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  1. #1
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    Cuben Fiber SUL Hammock

    Ever since I bought my first yard of Cuben Fiber I have thought about trying it for a Hammock. Since it now looks like half or more of my AT Hike this year will be during the warm season and maybe also the rainy season I have decided to find a SUL way to move into a Hammock.

    In the past it seemed to me that sleeping in a SUL Bivy and using a light sleeping pad of some kind along with a Poncho / Tarp over head was the lightest way to go. I have several light Hammocks made out of silk but they are still in the 12 to 14 ounce range and they still need a tarp of some kind for rainy nights. Using Cuben Fiber for both the Hammock and the Tarp I should be able to get real close to the ground set-up weight. I am hoping to use the Hammock without a sleeping pad so that will save me 5 to 10 ounces. If I do have to use a pad it will still be smaller for the Hammock than if I was on the ground.

    I don't know where the fine line will fall when it comes to total weight between the lightest ground vs lightest hammock set-up but I expect I will find out.

    This is Cuben Fiber Hammock ver. 1.0. The Cuben Fiber I am using is just a little heavier than what I like. It weighs about 0.47 ounce per sq Yard. The Cuben Fiber for the Hammock body weighs a total of 2.36 ounces. The fiber density of this material is very high so it should be more than strong enough. Time will answer that question. The Cuben Fiber Hammock is 50.5" wide by 126" long.

    The Black webbing is the kind Ed Speer Hammocks uses on his line of Hammocks and he will sell the webbing to anyone that wants to make their own Hammock. The small aluminum fittings are some I made to connect the short piece of the black webbing to the Hammock and to connect the white cord. The black webbing and small aluminum fittings weigh 0.85 ounces for the pair. The white cord is a 3/32" Spectra core low stretch something from West Marine and will go from the aluminum fitting to the tree. I will use tree huggers and the white cord will attach to the tree huggers.
    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=601&c=4

    I am going to try and take a timed picture with me in the Hammock after I have used it awhile. I don't want to run and jump into this one till I have a few hours laying in it.
    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=602&c=4

    The knot holds the Hammock in the webbing.
    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=603&c=4

    Weight to date:
    Cuben Fiber for the hammock body - 2.36 ounces
    The two pieces of black webbing and two small aluminum fittings - 0.85 ounces
    The white cord from the black webbing to the tree - 16 foot at 0.05 ounces per foot = 0.85 ounces
    Tree Huggers - Speer Webbing - 2.89 ounces a pair

    Total Weight Hanging for ver 1.0 = 6.95 ounces

    I will try and nap in this hammock for a while everyday to test its durability.
    Last edited by gardenville; 03-06-2007 at 18:45.

  2. #2
    slowhike's Avatar
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    bill... glad you found this site.
    that's one light set-up.
    i have read a little here & there about the cuben fabric & my impression was that it is waterproof. is that right?
    if so, i'm a little puzzled that you would choose it for a hammock. ...tim
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  3. #3
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    That's great. Can't believe the whole setup is that light. I have wondered if Cuben would make a good hammock. How does the material feel against the skin? How does it breathe?

    Glad to see you here at Hammock Forums. I am an admirer of all the DIY gear you have in your gallery at WB>
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." -Terry Pratchett



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  4. #4
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    Cuben Fiber SUL Hammock

    Slowhiker and headchange4u, Thanks for the interest.

    Why Cuben Fiber for a Hammock - its all about the final weight for each item I carry. I want to make a set of backpacking gear where each item is as light as possible based on clever design and the lightest materials I can find. When I was first able to get some Cuben Fiber back in the fall of 2003 I knew I was on my way. I decided to make every piece of backpacking gear that used some type of fabric out of Cuben Fiber.

    Cuben Fiber is completely waterproof. It is not a breathable fabric so for garments you need to build in many venting options. It is very light some as light as 0.35 ounce a square yard. It is very strong and some of what I have that weighs 0.49 ounce a sq yard is really strong. Backpack strong and super light. It is not cheap and starts around $17 a running yard if you can get it from Cuben Corp. What I buy from Cuben Corp comes in 9 yard minimums. I look at the retail price of the items I want to make and if I can make it half as light or more and at or near the same price I am happy.

    As for how it feels next to the skin - I would ask how often do you lay around naked in your Hammock. I made a sleeping bag out of 100% Cuben Fiber. Inside and out. I was asked the same question about it. One of the nice things about Cuben Fiber is that is seems to soften with use. As it gets crinkled up it gets sort of like wax paper that is wadded up and smoothed out many times. It does not seem to get sticky. I got into my sleeping bag one night after a shower naked and fell asleep. I woke up about 2 hours later. The only moisture I could find was a slight dampness in the foot end of the bag. The Cuben was not sticky against my skin. I was laying on my bed inside a 32 degree bag in a house that was about 68 degrees.

    Laying in the Cuben Fiber Hammock this afternoon here in San Antonio, Texas the Cuben was cool to the touch. It was about 65 to 70 outside and I was in the sun. Using this Hammock along the AT at night should be no problem.

  5. #5
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gardenville View Post
    Slowhiker and headchange4u, Thanks for the interest.

    Why Cuben Fiber for a Hammock - its all about the final weight for each item I carry. I want to make a set of backpacking gear where each item is as light as possible based on clever design and the lightest materials I can find. When I was first able to get some Cuben Fiber back in the fall of 2003 I knew I was on my way. I decided to make every piece of backpacking gear that used some type of fabric out of Cuben Fiber.

    Cuben Fiber is completely waterproof. It is not a breathable fabric so for garments you need to build in many venting options. It is very light some as light as 0.35 ounce a square yard. It is very strong and some of what I have that weighs 0.49 ounce a sq yard is really strong. Backpack strong and super light. It is not cheap and starts around $17 a running yard if you can get it from Cuben Corp. What I buy from Cuben Corp comes in 9 yard minimums. I look at the retail price of the items I want to make and if I can make it half as light or more and at or near the same price I am happy.

    As for how it feels next to the skin - I would ask how often do you lay around naked in your Hammock. I made a sleeping bag out of 100% Cuben Fiber. Inside and out. I was asked the same question about it. One of the nice things about Cuben Fiber is that is seems to soften with use. As it gets crinkled up it gets sort of like wax paper that is wadded up and smoothed out many times. It does not seem to get sticky. I got into my sleeping bag one night after a shower naked and fell asleep. I woke up about 2 hours later. The only moisture I could find was a slight dampness in the foot end of the bag. The Cuben was not sticky against my skin. I was laying on my bed inside a 32 degree bag in a house that was about 68 degrees.

    Laying in the Cuben Fiber Hammock this afternoon here in San Antonio, Texas the Cuben was cool to the touch. It was about 65 to 70 outside and I was in the sun. Using this Hammock along the AT at night should be no problem.
    I'm a little confused...you made a sleeping bag out of a non-breathable fabric? No way could I sleep in a hammock made of something like sil...at least not in the summer for sure. Last fall I could feel the air movement through the bottom of my HH and I was still sweating above 70* or so.
    Last edited by blackbishop351; 03-07-2007 at 08:02.
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  6. #6
    Senior Member lvleph's Avatar
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    I would like to see a photo of the hammock in action.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Frolicking Dino's Avatar
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    Hmmm... maybe a cuban fiber bottom and breathable sides? Best of both worlds - lighter & comfortable.

  8. #8
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gardenville View Post
    As for how it feels next to the skin - I would ask how often do you lay around naked in your Hammock.
    Are you sure you want me to answer that question?

    I have slept nude in my hammock before, but not often. I am a very warm sleeper and in the hot summer months I will sleep in my hammock with nothing more that boxers or running shorts. I'm glad to here that it's not sticky against the skin. Cuben looks like it would be like plastic. Thanks for the info on the "feel" of the fabric.
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." -Terry Pratchett



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  9. #9
    Member
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    Cuben Fiber SUL Hammock

    It took a little practice and a few really funny shots to get my timing quick enough to beat the 10 second timer on my camera. Here are a few pictures with me in the Cuben Fiber Hammock. I have the Hammock hanging low to the ground in case something broke.

    As to "headchange4u, I can not say that I haven't slept naked in a hammock. I just don't do it often. If you try the wax paper trick it will give you a real close idea to what Cuben Fiber feels like after a little use. My normal warmer weather sleeping gear is some type of silk boxers or home made silk sleeping pants and shirt. Very light and very cool.

    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=610&c=4
    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=611&c=4
    http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery....php?i=612&c=4

  10. #10
    Senior Member Jazilla's Avatar
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    It looks okay but for me to sleep diagonal I would need it to be longer. What is the width on that hammock.
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