scary thin and makes me nervous of failure while i make the quilt. There are also cuben fiber options with a more durable mylar film and they can be found in weights of 1.25, 1.5 and up and up.
-Tim

+1 on what Tim said.
I will add that I too have stopped using .33 because I find that it just doesn't hold up well for most camping/backpacking applications, and I am very careful with my gear. I used .58 for my tarp and it has held up well.

For repairing small holes I use scotch tape. I tested it on a piece of scrap
cuben. After submerging it in a glass of water for a week, the scotch tape
was easily pulled off, but it didn't slide off or lift off on it's own.
Now if you are trying to repair a hole during a rainstorm, a plug made of chewing gum may be a better (temporary) fix until the tarp dries.

[MarshLaw303]

questoutiftters sells one sided mylar tape which is great for repairs.

-Tim