Is Cuben Fiber Bulky?

[Hangandy]

I assume CF is not bulky or I would have likely seen it mentioned before. Question is, while light, does CF pack down as small as silnylon?

[body942]

You have to think of it a little differently. I would say yes, it takes up less room, but not in a "stuff-into-a-little-ball" kinda way. Think more of the way you'd get wallpaper or a similar material to lay flat when folded.

My superfly stuffed takes up more room (no extra effort exerted to miniaturize, in the interest of full disclosure) than my "folded" winterpalace.

I don't think you'll find any worries with cuben and packed volume.

[WV]

Even stuffed, it seems less bulky than silnylon.

[Hawk-eye]

Even stuffed, it seems less bulky than silnylon.

Plus one on that ... same observation I had.

[Mountnman]

Even stuffed, it seems less bulky than silnylon.

Right on, I love my cuben!

[Bannerstone]

Bulky, not at all. It is the anti-matter of hiking gear it takes up no space and it actually lighter than air. When I got my first tarp in the mail it was folded so neatly and weight so little not much bigger than a ladies clutch purse. It's never folded up that neatly since.

But seriously, cuben is waterproof so you have to roll or stuff it in such a way as to allow the air out as you work. I'm a fold and roll guy, some folks just stuff it in the sack. You'll be scared at first that it's too delicate, handling it with kid gloves but you'll find it's actually pretty durable and in the event of a puncture it is infinitely more repairable than silnylon.

I encourage you to take the plunge.

David

[MAD777]

When folded, it takes up less room than when stuffed.

[Hangandy]

I have never seen or touched an inch of CF before. Maybe here in Canada it is banned because of its "Cuben" origins. I have no idea what to compare it to. I was only worried because I found that Tyvek was amazingly light but seemed to bulk up over time. Gotta save up now for a Palace. Thanks all.

Oh yeah, do you repair with Gorilla Tape or anything special? Or is this stuff self-healing as well as lighter than air? Except for price and increased risk of theft what would be the biggest problem I should know about before I bite the bullet?

Best!

[hangnout]

Oh yeah, do you repair with Gorilla Tape or anything special? Or is this stuff self-healing as well as lighter than air? Except for price and increased risk of theft what would be the biggest problem I should know about before I bite the bullet?

Best!

In my experience with cuben tarps you will either have rips along seams or "slices" from tree limbs or in my case bridge spreader bar.

I use Scotch transparent duct tape for repairs in the field. It is different than all purpose duct tape. I repaired a small tear on my first cuben tarp in 2007 and it is still going strong.

For repairs at home when you can clean and prime properly use Zpack single sided cuben tape or a diy version

I have always rolled and folded my cuben tarps. You do not have to crank down on the tieouts as much as silnylon since it does not stretch.

[Silent Bob]

It's not bulky and my back likes the weight savings.