HyperD Fabric – Anyone used it?

Just in a hammock- but the one ounce holds my 210 pound butt in the air.

I am considering it as well for some UL packs, but no experience yet.

Before you pull the trigger- Check out Poly D from Dutch. http://dutchwaregear.com/polyd-1.2.html

Now that I have some of each- the Poly D has an extra diamond pattern slightly offset from the first. Hyper D has one. Picture diamond grid over diamond grid.

I don't know enough about the base fabric itself, haven't "hung" in the polyd yet.

But, for the relatively small amount of material I would go Poly D over Hyper D for a pack simply based upon the extra reinforcement grid. Poly D comes in 1.4 also.
http://dutchwaregear.com/polyd-1.4.html

Full disclosure: I own RBTR and created the HyperD line of fabrics.

With that being said, I'll stick to the facts. I haven't tested or seen the "poly D" fabrics (these came out 2-3 months after the HyperD), but I think there are a couple points to make just based on differences between nylon and polyester.

– From just a materials standpoint, nylon is stronger than polyester. Any manufacturer will tell you this and it's one reason industry has gravitated toward nylon over polyester for lightweight fabrics. You can also see it with a basic at home strength test. All things being equal, if you take a strip of poly vs a strip of nylon, say 1.1 oz 20D, it's relatively easy to snap the poly whereas the nylon is very difficult or in my testing impossible to snap with my bare hands. Granted for a UL pack this may be a moot point, but just something to consider.

– All the HyperD fabrics are treated with a DWR for moisture repellency, whereas the PolyD (as stated in specs), has no DWR at all.

– Nylon is naturally resistant to fungi and mildew growth whereas polyester is not.

– Nylon is softer than polyester. Most poly has a fibrous, coarse feel whereas nylon has a more natural, silky feel.

Further to what was mentioned, I believe that nylon has more stretch than polyester, which could be beneficial in a backpack. The polyD was intended to have less stretch so that your hammock doesn't sag. I have found that backpacks are tricky because they have to take a load, and it's bumping around, which can put a lot of stress on the materials. I also find that there is sometimes one or two places that seem to take the load more than anywhere else once the weight settles. I'd rather have a fabric that can stretch a bit and can help to distribute the load evenly on the seams.

Thanks for the insight guys!
@Kyle – Could you guys add Singapore to the shipping list? I'd love to order some to test.

Cheers
QX

No problem and yes I can get that added. Shoot me an email so I'll have your info if you don't mind. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask.

Kyle-
Thanks for the feedback! The base fabric thing I don't understand (nylon vs. poly) was explained well. As you mention- you don't see poly much.

I love the HyperD for the hammock, and it's pretty tough stuff for the most part. Since my last post I had a boo-boo in my bridge hammock. During a quick nighttime set I didn't have the spreader bar set right and sat down and it shoved through the HyperD.

figured good time to try it- two nights in the fabric so far and no change in the hole. The hole is towards the head end, but still under tension. Point being- the HyperD 1oz, holds a 210 pound guy even with a hole in it. At some point it will fail, but it won't explode on you if you ding it in a backpack…

The double ripstop grid on the PolyD is the only visual difference- but as you say- if the poly itself isn't as tough then what's the point.

I'll still be trying the PolyD at some point in a hammock- but thanks Kyle for the informed opinion, you swayed me to consider the HyperD first for other gear.

That said-
other than HyperD 1.0 is easier to sew than Sil-Nylon.
For the relatively little weight difference in a pack- How about a HyperD 1.0 to Sil-Nylon 1.1 (1.4ish finished)?

Qing Xiang Yee,

Thanks for the post. Because of it I ordered and received some samples of both the 1.6 and 1 oz HyperD. I haven't made anything from it but I really like the looks of it. It is very tightly woven and appears to be high quality fabric.

I've made packs from other 1oz to 2oz uncoated ripstop and they have worked fine. I've routinely carried 30 lbs and never had a big rip or catastrophic failure. I do get small holes and some thread separation. The small holes come from snagging various things (sticks, sharp rocks, etc.). I believe the thread separation comes from things within the pack putting pointed pressure against the fabric.

The tight weave of the HyperD looks like it might be more resistant to thread separation than the other fabrics I've used. For this reason I plan to get some and make a pack bag out of it…….but I'm not sure when I'll get to it.