Spinntex vs. Cuban fiber

good question to ask Ron at MLD. The possible variations include sound (which fabric is noisier), and strength. I think if you get the two fabrics at the same weight per sq yard, the cuben fiber is stronger. Last, there is the variable of puncture resistance. Ask Ron about all 3 issues, he should know. Let us know what you find out. Ron is good at answering questions eventually. I've done business with MLD (I have their bivy, their spoon, and their pack cover).

From what I gather the Cuben is 100% bomber waterproof, whereas the sil isn't quite… as to whether that'd be something you notice, I'd imagine it would depend on the weather you expect.

"From what I gather the Cuben is 100% bomber waterproof, whereas the sil isn't quite…"

He's asking for a comparison of Cuben to Spintex EXP (Spinnaker fabric) not SilNylon. =)

Spintex EXP is one of the better spinnaker fabrics on the market compared to other spinnaker fabrics. It has very low stretch and is extremely water resistance compared to other spinnaker fabrics. The biggest downside is that it is very noisy compared to the other two tarp fabrics (Sil and Cuben) so you have to pitch it very taut. It is very fragile when it comes to punctures and abrasion.

Cuben Fiber (Ron's Spectralite) is a bit more bomber proof when it comes to rain and wind and isn't quite as noisy as Spintex and it is a bit less fragile (not much though) to puncture damage but more prone to abrasion damage.

If you can afford Cuben Fiber, I'd do it. I am using a Spinnaker fabric tarp at the moment but will be making the switch to Cuben Fiber in the future.

Cuben is when you want the lightest weight possible and can afford it. Spintex EXP is when you want lighter weight than SilNylon but can't afford Cuben Fiber. =)

tobit, have you visited zpacks.com ? Joe uses his 1.5 oz/sq yard cuben fiber for his blast packs, and he says (if my memory is correct) that oz for oz, cuben fiber is stronger than silnylon. I don't know about spinnaker. What is important is understanding the oz per square yard difference between the two different fabrics.

I have gossamer gear's spinnaker squall classic tent and it has held up just superbly on the JMT for 16 days last year, plus all the training weekend hikes. I have a zpacks 1.95 oz zero pack ths is made of the 1.5 oz/sq yard cuben fiber and it is extremely rugged material.

puncture resistance is something else. I did accidentally puncture my squall classic tent with my hiking pole but had it reinforced patched where it happened.

"tobit, have you visited zpacks.com ? Joe uses his 1.5 oz/sq yard cuben fiber for his blast packs, and he says (if my memory is correct) that oz for oz, cuben fiber is stronger than silnylon."

Yes I have, I've been doing business with Joe for a couple years and agree with that. However, the 1.5 oz. Cuben that Joe is now using on his Blast packs is a totally different animal compared to the lighter 0.6 oz. weight Cuben that Ron and others use to manufacture ultralight weight tarps.

I have all three materials here in my possession at the moment used for various things. Stuff sacks are 0.6 weight Cuben, tarp is spinnaker material, tarp stakes and food sack is 1.5 oz. cuben.

Hey JT-
Thanks for trying to keep me honest :)

I'm familiar w/the Spinntex. It is one of the better ones. It's siliconized polyester instead of siliconized nylon. And it is, to say it probably inappropriately, more siliconized than a standard sil fabric. But as people have differentiated before, some people notice more "misting" or eventual leak-thru w/sil fabrics. I know Spinntex is supposed to be awesome; as I recall it's something like 30% more waterproof. I was just saying that between the cuben and spin, there's probably still some of that ultimate waterproofness difference in the fabrics.

Yes Brad, I would agree with that and this is why I will ultimately be upgrading to a small Cuben tarp myself. I went with the Spinnaker tarp for now because I had an immediate need and it was what I could afford at the moment. Now that I have a tarp to get me by with, I can sit more patiently and wait for MLD's 8 week order cycle or wait for Joe Valesko to get back from his CDT trip. =)

One additional nicety about the 1.5 oz Cuben is that it is now available in a few different colors. The color to the far right in the sample below is "breen" (military brown-green).

I have the GG Squall Classic in spinnaker and a MLD cuben tarp so I have had the chance to sleep below both fabrics. Both are good, but my observation is that the cuben is significantly stronger than spinnaker as well as being quieter as others have noted. Cuben is very difficult to tear or puncture, spinnaker is more fragile.

I'd say cuben is well worth the extra dollars. I believe it will last longer as well as being lighter.

so… where are they getting the .6oz spectralite cuben? all i can find is the .48oz, or is the .48oz the weight per yard before lamination.

So cuben is stronger and quieter than spinnaker? hmmm… that gets me thinking about my tarp that I'll be starting next month…

will the cuben stand up to sustained winds better than spinnaker?

“where are they getting the .6oz spectralite cuben?”

Cubic Technology is the manufacturer. There are a few retailers who will sell you small amounts. Joe @ Z-Packs is one of them and there is also Quest Outfitters but Quest only sells 0.33 and 0.48 oz weights and I do not recommend either for high wind applications. Joe carries both the 0.6 os. material in the natural color and the 1.5 oz. in blue. There may be other sources on the retail level.

“So cuben is stronger and quieter than spinnaker?
will the cuben stand up to sustained winds better than spinnaker?”

Yes and Yes.

yeah, I was looking at quest outfitters and couldn't find it elsewhere. If the .6 oz will hold up to the semi strong sustained winds if pitched low when a storm rolls in and is as waterproof or more… at $6 a yard more than spinntex it would only set my project back $30 extra which isn't bad and really isn't a setback. Color isn't a concern, the weight and strength is the concern with my solo shelter.

I decided to go with the Cuban Fiber. Thanks to Roleigh, Brad, JT, and John for your input and suggestions about these fabrics.