Cuben virgin

[Diplomatic Mike]

So my Cuben Trailstar is ordered.
Although i would class myself as a fairly experienced person, i've never used a cuben shelter.
Any advice welcome.
Do this, don't do that, etc.
Use,
Storage,
Maintenance,
etc,
etc,
Cheers.

[kevperro .]

Is that rain is louder on cubin than it is on sylnylon. The cost I guess too but hey nothing comes without a price.

[Diplomatic Mike]

I find the sound of raindrops soothing, Kevin.
That's an upside.
Cheers. :)

[David Ure]

You will hate it, Mike. You need to sell it to me post arrival at a significant discount. Alternatively, you could just have it re-routed from Ron to Canada.

[Diplomatic Mike]

Thanks for saving me from a bad experience, Dave.
I'll call Ron now.

Or maybe next week. ;)

[Stephan Doyle]

You're in for a real treat.

Don't roll/fold it up the same way every time.

Wrinkles really are "character marks." I love seeing them on my cuban – reminds me it's been used.

Store away from UV light.

Setup your shelter the way you want it to be until you take it down. Cuben doesn't stretch – a taut pitch and solid staking mean your shelter's pitch will remain just the way you left it.

Love it forever. :)

[Diplomatic Mike]

@ Stephan.
So what is the best way to pack a cuben tarp? With a sil tarp, i just stuff it into the stuff sack any old way.
Can you cause long term damage to cuben by repeated folding in the same position?

[Christopher Yi]

I'm in the same boat. Just received my first cuben equipment, HMG Echo I tarp and a Windrider. From what I've searched about packing cuben, stuffing was the preferred method.

[Patrick S]

I asked the same questions about stuffing vs folding when I got my cuben tarp. Most stuffed (I do because its easy) and some folded. Nobody had any issues with either technique.

Have fun with the new set up! I expect to see a trip report with this shelter in some fun place soon after it arrives!

[Stephan Doyle]

Stuffing is fine.

Folds/rolls can cause creases, potentially harming the integrity of the material. Might be overblown, but something to keep in mind.

[Travis Leanna]

As had others, I asked the same question when I got my first cuben shelter (HMG Echo I).

From that thread, the consensus was fold, then roll to get the most compact shape. Cuben doesn't stuff very small like silnylon.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I normally fold & roll, but I don't think you can really go wrong unless you're aggressively creasing it the same way every time.

Over time it'll become a bit less see thru.

[CW]

I fold and my Nano packs up to the size of a very small paperback book. Actually, it might be as small as 2 decks of cards side-by-side. No issues thus far. Cuben is a laminate so the likelihood of causing damage by creasing is, IMO, significantly lower than something like sil. Of course it could always delaminate but again, unlikely with the heavier versions.

[Diplomatic Mike]

Thanks guys.
Seems like it doesn't matter too much how you pack it, but don't be too aggresive?

[BlackHatGuy]

"Seems like it doesn't matter too much how you pack it, but don't be too aggressive?"

That's my credo with cuben. I'm a fold guy, but I don't fold and crease, I just fold, if that makes sense.

[Diana Vann]

Mike wrote:

"So my Cuben Trailstar is ordered … Any advice welcome. Do this, don't do that, etc."

My cuben TrailStar is on order, too.

I have other cuben items, but this will be my first cuben shelter. All of the advice on how to care for one will come in handy. Thanks for sharing.

[Leigh Baker]

I own a cuben hammock tarp and it's my understanding that abrasion and fire are it's two greatest enemies. A spark will melt it, and having it rub against something, as a branch etc, or a guyline repeatedly. Both of these are easily avoided.

I don't spend much time on the ground, so I bought a Solomid here off the gear swap,and I'm happy with it. So I tell myself I don't need a cuben Duomid, but one sure would be sweet!!!

Enjoy your TrailStar!

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