Anyone heard of this material "Cuben"

[DeShazo]

Here is what I found on a website but wow it is expensive, 27.95 a yard;
WT/SQ YD= .33 oz and .48 oz. This is the lightest wt. outdoor fabric we have ever seen. It is 50% lighter than Kevlar, four times more durable than Kevlar and lasts as long as Spectra and remarkable weighs less than 1/2 oz. per square yard. It flexes without loosing strength. Cuben Fiber is a laminated fabric constructed from plasma treated Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and monofilament polyester film. Cuben Fiber retains 100% of its original strength after being folded 250 times. It is not effected by salt water nor does it soak up water. It has great UV resistance and is extremely water resistant. Uses: great for extremely lightweight tarps, rain gear, stuff sacks, packcovers. See "cuben tape" listed below for a no-sew option on this fabric.
Double sided tape that works great with Cuben Fiber fabric. Just peel the celophane paper from each side and adhere it to the the Cuben fiber to form the seam. No sewing required for most projects. Extremely strong and very water resistant. Roll size: 60 yds
Note: the cuben tape weighs approximately 3.5 grams per yard

This info came from http://www.questoutfitters.com/coate...20OZ%20RIPSTOP

[goodcaver]

yep--I don't think many people here use it, but I have seen some posts on it in this forum. Seems not so durable to me, but maybe I'm just too lazy to be really careful with my gear : o )

But you could check out this dude, for instance:
http://ultraliteskunkworks.blogspot.com/

[Mrprez]

I htink there is 2 varieties of the cuben fiber. One is pretty fragile and the other is pretty tough. A 12' tarp would cost you $223 for the fabric alone.

[smartcarpie]

Durability is relative. Comparing a .33 oz cuben item to even silnylon simply isn't fair. When you begin factoring in strength vs. weight though, something like a 1.5 oz cuben is UNBELIEVABLY strong...you always get what you pay for. But then again there are folks out there who can destroy anything; they should stick with the cheap stuff! In my mind .6 oz cuben is a nearly ideal outdoor fabric and will last for years with proper care. The bottom of my current bivy sack is .48 cuben and has seen grand canyon and canyonlands gravel, shelter floors and more and has yet to even show a pinhole. Not bad for a 4.5 oz item...

Christian

[Mrprez]

Durability is relative. Comparing a .33 oz cuben item to even silnylon simply isn't fair. When you begin factoring in strength vs. weight though, something like a 1.5 oz cuben is UNBELIEVABLY strong...you always get what you pay for. But then again there are folks out there who can destroy anything; they should stick with the cheap stuff! In my mind .6 oz cuben is a nearly ideal outdoor fabric and will last for years with proper care. The bottom of my current bivy sack is .48 cuben and has seen grand canyon and canyonlands gravel, shelter floors and more and has yet to even show a pinhole. Not bad for a 4.5 oz item...

Christian

You are correct. I have only seen what others have experienced. Haven't made the leap to buy any of that yet. Might have to get some and make some stuffsacks for my MOLLE Mac Pack.

[GrizzlyAdams]

A member here, gardenville, has done a great deal with cuben. He has a collection of blog postings on his work, here. Includes a cuben hammock!

Grizz

[headchange4u]

Here's some Cuben threads here on HF:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=693
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4539
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=5684
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=5329
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=1423

[guySmiley]

How does Cuben compare to Dyneema?

[Brian]

It's a different process, I believe. Dyneema is a woven thread pattern, while Cuben is a higher-tech laminate process. Dyneema usually isn't used for lightweight fabrics, but rather applications where durability/strength is key. Cuben is the opposite - it uses it's technological advantage to shave off weight.

[warbonnetguy]

i believe the reinforcement fibers in cuben are dyneema fiber.