eVENT fabric for sale

Matthew,

If it is a defect in the membrane, you can clean the area with alcohol and use a dab of McNett Seam Grip Sealer to repair it.

I have 10 yards of this material. I will look at it to see if I can find anything similar to what you reported.

sounds good… please let me know. Anyone who ordered this, please make sure yours isn't affected by this defect.

Matthew and RS eVENT purchasers,

I looked closely at the first few yards of the ten yards of eVENT fabric that I purchased. I found at least a half dozen major membrane defects. This non magnified picture is representative of the major defects:

I shined a bright light under one representative defect and it shined through brightly. I then took a microscope based picture to analyze the problem in more detail. It appeared that the membrane was defective in places before it was attached to the nylon. As you can see from the 60x magnification of the representative defect, the pores appear overly enlarged rather than abraded.

Minor membrane defects appear too numerous to count. It appears to me that the minor defects are related to the nylon weave bunching up at the warp and weft junctures. The following 200x microscopic picture shows the fabric weave problem:

I took 60x and 200x microscopic pictures showing the eVENT membrane's minor defects. They are probably related to the irregular nylon material surface:

Wow, that's really bad. Mine only had a few defects at the first foot of 6 yards. I'd be happy to sell mine to anyone looking for a better run of the fabric (The Rain Shed takes a 50% cut on returns).

it looks like they will accept a return…

Returns on Cut Goods (e.g. fabric, webbing, zipper tape): We'll refund 50% of the purchase price on goods that you don't like or change your mind about. We'll give you a full refund or exchange if we made a mistake or sent you something other than what you ordered. If you have exacting color needs, please please order from a recent color swatch set or confirm your selection. Colors may change over time while the names may not.

yes, if the defects are ruining their product, then you were sent something other than what you ordered.

I am going to take a look at my fabric again, and decide on what to do. This really is disappointing… I really hoped to get this eVENT for a bivy… we'll see.

Hi John

I would like to buy your event, I am sending you a PM…

is there any way to make this an official 3 layer eVENT on your own? I mean, it I sewed noseeum netting to it, I am afraid that just the abrasion and friction from the netting would do more harm than good… what coating do the real three layer pieces have on them? I know that REI element stuff is coated by a raised pattern of some sort… this protects the membrane… I am just brainstorming, trying to figure out what I can do to make this more durable… yet still retain its wonderful breathability characteristics. Can anyone help?

Matthew,

Noseeum should work. More commonly, very thin bi-directional polyester lining (similar to the Marmot Dri-clime liner) is used.

as far as bi directional polyester… I am having trouble finding some. Is this it?

http://www.owfinc.com/Fabrics/FabricCare/Microfiber.htm

I'd like to find some that doesn't have DWR… I think that would cut down the breathability.

thanks for the ideas.

Matthew,

Thats the type of stuff I was referring to, sans the DWR.

So those who picked this stuff up (and have a usable batch), what's your plans for the material (e.g. bivy, gloves,)? I was thinking of making elbow high rain mitts for use with a poncho tarp (e.g. gatewood cape).

Hey gang,

I'm the chap who discovered the spinn fabric most companies are now using, so I thought I'd chime in. There are some samples back here in the US that are being tested to ensure the hydrostatic head is as good as the stuff they had been making for me previously. Stay tuned for more news.

Meantime, most of you guys have snapped up my grey spinn inventory but I still have some white spinn if anybody wants some. Still $13/yd plus shipping. Please note the white fabric on the Thru-Hiker site does NOT come from the same source as the original Spinn fabric that hit the ultralight market. I believe they are using a silicone AirX from Bainbridge. The stuff I still have here is the original first quality stuff from Europe.

Mike Maurer

maurer at earthlink dot net

"Please note the white fabric on the Thru-Hiker site does NOT come from the same source as the original Spinn fabric that hit the ultralight market. I believe they are using a silicone AirX from Bainbridge. "

This is AYCE from thru-hiker.com. I do enjoy the often unique perspectives that are talked about at this board. I don't often post here but I thought it was important to correct a potential source of confusion regarding SpinnTex.

While I'm not familiar with Bainbridge's AirX spinnaker, I can categorically say that it is not SpinnTex. People trust SpinnTex because they know it is a quality fabric that has been rigorously vetted by both Thru-Hiker and our industry partners like Mountain Laurel Designs.

Spinnaker fabric is available from many sources and has widely variable properties and prices. It can be reinforced with nylon, PET, PEN, UHMWPE (like Cuben) or other fibers. The fibers can be sandwiched between polyester, polycarbonate (like Icarex), or melamine films, or coated/impregnated with urethane, silicone, or other polymers. With all due respect, nobody posting to this forum can take credit for "discovering" spinnaker fabric.

http://www.bainbridgeint.com/displayPage.asp?id=3

I bought a couple yards of that slate blue eVENT, and made a batwing jacket based on the pattern here at Backpacking Light. I also made a simple pair of chaps.

The fabric is rather heavy compared to ultralight non-breathable fabrics.

There are gross defects in the coating, most of which I was able to plan around. I understand the defects are what made the fabric available.

The coating peels off easily. So easily that I'm not sure even a slippery lining will be enough to protect it. Some places it pulled up with the sewing machine needle and foot.

It appears to be perfectly waterproof. Water didn't get through when I stood in the shower (the third time, as I improved my seam-sealing). It feels more breathable than the Goretex jacket I have, and less breathable than my old Triple-Point Ceramic jacket. But those are hard calls. I sometimes wonder if it is the real stuff, since I still get more sweaty than I do in wool or leather. But it is now my daily rainwear, light and compact enough to jam in my bag all the time.