Hey All!
I scooped up some wally-world mystery fabric last week in the bargain bin.! :banana One is pretty identical to the ripstop used by Ed Speer on his SPE's weighing in at close to 1.1 oz/yd (anyone have specifics? coated?, dwr?, sil?), the other is some kind of mystery fabric. See pics on my host site:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dneilson/Nylon

The 3 fabrics in the pics are, starting from left: silnylon on some equinox gaiters - real crispy and nice!, the Speer-like treated 1.1oz ripstop (one of the shots has a long dark line along the edge that some had referred to as a guide for the machinery used to treat the fabric - is this correct?), and the last is the mystery fabric: :-?
- it has a ripstop weave to it
- definitively is 100% water and air tight (you could pop an eardrum doing the blow through test)
- both sides are equal in texture and coating
- feels almost like PVR but behaves like nylon, there is no stretch whatsoever and it doesn't have the rubbery feel quite like PVR
- weights about 3oz/yard as a rough estimate.
- a real tough material, tried to puncture it and it took a hard hit from a screwdriver like a champ
- fibers are visible when cut but does not fray.

Any help identifying the two materials would be great. Im curious to know whether or not the shiny sil-like is really sil or not; it is water tight but has a bit of blow through, again identical to Ed Speer's material. It doesn't feel like any other sil product I have though but it treated with something.

Thanks for helping out a newbie. I am looking forward to making some of slowhike's creations - HH indoor and outdoor storage items as well as a tarp beak that hangs down vertically from the end providing some rain protection for a hanging pack! Pics will be posted when I am done.

Thanks!:)

Dingus - snip off a piece and take it outside - do a burn test. If it forms a puddle and burns slow, I'm betting you have landed some polyester sil. I've been expecting it to start showing up as some of the big box tent makers are starting to use it.

Dingus - snip off a piece and take it outside - do a burn test. If it forms a puddle and burns slow, I'm betting you have landed some polyester sil. I've been expecting it to start showing up as some of the big box tent makers are starting to use it.

Thank Dino, I actually tried burning it and was quite confused since it burned slowly, formed a brownish - not black- bubble and smelled differently...
hmm, im psyched if this is polysil!!! :)

I believe it is made of expired "associates."

I believe it is made of expired "associates."WalMart is such an environmentally-friendly firm. :D

If you really want to know, send me a postage-stamp sized sample of each and I'll run an infrared analysis to determine the compositions & throw them under the microscope to determine their construction. PM for address.

wow, didn't know that was an option!!
I'll save you the hassle though as my projects really don't require a specific fabric over the other, i was more curious to what i had bought since i am new to this.
Thanks though!