Soft vs. Hard Tyvek

[Slip Stream]

Soft vs. Hard Tyvek

Is a soft tyvek ground cloth as effective (water resistant, durable, puncture resistant) when compared to its hard structured counterpart?

- Slip Stream

[Moon Monster]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by soft and hard, but I do know about a Tyvek type marketed for home contruction (house wrap) and a type marketed for kite construction.

On my thru-hike, I used the kite grade which is softer and more pliable than the construction grade; it's also a bit lighter per sq. yd. It also wrinkles a lot more and it is near impossible to smooth out once you fold it up. If you cut it at least a foot wider than you think you need, then it won't be a problem, but I threw my piece away because wrinkled, it was too narrow for use another year. The kite grade is just as water proof as the house wrap, and it was plenty durable except for the wrinkling.

I now use a piece of Owings Pink, which is stiffer and a tad heavier than Tyvek but otherwise has similar properties. It was free to me.

[Blue Wolf]

Here is a web-site where you can buy the kite grade tyvek

http://www.intothewind.com/cgi-bin/detail.cgi?itemnum=402&sql=ks

[brian]

I think hes talking about the construction type tyvek and the clothing type tyvek.

I have used a pair of tyvek pants in hard rains, and have never noticed any leaking. However, how one would find a sheet of this stuff is beyond my knowledge. Go to noahlamport.com and get some silnylon for $2.75 a yard.....now THATs waterproof

[Rain Man]

Here's some more info I got from DuPont:

Tyvek can be purchased in about 25 different colors from a company called
FiberMark www.fibermark.com 800-784-8558.

[Happy]

To make Tyvek soft you just wash it on a gentle cycle for around 10 minutes in the machine....need to do this 2-3 times to soften it to a consistency to get rid of the stiff feel....will not effect the waterproof performance.