View Full Version : Buying Syl Nylon
sheepdog
02-10-2009, 20:49
Does anyone have a good reliable source for buying Syl Nylon? I have heard the rumor that you can find it in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. I've looked many times at many stores and never scored. JoAnn fabrics never has any. Can anyone help a hiking, do it yourself brother out ?:)
Slo-go'en
02-10-2009, 21:21
http://www.raggedmountain.com double coated sil nylon $15.95 a yard - ouch!
I buy all mine from outdoor wilderness fabrics website. Then I make my own stuff sacks! They are a great source for outdoor materials like that and cordura.
sclittlefield
02-10-2009, 21:27
I have found all mine at local Wal-Mart's. It is always only 48" wide and gray. I have found 8yds of what I think to be sil at Jo-Anne's clearance sale a month ago, but after reading stormcrow's posts on sil I am going to have to give it a thorough testing.
Beyond the luck of random Wal-Mart finds, you're going to have to shop online. Here are a few places to check out:
http://owfinc.com/
http://therainshed.com/
http://www.questoutfitters.com/
http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/Supplies.htm
http://www.noahlamport.com/tentsballoons.htm - This one is not obvious, I think you have to give them a call, but people report that they get sil for under $4.00/yd here (2nds of course).
BitBucket
02-10-2009, 21:34
I found about 10 yds of it in the $1.50 bin at the Walmart in Elijay GA (about 20 miles from Amicalola Falls). It was a gray/green color
I've looked at other Walmarts from time to time, but haven't see it anywhere else...
fiddlehead
02-10-2009, 21:45
OWF in Idaho sells it as someone mentioned already.
For me, the best combination of quality, fabric width (65"), and price is found at Speer hammocks.
http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/Supplies.htm
I just finished my fifth tarp, the second with silnylon from Speer.
Dan
sheepdog
02-11-2009, 13:57
What is best for a hammock tarp, 1.1 or 1.9?
Thanks all for your help.
sclittlefield
02-11-2009, 22:30
It depends on what you want: lightweight or more durability. Most everyone goes with 1.1 silnylon and it works just fine, and lasts fine, so long as you're good to it. You'd be hard pressed to find 1.9 silnylon, but you can get 1.9 with other coatings fairly easy.
Silnylon is not completely waterproof, and is actually less so than other coated fabrics - but it is more than sufficient for rain. It just doesn't do great under pressure (it wouldn't be my choice for a bivy bottom, water can seep in).
Also, 1.1 silnylon actually ends up weighing 1.3 (usually) after being impregnated with silicone. 1.9 ripstop with other coatings will weigh over 2oz/yd after the coating. The advertised weight is often the wieght before the waterproofing.
Does anyone have a good reliable source for buying Syl Nylon? I have heard the rumor that you can find it in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart. I've looked many times at many stores and never scored. JoAnn fabrics never has any. Can anyone help a hiking, do it yourself brother out ?:)
It is Sil, not Syl, nylon. It is sil(icone) impregnated for waterproofness.
As mentioned above it's great for rainflies but not as good for floors (when water runs under it).
The links above are where I'd look for it. Most likely, what you'd get from Wal-mart, JoAnn's etc. would be seconds, where the impregnation is not even. Probably not a problem, sinc OWFinc sells seconds themselves.
What is best for a hammock tarp, 1.1 or 1.9?
Thanks all for your help.
1.1 should be fine. I have two tarps and a poncho made from 1.1 and they've seen a lot of wind and rain with no leaks. They will stretch and sag when they get wet, so be prepared to readjust your guylines or use some other method (some folks like bungee cord or similar materials tied to their lines to take up slack).
sheepdog
02-12-2009, 10:42
[quote=Tinker;777141]It is Sil, not Syl, nylon. It is sil(icone) impregnated for waterproofness.
quote]
Boy do I feel sylli. :p Thanks for all the help.:)
Rain Man
02-12-2009, 10:53
I get my blaze orange silnylon at Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics, Inc. Someone posted the link below.
I have seen rip-stop nylon at JoAnn's Fabrics, but it has never been silnylon, so just beware. They are clueless as to the difference there. Can't speak about Wal-Mart, but again, just make sure you are getting silicone-impregnated if that's what you need.
Rain:sunMan
.
sclittlefield
02-12-2009, 16:41
I have seen rip-stop nylon at JoAnn's Fabrics, but it has never been silnylon, so just beware. They are clueless as to the difference there.
Clueless is certainly the case - I haven't met anyone with any knowledge about coated or uncoated ripstops at any local store so far.
JoAnn's only carries a moderately crappy uncoated nylon ripstop, nationwide. You can find some coated and other styles, rarely, in the clearance section of some stores. And I mean extremely rarely. And the price, even in clearence, is barely less (and sometimes more) than you can get it where you know exactly what you're getting in high quality.
Blissful
02-13-2009, 00:29
We got ours here (http://thru-hiker.com/materials/coated.php)
Got 2nds and used it to make pack covers and stuff sacks. Good stuff.
jgriffith
08-15-2009, 12:08
ray-way.com has prices that I thought were pretty reasonable. Not a terrific color selection.
Snowleopard
08-15-2009, 17:35
There is one sure test for whether a piece of nylon is silicone impregnated (silnylon):
place a piece on the floor and step on it; if you fall immediately it's silnylon.
thru-hiker.com is great. the rainshed is good. the others mentioned have good reputations.
"1.9 ripstop with other coatings will weigh over 2oz/yd after the coating." Usually it'll be 3 to 3.5 oz/sq yard after the waterproofing.
"The advertised weight is often the wieght before the waterproofing." Yes.
Some of Walmarts material looks a lot like silnylon, and its water repellant. And I've bought it at different locations, but its not silnylon...at least in my experience.
Ed Speer at Speer Hammocks is an excellent source for sil (http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/Supplies.htm) to use for DIY projects. Good prices, fast shipping and outstanding customer service.
Jonnycat
08-16-2009, 10:15
http://www.noahlamport.com/
When I bought mine, it was something like three bucks a yard IIRC, with a certain minimum order (10 yards IIRC). If yer gonna make a tarp, or a bunch or other stuff, or just want some on hand, it's the way to go.
For smaller orders, OWF as was previously mentioned.
Pringles
08-16-2009, 16:34
If you use Noah Lamport, ask them to send it to you off the bolt. If it's a fairly small order they will. Last time I had a kind of large order and they left it on the bolt and the bolt is big and heavy, so it cost a bunch more to ship. On the other hand, it makes for easier storage.
Beth