I have pretty much settled on a Hexamid as my shelter as I take up backpacking again, but I was wondering about its durability and whether it might be worthwhile to order one made with a heavier Cuben fabric than the standard .51 oz./sq. yd. fabric. The only Hexamid that I have seen in person was made out of the pack weight Cuben, 1.43 oz./sq. yd., with a door made out of the .51 oz./sq. yd. fabric. (It was a twin, and it weighed about 1.7 lbs. with the mesh, stakes, ground cloth, bag, door, and some pine needles.) The .51 oz./sq. yd. fabric seemed mighty thin, and I have seen the video on the ZPacks site that shows the .51 oz./sq. yd. fabric being rather easily punctured and torn. If I ordered a Hexamid with the .74 oz./sq. yd. fabric, it would, if my calculations are correct, add about 1.4 oz.; the 1.26 oz./sq. yd. fabric would add about 4.7 oz.
I was wondering about the experience of Hexamid owners with the durability of the .51 oz./sq. yd. fabric. Has anyone experienced any problems with punctures, tears, or other wear? Would anyone with the lighter fabric order a heavier fabric if they had the chance to do it again? Thanks in advance for any information you can provide to help me make this decision.
Richard
