View Full Version : Lightheart no longer using cuben fiber
Don't really have much more to add to that other than "Bummer". I'm sure she has good reasons to not be using it anymore, but I'm bummed anyway.
Just Bill
08-02-2013, 12:25
Mentioned in another thread that Judy was on BPL and discussed it a bit. Many folks site difficulties in producing it properly and that due to the high cost of the material itself, increased labor cost over traditional fabrics, it was hard to produce an item at a reasonable cost. Judy's explanation was along those lines as well. I'd be curious too, I meet folks who work with it and say, "No big deal, works same as regular fabric" but those folks are usually just using the 1.43 oz heavy duty stuff that is in combination with regular fabric. The real deal seems to be the delicate work required to get the 1oz and lower weights to work without failure. Higher integrity companies seemed to agree that to "do the job right" involved more effort and cost than the market would pay. I've run some of the numbers from a MYOG standpoint, there is not much left for overhead and profit, let alone returns, mistakes, etc. Maybe she can help, but my understanding is that one of the biggest issues is that you can't seam rip and redo a bad stitch, so you have to scrap more material. Again- I really hope Judy answers directly as the comments on BPL varied wildly on the subject.
I have made a number of MYOG out of cuben, mostly recently a shelter. Like bill said, it takes longer to work with it and there is a good reason that retail prices are so high. I would be interested to know if zpacks is able to make cuben financially workable given the large quantity that they work with. I am assuming that financially zpacks is in the black.
Judy is on the Colorado Trail. Wait for her return and explain things, one way or the other.
I will be out hiking the Colorado Trail in August and September. Orders will continue to be filled, and emails will be answered by Marc while I am on trail. All tents listed on the website are in stock and available for shipping.
Wayne
Persistent
08-02-2013, 17:50
This is Marc, Judy's husband and partner in LightHeart Gear. I don't think Judy has permanently sworn off Cuben forever. In the last couple months we have just been consumed with keeping up with orders for "Standard" tents and because she is the key person producing Cuben tents, there is no way we can make Cuben tents while she is out hiking. We are still making and selling sil nylon tents.
When she returns in mid September, we may well offer Cuben tents again. Stay tuned.
Marc
Thanks Marc. Getting information directly from the source is always best.
Good luck to you and Judy. I know she is having fun!
Wayne
Perhaps a moderator could edit the title of this thread. It is not fair to Judy & Marc to have misinformation posted.
Wayne
kayak karl
08-02-2013, 20:18
i was going to try to get Judy to smuggle me in a cuben at the SORUCK. :)
This is Marc, Judy's husband and partner in LightHeart Gear. I don't think Judy has permanently sworn off Cuben forever. In the last couple months we have just been consumed with keeping up with orders for "Standard" tents and because she is the key person producing Cuben tents, there is no way we can make Cuben tents while she is out hiking. We are still making and selling sil nylon tents.
When she returns in mid September, we may well offer Cuben tents again. Stay tuned.
Marc
Thanks for that info! Yeah, I figured she had a very good reason for not working with it. And I'm glad to hear that it may be coming back in the future. And I hope she's having a wonderful time out on the trail!
Perhaps a moderator could edit the title of this thread. It is not fair to Judy & Marc to have misinformation posted.
Wayne
I agree with this. I should have worded the thread title differently... something along the lines of "...not currently using..."
So glad that I got mine last year.................compared to sil nylon cuben is lighter, packs dryer and NO MISTING.