Originally Posted by
FLRider
The dyneema fibers in the Cuben fiber are sandwiched between mylar films. The mylar holds them in a particular orientation, which is what gives the material its strength. Mylar is notably not abrasion-resistant compared to a (relatively thick) polyester strap. Once that mylar is damaged, the fibers may wind up going in any direction, causing a catastrophic failure.
Which is what happens most often with Cuben tarps, stuffsacks, and packs: it isn't a burst-style failure from overloading the material's tensile strength, it's an hole or holes rubbed in the material from abrasion causing the fibers around it/them to go every-which-way. Now you're talking about putting this material into an high-abrasion environment (think about it rubbing on rough bark every time you get into or out of the hammock, or even when the wind blows and rocks the hammock). Plain and simple, I wouldn't. Cuben is a wonderful material in pull strength and waterproofness for weight. It isn't a cure-all, though.
TL;DR: Don't use Cuben for this application. It ain't suited for it.
Maybe. The nylon shell will be more abrasion resistant than the Cuben, for sure. On the other hand, it won't be any more abrasion resistant than a (relatively-thick) polyester strap, it will stretch at a different rate than the underlying material, and may very well wind up being heavier on the whole than a straight poly strap.
This is one of those things that would need to be tried somewhere with a decent landing pad, and won't be cheap (considering the cost of Cuben, especially hybrid Cuben, versus polyester). I'd look forward to seeing the results of it.
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