Tarp Fabrics

[Odd Man Out]

I've been shopping for a lightweight shelter (tarp of some kind). In the price and weight spectrum, the fabric choices seem to be Polyester, Nylon, and Cuben (in that order from light to heavy and cheap to expensive). It seems most tarp makers now use only Nylon and/or Cuben: Cuben for the "I want the lightest at any cost" crowd and Nylon for the "I want good weight to value ratio" crowd. I have only seen a few polyester (presumably for the "I want the cheapest option available crowd). But I was leaning toward a GG Spinntwin, as it seems to me that Spinnaker fabric has many of the advantages of Cuben but at a cost not too much more than Nylon. I find this an attractive option (as I don't want to pay the premium cost for Cuben) but was worried that I might be missing something as it doesn't seem to be a popular choice these days (this fabric doesn't seem to have a niche). Since I can't get my hands on these for a side-by-side comparison, I was wondering if someone with experience with these fabric could tell me if my assessment of the situation is off target.

[Feral Bill]

Polyester has a big advantage over nylon in UV light resistance, and stretches less, too. Too few tents use it.

[Lyle]

I have a spinnaker fabric "The One" from Gossamer Gear. I love it. 17 oz (including stakes, line, stuff sack) for a fully enclosed, bug protected, roomy one man shelter. Condensation is a problem in extreme situations just like with any tent or tarp. I've had this since shortly after they were introduced, version 1 and it has been fully reliable. It's been used in heat; high winds; torrential, all-night rains; sleet and relatively light snow. Never a problem. Kept me and my gear dry. Had extra work to do one night when the condensation Gods were against me, but that was only one night in many. Had to periodically wipe the condensation from the interior.

My understanding is that GG is having a difficult time acquiring high-quality Spinnaker Fabric, that's why The One has been out of stock for so long. Would also explain why it has not become more popular.

[FarmerChef]

I sewed my own out of sil-nylon and a design I got from Bear Paw Wilderness Designs. It's 10x12, has many tie-out options and weighs 20 ounces. Sleeps 5 and the dog. Condensation is a problem when the conditions are right but we pitch in a way that negates that problem for the most part. Stretching is part of why I like sil-nylon as it allows me to eliminate, mostly, flapping problems when the wind is high. I suppose if you were to divide this by 5 it would come out to a 4 ounce tent for one but it doesn't really work that way.

This tarp was a replacement for our first 10x12 which was one of those green/brown cheapos from Home Depot, Tractor Supply, etc. It was nice but weighed 10 more ounces. Cuben fiber looks great if you're an uber gram weenie but the translucence is a bit of a turnoff for me. If you then add a layer of dyneema or some other fabric over top (even a second layer of Cuben or heavier weave?) the weight climbs back up again. Plus the cost is a bit prohibitive for my budget. ymmv

Oh and in the "that sounds crazy" category, we've actually used our tarp as an extra blanket in a shelter on a few cold nights. The condensation element is there but not enough to significantly reduce the heating ability of our flannel sleep sacks. Gets us a few extra degrees when the night takes a cold turn in our summer weight gear.

[Nutbrown]

I made a diy with silnylon. Can't beat the cost. I can't remember exactly what I paid per yd, but think it was about $7-8. If you can sew a relatively straight line, you can make your own. Might not be pretty, but will still keep you dry.

[Snowleopard]

Tyvek is also a reasonable choice for making it yourself. Amazon has type 1443r tyvek for $3.50/yard; this stuff seems preferred to regular house wrap tyvek.
http://www.amazon.com/E-I-DuPont-Tyv.../dp/B001TO4QVA

Good quality spinnaker has apparently become impossible to obtain.

[1azarus]

Glad to hear that the reason for spinn loosing popularity is availability not durability.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[Wise Old Owl]

You missed one - Polycro a little delicate... but works.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...DIY&highlight=