Cuben Tarp. Which one?

**conburn** · 10-02-2011, 12:46

I'm looking to get a cuben tarp for my upcoming AT thru hike and I'd like a little bit of what you call "living space". Now, I'm not sure on dimensions, because I'm wet behind the ears but definitely more than the stock HH I have currently. I know I don't really need the space and weight for an april start, but I want it and I figure if I'm going cuben I'm already saving weight. So what's your favorite cuben tarp? I found this, because I'm getting an UQ from them but I just don't know too much about who makes a good cuben tarp and the finer points of tarps. Help me out fellas

http://www.hammockgear.com/cart/inde...products_id=21

**Fronkey** · 10-02-2011, 12:51

Water Monkey wrote a great article recently comparing cuben tarps here and Shug did an awesome video about the hammock gear cuben tarp as well.
I've heard the most positive feedback on the hammock gear one. Good luck with your search.

Fronkey

**lazy river road** · 10-02-2011, 13:06

It depends. Do u want sewn rl with straight edges from z packs or do u want bonded rl with cat cuts from hammock gear. I have a zpacks and an hammock gear tarp on order. Both are of excellent quality just depends which route u want to go.

**packeagle** · 10-02-2011, 22:03

No experience but I would go with the hammock gear one. I've been researching it a bit and the sounds of things the glued/taped seams are more durable in the cuben than the sewn. I also like cat cuts....

**Snowbound** · 10-02-2011, 23:12

+1 for the hammockgear cuben tarp. I haven't written a review on mine yet but it's one of the most well built tarps I've used. Z-packs has great products as well.

**G.L.P.** · 10-02-2011, 23:40

Originally Posted by packeagle

No experience but I would go with the hammock gear one. I've been researching it a bit and the sounds of things the glued/taped seams are more durable in the cuben than the sewn. I also like cat cuts....

thats not totally true .....
some found that some glues used to bond RL's can break down and give
i think WV did some testing on this if i remember maybe he will chime in
both sewn and bonded have there good and bad points
i have a Zpack Cuben tarp and after seam sealing it i found the RL is very strong i see no give in the sewing at all

if you ask me HG and Zpack make the best Cuben tarps at this time there are others out there but i'm not sure on the quality it all depends on your needs

**packeagle** · 10-02-2011, 23:46

Originally Posted by G.L.P.

thats not totally true .....
some found that some glues used to bond RL's can break down and give
i think WV did some testing on this if i remember maybe he will chime in
both sewn and bonded have there good and bad points
i have a Zpack Cuben tarp and after seam sealing it i found the RL is very strong i see no give in the sewing at all

if you ask me HG and Zpack make the best Cuben tarps at this time there are others out there but i'm not sure on the quality it all depends on your needs

Interesting... I guess that more research is needed on my end. When I was looking into them what stood out about the Cuben material is that it was quite susceptible to being perforated when sewn weakening RL. Your comment has me rethinking this assessment.

**G.L.P.** · 10-03-2011, 01:13

Originally Posted by packeagle

Interesting... I guess that more research is needed on my end. When I was looking into them what stood out about the Cuben material is that it was quite susceptible to being perforated when sewn weakening RL. Your comment has me rethinking this assessment.

from what i know what makes the HG Cuben tarp so strong is he glues it and tapes it so it's the best of both worlds

like i said both ways have there pros and cons but there has been talk about glues seams coming apart and sewn as well
i know of a few Cuben packs that has pulled apart as well.. so it's not just tarps
i know a member just posted about his Cuben pack problems not too long ago
but i know of Sil packs that have done the same thing in the end i still like the Cuben tarp more then Sil and if i had to do it again i would still get the Cuben tarp
i tend to be very careful with my Cuben tarp too

**packeagle** · 10-03-2011, 01:41

I have the feeling that a Cuben tarp will be my next big purchase after a 3 season UQ. I have to purchase gear in stages as funding allows. I will watch this and other treads more closely as I guess I don't understand this material as much as I thought.

**jay_nj** · 10-03-2011, 16:57

Just got a cuben Z-packs hammock tarp. After putting all my guylines, ridgeline, dutch flyz it weighs 6 ounces in the stuffsack. Nice olive color and while it is stitched, all the sewing is top notch.