DCF prices going up!

[Josh J]

I was talking to Joe at Zpacks and he told me DCF fabric prices are going up soon which means so are his prices…. just a friendly FYI

[Michael B]

I am curious how long DCF prices would stay at a higher rate if we all just decided to not buy DCF products for a while. For me, it is already too costly to consider with not enough advantages, so increasing cost will just drive buyers like me even further. Let’s all get off the hype train.

[dirtbag]

Silpoly

[David Gardner]

@dirtbaghiker +1

WTF? Prices should be going DOWN since production has greatly increased and they are achieving economies of scale that reduce their cost per unit. But they have a monopoly so they can do whatever they want and are instead increasing their profits.

And we enable them by continuing to buy even as they jack the prices.

Or, we can drive down prices by driving down demand. Boycott DCF until they at least eliminate the pending price increase.

How do we go viral with this, like they did with GameStop?

[Josh J]

I feel the same about lumber

[JCH]

So…Imma agree with the avoiding DCF sentiment, at least in the short term.  I love my Duplex.  It has served me well and is still in great shape after 7 years, but I started to worry about having to replace it and really didn’t want to spend $600-$700 (again) to do so.  When they first came out I jumped on a Durston 2P X-mid as a sort of insurance policy and gotta say, I like it nearly as much.  Particularly the fabric.  Nothing is as simple to pitch as a Duplex, but the X-mid is really nice.

Starting to wonder if DCF is so 2010-2012.  Maybe it’s time to move on.

 

[JCH]

I’m wondering where the lion’s share of the market is for DCF?  It was intended for sails, but I think it’s no longer the bling for that purpose.  Other than the UL backpacking market (shelters, backpacks), where is it being used?

[dirtbag]

Even if DCF was cheaper.. I still prefer silpoly or silnylon.. such a small weight difference and it packs so much smaller then DCF.  Personal preference for me..

[Josh J]

@dirtbaghiker

Curious what are some of your favorite silpoly or even silnylon shelters?

[MJ H]

I’m wondering where the lion’s share of the market is for DCF?

I was wondering that myself, but I can’t find statistics on it. I kind of doubt that the ultralight gear market is setting the price. The dyneema fibers are in so many things.

[dirtbag]

Had DCF MLD  Patrol solo tarp and Grace solo and duo tarps.. sold them all. I now use Borah Gear solo silpoly and duo tarps.

I had a Zpacks Duplex… did not care much for it.. the bulky pack size and what i paid for it.. sold that after a few nights using it..

I still have 3 DCF hammock tarps.. i like them.. but last winter in a storm.. one of them, a brand new one.. shredded to pieces!! I then lost all faith and confidence in so called strength of dcf material.

I had a tarptent Moment DW.. slept a few nights in, but decided to sell that off because playing with it in cold rain/snow I had difficulty with removing the pole from the sleeve. Also the struts kept popping out while i was trying to pitch it.. which was not a huge big deal.. but did bother me..

Lately I have been using a silpoly Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo.. which is a sweet single wall tent…

And my favorite is looking like Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape.. Silnylon..

I also have been using.  Nemo Hornet 1p, Nemo Firefly 2p and Nemo Dagger 3p.. rarely… and off hand not sure what those materials are.. but though they are good freestanding tents.. I prefer the lunar solo and Gatewood Cape.

[Marcus]

Man it’s great having a monopoly!

*starts looking for xmid 2*

[Monte Masterson]

It’s kind of like tickets for top music acts and pro sporting events. If people are willing to pay the exorbitant prices then they will continue to charge it.

None of the DCF colors are stealthy enough for my tastes, not even the discontinued camo, but I do understand the advantages of DCF. If someone has the dough and can afford it more power to them, however, I’m now seeing payment plan options pop up on many gear items, which I find somewhat concerning. IMO if you don’t have the money to buy a DCF shelter out right then you probably don’t need it.

There are some quality 7d – 20d silnylons and silpolys available nowadays that range from 0.8 oz to 1.25 oz per square yard and are a fraction of the price of DCF. I personally like the stretch and easy setup of silnylon. The water retention and needed retightening of it are drawbacks, but I find it acceptable.

 

[dirtbag]

here ya go.. this was my pack weight before food and water on my latest trip.. a few days ago.. carrying the Silnylon Gatewood Cape! Had I been using some DCF shelter.. the pack weight would have been what?? Maybe 7 lbs.. give or take?  The reality is.. would i have noticed that negligible 8 ounces? Me? Definitely NOT. Now.. would I have noticed my pack being more bulky on my back?? Possibly yes.. not that that would have made a huge difference.. So again.. I say for the cost of DCF and the packability.. personally…

Screw that bandwagon.. leave it for the sailors and hopefully their sail does not shred to pieces like mine did in heavy winds!!

[dirtbag]

Agree with Monte.. none of the DCF colors are stealthy, not even the camo.. i have a camo Hammock Gear DCF tarp for my hammocks and yes it is camo.. but it is like shiny or glossy…its definitely darker color though then the olive green next to it.

[David Gardner]

Silpoly here I come! Next stop RBTR – unless there are better alternatives?

[Michael B]

Their standard silpoly is pretty good, hard to fault it. I’ve used it, the Membrane, and the Membrane PU4000 (now discontinued); my vote goes to membrane since I haven’t seen any failures in my stuff that ripstop would’ve helped. They are both bargains compared to Dyneema.

[David Hartley]

I could be quite happy in a world without DCF.

Sure its light – but it packs way-way-way to big and I don’t trust its durability, and the lack of any stretch makes pitching DCF shelters way too fussy.

My brother uses an MLD Duomid XL he bought off of gear swap and it was still way too expensive and takes up way too much of his pack.

Not a fan.

[Josh J]

After all this I’m even more convinced not to go DCF.

Anyone want to make me a silpoly shelter?  I’ll pay and buy fabric!

I really want a silpoly,  if not I may settle for silnylon

[Rex Sanders]

At least two companies make silpoly tents or tarp shelters, including:

Six Moon Designs
https://www.sixmoondesigns.com/collections/ultralight-shelters
SMD uses a variety of fabrics, check carefully. Pretty happy with my silpoly Skyscape Trekker.

Lightheart Gear
https://lightheartgear.com/collections/tents
Also a mix of silpoly and silnylon. Their silpoly Firefly was on my short list.

HTH

— Rex

PS – DCF has its uses. I’m very happy with my HMG Windrider after ~8 years.

[Michael B]

The Dyneema content in packs is far less than what is used in a shelter, so the cost of those products would likely be commensurately less impacted. The cost of a pack is in the labor and in the branding.

[dirtbag]

@Josh.. curious what style shelter you are interested in?

[Josh J]

@dirtbaghiker

Either a mid or a beak style tarp, modular so net and tarp separate,  1 pole setup.

On my short list is the penta tarp by wilderness designs,  a silpoly version of zpacks pocket tarp with doors  or possibly something like

 

 

 

Edit. If im picky, no zipper, overlap door…. I think

[Link .]

. DESCHUTES ULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING TARP .

. MOUNTAIN LAUREL DESIGNS .

[Stumphges]

It used to be that DCF shelters were a pound lighter than silnylon. Currently, the MLD Duomid in 0.75 DCF is only 2.5 ounces lighter than the 20D silnylon version.

Everyone’s laid out the negatives of DCF well: shiny surface precludes stealth, stiffness makes for fussy pitch, huge packed size, wrinkles shrink the structure over time, it is unstable and prone to plastic deformation along the bias, tends to form pinholes that are hard to detect, translucency makes for privacy issues and makes sleeping in difficult, etc.

With lightweight silpoly available, I don’t think the market will bear a price increase. If I were DSM I would reconsider.

[Author]

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