High Bias Cuben

I used some about five years ago. I was just beginning to experiment with the material then, and the project turned out poorly so I can't say whether it had any advantage in use over the standard cuben. On every cuben project since then I've used the standard cuben, in several different weights. However, I've been debating trying the high bias again, and I'm thinking about placing an order this week.

It seems to me that a tarp made from HB cuben might withstand gusty wind loads better than a tarp of standard cuben of similar weight (despite the lower 0 and 90 degree strength of the HB).

I believe that it actually has higher warp strength. At least that is what my info sheet says. I was thinking about using a thicker variety for pack material, but I don't know if it will really have that much benefit over equal weight normal cuben.

Edit: For a tarp, I think high bias would work very well. more strength on the corners.

For a given weight, the standard material has roughly twice the warp strength of the high bias material. If you decide that you want a material in the 0.5 oz neighborhood for a tarp, for example, you could choose the standard 0.51 oz cuben (warp strength: 68 lb/in.) or the 0.51 oz high bias cuben (warp strength: 37 lb/in.)

Michael, I agree with you about using the high bias materials for tarps. Despite the lower warp strength of the high bias materials, it seems to me that it might prove more resistant to failure in high winds. My reasons for thinking this are a bit convoluted, and I have no engineering expertise, but I think it would be an interesting experiment (justifying the cost is another issue).

Ah I see now! I was comparing, for example, CT9HBK.18 and CT9K.18, but they are different in weight. Same mylar and warp and weft I'd assume, but more dyneema since it has the bias too.

I agree with you on the interesting experiment front. Just testing the stuff out may be worth the cost.

Did anyone test the HH of the high bias cuben? With the fibres more spread out the material may be flatter overall (microscopic differences obviously). If it was different that would at least tell us something about the mechanism of permeability in Cuben.
Matt

Know any sources for high bias cuben? I need a very small amount for repair on a Zpack pack.