The Optimal non-Cuben Tent Fly Material

This is now in stock: http://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/silpoly-pu4000. First lot with expanded color selection.

John Harper wrote: "Thank you, Richard. I just finished sewing an inner tent using the PU4000 material from RBTR (sample No 6) as the floor, and am glad to see it test well. I noticed that pushing pins through the fabric is much more difficult than with 30D silnylon." John, does the SilPoly PU4000 work well as a tent floor? Especially regarding abrasion und puncture resistance? (Thinking of sewing a lighter inner tent for an existing tent…) Thanks in advance for any information. Regards, Jens

I have 10 nights of use now with my MYOG tent using PU4000 as the floor. I haven't noticed any punctures or water seepage, and my dog has not caused any damage either. It's too early to tell for abrasion resistance or long-term durability, but all signs are positive so far. I put the sil-coated side on the outside for abrasion resistance, and sleep on the PU-coated side. Much less slippery than normal silnylon

Thanks a lot for the immediate answer, John. That sounds promising.

Sam and Richard, Thanks for your contributions.

Hi Daryl, Thanks, but Richard did all the work of testing and compiling results. I just sent him a few swatches. Without his efforts, most of my MYOG buys and builds would be a total crapshoot. His recent post about tests of the Dutchware Xenon Sil should be taken along with this thread also, although the 'aging' tests don't appear to have been done there, and they are important, as you can see from his charts above how much the HH drops for many of the materials after simulated aging. I think his efforts are really starting to improve the quality of info provided by vendors. The recent Dutchware post and thread are at: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=107266 Happy Trails