talk me out of buying a cuben tarp

**K0m4** · 06-01-2014, 11:50

lol - am I ever in the minority here.. as someone who actually chose another material over cuben! :-)

Have to admit though, yesterday I was fiddling with my stuff and found myself with the two tarps in each hand.. and it IS that much lighter...

**Gravity** · 06-01-2014, 12:42

I had an HG standard with doors, and traded it for a WL tadpole. I found the following issues with the cuben tarp:

- The material is translucent so sun rays go through. This creates a "greenhouse" effect, which adds to the heat discomfort in the summer.
- The material is translucent, therefore offers less privacy.
- The material is silvery even in the green color, so the stealth quality is lost.
- The material is "crinkly", therefore more noisy under the rain. May affect sleep quality.
- I thought that so many tieouts complicated the issue more than it was worth it for me. The tadpole has only six tieouts (versus 12 for my old cuben tarp) and I like the simplicity and it fits my hiking style. If you need doors, you'll have to live with the additional complexity.

You can see a cuben tarp in action at a recent post. See how silvery it looks in the photos. Also, the camper reports that he was awakened early in the morning by the sound of the rain on the tarp. The post is at:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...st-Minute-Hang

**SwinginIt** · 06-01-2014, 12:50

Originally Posted by Greensoldier

Thanks guys for trying to talk me out of it

my main concern is durability. The ground shelter

that use for backpacking in the negative temps is the mld duomid that is sil and now I am kicking myself for not going to cuben from the beginning because of the sagging of the sil in freezing temperatures.

My concern is when I hang in denser areas where tree limbs and bushes are it could be a problem with an extended cuben rainfly.

I did a search on cuben tarps "problems" and the only thing I found was a guy's cuben tarp melting after months of being exposed to sunlight....needless to say I will not be doing that!

I think people underestimate it's durability. Not saying it's bombproof but it's not some wussy fabric that rips every time something touches it. If you poke any fabric with a stick it's can rip, the difference is that with cuben you can fix it on the spot with some cuben tape. As long as you're not dragging it on the ground it should hold up as well as sil.

**ntxkayakr** · 06-01-2014, 14:24

Originally Posted by Greensoldier

I have been on the fence on buying the HG cuben tarp

Every light tarp has issues with extreme heat, but here is a discussion on Cuben Fiber from a year ago with some real world experience, you might want to PM Acer the OP:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-beyond-repair

A SilNylon tarp in HOT weather is sometimes stuffed with talcum powder or something like that so it does not stick together and possibly get torn as you deploy it. Personally I have found that UV eventually destroys almost everything, so a relatively scientific side by side test with some small samples in someone's backyard over a few months would be interesting. Control samples in the shade and inside. Test with weights. A kid's school science project perhaps. Hey, I want to do this, but a veto from my spouse.

**ClayTurner** · 06-01-2014, 16:07

I have the HG winter palace in camo. I had a Lawson cuben tarp prior that was the white color, and traded up to the HG tarp. I like the camo much more than the white, it is still somewhat transluscent, but shades much better. I had sil nylon before that, and never had any problems. you have to use tensioners with the sil nylon or it will sag overnight. I like that the cuben does not wet through, it is truly waterproof. Lightweight and durable. I am careful where I hang as I don't want branches rubbing against it, but that was the same with sil nylon as well. I am happy with the HG cuben, it is a big tarp, has doors, camo, light, easy to deploy. I like the sound of the rain on it, like the sound of the rain on a tin roof it is a positive for me. The only drawback was the extra $ to buy it, but that is what money is for, to trade for cool stuff.

**old4hats** · 06-01-2014, 16:17

I have a superfly and thought that I would not be tempted by cuben. I was wrong, and when a deal came along I grabbed it. It is the light color, not very shady in the sun, but knowing that, I look for sites with a good green canopy and that works well. I tend to set my tarps so high that transparency as a privacy issue isn't an issue, I just wait for dark. I find it to be pretty sturdy, but still am very careful how it gets handled. It is the standard tarp with doors from Hammock Gear and I use it with my WBRR, so I am careful to pitch it so the hammock spreader bars don't rub it. Yes, in winter when weather is likely to be worse, the old superfly will find work again.

**Apeman1470** · 06-02-2014, 16:38

I love my HG CF tarp! And to riff off of Gravity's post:

- The greenhouse effect heats it up and helps my butt get on the trail sooner.
- The translucency helps me see the sky at night or others approaching.
- The silver/gray is subdued and does not stick out. Doesn't really effect stealth.
- The "crinkle factor" in rain actually helps me go to sleep.

One huge advantage cuben fiber has over silnylon is that when it's raining and you're packing up, the cuben fiber tarp has gained zero weight due to water absorption. And in the winter, frost/respiration/condensation will not sink into it and make it heavier.

So, don't buy one!!!!!!!!!
- I like the 12 tie outs because they offer infinite configurations.

**Ewker** · 06-02-2014, 23:03

We had two cuben tarps and sold both of them. One reason we sold is because the sun light comes through early in the morning and that wakes us up. It is nice to see the stars at night but even a bright moon shinning in on you can keep you awake. Second reason I sold was the tarp size. I didn't like the 8' OAW. I prefer tarps that are 10"OAW. Yes you buy the Winter Palace by HG but that is a lot of money. I can buy 2 tarps for that price and since there are two of us it made better sense. Plus I like black tarps as it really keeps any light from shinning through

**g2outdoors** · 06-03-2014, 10:08

Really it boils down to your personal preference. If you'd rather waste the day away sleeping and the beautiful early morning sunrise bothers you, cuben may not be for you. If you like carrying a heavy pack that strains your neck and hurts your back, cuben may not be for you. If you want to be limited to only a few tieouts and lose a bit of versatility, cuben may not be for you. If you enjoy having money in your wallet and saving for your kids college education, cuben may not be for you. :-)

**Suede** · 06-03-2014, 10:21

It's going to come down to personal preference besides the obvious pros (weight) and cons (translucency). I have a HG cuben with doors and the day after I ordered it, Adam came out with a camo pattern. I was ready to change my order when the tarp came to the door. I am happy I didn't change. I love the translucency and being able to actually see moonlight at night and shadows of trees overhead swaying in the breeze. I feel more connected to the outdoors. Light has never bothered me but if I needed to, I would throw something over the ridge line, which I've never done. Heat? Never had a problem.. i usually shock cord the doors together to get more air flow and I'm usually in porch mode. I don't like the confines of a tarp and this is the next best thing for me to not having one.

Ooooppppsss!!! Sorry if I didn't do a very good job of convincing you but maybe you care more about privacy than I do.