Cuben Fiber Hammock

[Oh-No]

.
You said it was double layer right? Wouldn't any dirt/grit/sand that got in between the layers be a big source of abrasion under the stress of laying in it? Grit sandwiched between two taunt layers of cuben would wreak havoc on it if you moved around.

A reasonable conjecture, but I'm fairly compulsive about keeping my gear
clean. I always had CCF between the 2 layers and kept the CCF clean also.
But, I use Gossamer Gear's CCF pads and they have a lot of grip to them
so that may (as I alluded to in a previous post) be part of my problem.

It will be interesting to see how the single layer Cuben hammocks hold up.
If they hold up well, I may be making a single layer Cuben hammock and use under-quilts instead of CCF. They are light, comfortable, and although I
perspire profusely, I have not had condensation issues with the Cuben hammock.

[Mountainfitter]

I think the reason they are so comfortable is the sides don't wrap around you allowing for better air circulation which keeps you cooler...A while back I had a ground dweller friend lay in both a nylon hammock and my cuben hammock for 30 mins each. I asked him to report which one he liked better and why.. He had no clue that I built the cuben hammock which was great because I wanted an honest answer. After he layed in both hammocks he said he liked the cuben one better because it layed flatter and was easier on his back. He said the cuben one was cooler because the nylons sides wrapped around him trapping in heat not allowing for circulation. His last complaint was the nylon hammock pushed alot on his shoulders.. I have heard this same story time after time. The material might not breath but once you lay in one you will realize it's not really a factor..

I am not sure why your cuben hammock had so much abrasion. Were there actually holes in it?

[WV]

I think the reason they are so comfortable is the sides don't wrap around you allowing for better air circulation which keeps you cooler...A while back I had a ground dweller friend lay in both a nylon hammock and my cuben hammock for 30 mins each. I asked him to report which one he liked better and why.. He had no clue that I built the cuben hammock which was great because I wanted an honest answer. After he layed in both hammocks he said he liked the cuben one better because it layed flatter and was easier on his back. He said the cuben one was cooler because the nylons sides wrapped around him trapping in heat not allowing for circulation. His last complaint was the nylon hammock pushed alot on his shoulders.. I have heard this same story time after time. The material might not breath but once you lay in one you will realize it's not really a factor..

I am not sure why your cuben hammock had so much abrasion. Were there actually holes in it?

Thanks for your reasoning on this. I have wondered if a low-stretch material would make a better hammock. Some people have tried to minimize condensation problems with ccf pads by pricking lots of little holes in them to allow water vapor to pass through. This might work with cuben, too (if indeed it does work), as the strength of the material is supplied almost entirely by the HDPE fibers. Those fibers aren't woven however, so the polyester sheet enclosing them is what holds them in place. I may actually try this, but I think I'll make the hammock first, and try it without puncturing to see if it's necessary. A ripstop prototype or two will precede my cuben version, so don't expect results any time soon.

[Oh-No]

I am not sure why your cuben hammock had so much abrasion. Were there actually holes in it?

Yes, 2 holes about 2" by 1" abrasion type holes. The fibers did not break
but the "mylar" failed.
I repaired the holes with clear packing tape as they were too big for my usual scotch tape repair.

[obxcola]

[QUOTE=Oh-No;240353]Yes, 2 holes about 2" by 1" abrasion type holes. The fibers did not break
but the "mylar" failed.

Got to be an external cause. Stick poking up from the ground, rivets on jeans, zipper on the hip... something.

Probably instructive of the need to be vigilant about any potentially abrasive action on the cuben.

New cuben motto "Don't rub on ME!"

[sclittlefield]

Some people have tried to minimize condensation problems with ccf pads by pricking lots of little holes in them to allow water vapor to pass through. This might work with cuben, too

Definitely do not poke holes in cuben. It cannot handle them the way woven fabrics can. When you think of the properties of cuben, think more like a plastic grocery bag rather than super light nylon/polyester. Sewing cuben can severely weaken it - holes turn into tears with cuben much more readily than in woven fabrics. This is why gluing or taping is the preferred bonding method.

Maybe someone with more cuben experience will want to refute that - please do.

[WV]

Definitely do not poke holes in cuben. It cannot handle them the way woven fabrics can. When you think of the properties of cuben, think more like a plastic grocery bag rather than super light nylon/polyester. Sewing cuben can severely weaken it - holes turn into tears with cuben much more readily than in woven fabrics. This is why gluing or taping is the preferred bonding method.

Maybe someone with more cuben experience will want to refute that - please do.

Thanks, Scott. I had abrasion between a light cuben pack and a fanny pack where they rubbed together, and the fibers separated enough to make 1/4" holes (enough to make me re-build the pack later). I patched them with pieces of aluminum duct tape, and none of the holes expanded into actual rips, but it turned out that the aluminum tape was the wrong stuff to patch with. It's plenty sticky, but the tape is too stiff. The edges rubbed on the cuben and caused more abrasion problems. Still no actual rips, though. I conclude that the best tape for patching cuben is another piece of cuben with adhesive transfer tape (just adhesive, no "tape" there). I've made a number of stuff sacks with cuben - some sewn and some taped with 3M 9460, and all have held up fine, but I've been careful not to pack them where they could rub. I think the needle holes of the sewn stuff bags were far enough apart that the fibers didn't separate. Before I go poking holes in a cuben hammock, I'll do some stress tests on smaller pieces. I'm thinking I could use a small needle in the thread injector and run parallel "seams" without thread, using zig-zag and a long stitch length. Maybe 5 or 6 such seams an inch apart across the center of a 6" wide piece of cuben, then tug. Has anybody done anything like this?

Back to hammocks - does a low-stretch material really give a flatter lie?

[angrysparrow]

Back to hammocks - does a low-stretch material really give a flatter lie?

Hammocks made from polyester fabric certainly stretch less, and seem flatter. I'm not sure about other materials.

[SGT Rock]

I've noticed a big difference between the Nano7 and my homemade one I'm working with simultaneously. I'm not sure what the Nano7 is made from, but it has a lot more stretch than my Homemade which was made using Thru-hiker.com 1.1. I personally think my homemade has a better lay to it than the Nano7.

[slowhike]

Grit was already mentioned concerning possible sourses of abrasion, but I'll mention it again. Reason being, I sleep in a hammock nightly for several years now, (& sometimes take a nap if I'm lucky) & though mine is not cuben, I regularly notice grit in the hammock.
It's easy to transfer grit into your hammock (in clothes, etc) & unless the light is good (& your eyes) you may very well not notice it because it's so fine. Just something to keep in mind, especially w/ the cuben hammocks.