Video: cuben fiber damage report

**AaronAlso** · 06-26-2012, 06:34

Thank you all for your sympathies. It isn't as bad as it looks. I will say that when it happened it made a horrendous "POP" that woke me from a dead sleep, during a thunderstorm, yeah it was loud. Ironically, I've hung in the same place, same 2 trees, at least a dozen times before and never had much more than a chopstick fall from the trees. I'm blaming it on the dry weather.

MAD777: Yes the corners are on 1/2" elastic, between the tarp & lineloc3's. My guess would be that a standard fabric tarp would have suffered the same fate. However, I suspect the tear would have run farther and been more extensive to repair. I'd like to think that the elastic absorbed enough energy to keep the limb from going completely through my tarp.

Stormcrow: I may just take you up on that. Look for an incoming PM.

As for the use of duct tape... I'd be too afraid of delamination when removing it. I wonder how well scotch blue painters tape would hold? Since it's meant to be removed. I wonder if it would be enough for a temporary field repair.

**hangnout** · 06-26-2012, 08:04

I have become the defender of duct tape! My dad would be proud

Again if it was a short trip out with no rain in the forecast I would just wait till I got home and make a cuben patch to cover the tear.

I just think the duct tape is easier to work with in the middle of the night with bad weather etc. At that point I just want to be dry and safe. Most people would be able to make the repair in those conditions with the duct tape. It is fairly easy to wrap several feet of 2" tape around a pencil. With that much repair material your odds of getting the tarp repaired to a usable condition go way up. I understand that when you are looking at your brand new cuben tarp that cost $$ the thought of repairing it with duct tape does not sound like the cool thing to do but I bet you wish you had some on that cold rainy night....

I agree with WV that I would just leave it there if it was working. If I did remove it I would use some rubbing alcohol as a I peeled it off to loosen the adhesive. The cuben already has issues from the tear so a little bit of delamination that will be covered by cuben patch would not hurt.

Cuben patches are the best way to make a permanent repair to your tarp. I would still repair pinholes etc with cuben tape in the field.

Transparent duct tape IMO is the best emergency repair material in the field when conditions are not optimal or the tear is big. Anybody can make a repair with duct tape and carry enough for major repairs.

I have completed a few diy cuben tarps and other projects so I am very familiar with cuben and what works with it. I would not hesitate to use the transparent duct tape for repairs. My first cuben tarp has a transparent duct tape repair that has been on there for 4 years with no peeling around the edges. That was before cuben was the cool thing and we were still sewing all the seams.

BTW the fact we can repair cuben tarps with any kind of tape in the field is a huge advantage over silnylon tarps.

I can't believe I am defending duct tape of all things. I just felt that new users of cuben tarps might benefit from my experiences with it. I just could see someone with only a small strip of cuben tape looking at a big hole over their head on a rainy night.......

I am done defending duct tape before someone tries to change my trail name. Just "hangnout" is my preferred way of browsing the forums.

**Brute1100** · 06-26-2012, 10:58

Hangnout's babysitting services available soon...

**hangnout** · 06-26-2012, 13:11

Originally Posted by Brute1100

Hangnout's babysitting services available soon...

Love it but it is not transparent duct tape

**Brute1100** · 06-26-2012, 13:25

That would look too much like jedi's baby sitting service...

**DivaB** · 06-26-2012, 13:32

Just glad the limb/stick didn't get you and that it's an easy tarp fix.

**MAD777** · 06-26-2012, 19:15

Originally Posted by DivaB

Just glad the limb/stick didn't get you and that it's an easy tarp fix.

I agree, DivaB! The title of this thread should read, "man saved by cuben tarp from having his eye poked out!"

**Acer** · 06-26-2012, 19:28

I picked up some translucient duc tape from Lowe's tonite and rolled about 4 ft on a straw. Very sticky stuff, maybe more sticky that ordinary duc tape. It will be used, in my opinion as a last resort on my cuben tarps if I can't use the cuben tape I got from Zpacks. But,,I will have some with me for a backup. 6.99 for the roll.

**Brute1100** · 06-26-2012, 22:35

Just offering another option and maybe you know this... But i have found wrapping a business card with duct tape or gorilla tape works very well and ends up fairly flat... I even know a guy who carries it around in his back left pocket all the time...

**nk14zp** · 06-26-2012, 22:45

Originally Posted by Brute1100

Just offering another option and maybe you know this... But i have found wrapping a business card with duct tape or gorilla tape works very well and ends up fairly flat... I even know a guy who carries it around in his back left pocket all the time...

Great tip!