Durable mid-weight mesh from RSBTR

[Geoff Caplan]

The guys at RSBTR have just launched a new 1.oz monofilament mesh which they say creates an entirely new standard for strength and durability:

https://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/1-0-oz-monolite-ripstop-nylon-mesh

They claim that it blows away their old 0.9 oz noseeum, and is stronger than 1.1 silnylon so can also be used for hammocks, stuffbags etc. Also, that it lies flat and is easy to sew.

Looks like a very interesting development.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

I wonder how it compares to their (out of stock) 1.7oz pocket mesh? Particularly for lightweight pack pockets?

[Daryl and Daryl]

Cool fabric.

[Sam Farrington]

Thank you, Geoff. That may be just what I was looking for. Will have to order some to see if it is noseeum proof.

[Lance]

Anybody know what would be the primary use for a mesh of this type? I would assume this is too heavy for a tent mesh.

[Paul McLaughlin]

The appearance of this fabric in the photo on the website suggests that it blurs the line between mesh and fabric. If i had only seen the photo I would not have said it was mesh. It has the tensile strength of a light fabric with the breathability of a mesh. If indeed it is strong enough for a hammock then it might be ideal in that use, strong but highly breathable and thus avoiding the possible clamminess in warmer weather of a hammock made of typical ripstop nylon.

For tent mesh uses, if your tent gets some rough handling by kids/dogs, this might be a nice alternative to the fragility of the lighter nettings.

[Sam C]

From an email from Kyle (RSBTR), this is a fabric and not a mesh yet it is so darn breathable that it can effectively be used as a mesh.

[Mole J]

Looks very similar to the “tough mesh” used on Hilleberg 3 season tents like the Enan?

[Geoff Caplan]

Sam –

They call it a mesh. It looks like a mesh (it’s pretty transparent)

I guess what Kyle is trying to say is that it’s a mesh that’s so tough you can also use it like a fabric.

[Paul McLaughlin]

It should be renamed.

New Shimmer!

See if anybody gets it.

[Sam Farrington]

Received an order for this material in the blue color.
As noted above, I wanted to find out if there were finer threads in the weave that would protect vs noseeums. There were.
There is a double ripstop pattern of heavier threads, woven in a pattern of small rectangles that are approx 1/7″ x 1/8″. Within the rectangles are finer threads in a pattern different from noseeum netting, but with openings just as fine IMO.
There seems to be some semantics about what to call it. To me, it is obviously netting, with fine threads suitable to block tiny insects, plus the double ripstop rectangles that are suitable for blocking larger insects and other pests. Being a netting, air flows freely though it.
Haven’t had a chance to weigh it yet, but if it is 1 oz/sq/yd as spec’d by RBTR, it will provide much increased durability for inner tent walls, with a minimal weight penalty of 0.8 to 0.9 oz/sq/yd. Hope RBTR’s spec is accurate. Since I haven’t seen any strength tests, don’t know if the finer threads will resist dog claws and the like; but it is definitely noseeum proof, and much stronger with the double ripstop nylon pattern, and will hold up better.
Suggest ordering sample set to see the colors before ordering. The blue is much darker when folded, but will be plenty transparent in a single layer of an inner tent wall.

[Sam Farrington]

Received an order for this material in the blue color.
As noted above, I wanted to find out if there were finer threads in the weave that would protect vs noseeums. There were.
There is a double ripstop pattern of heavier threads, woven in a pattern of small rectangles that are approx 1/7″ x 1/8″. Within the rectangles are finer threads in a pattern different from noseeum netting, but with openings just as fine IMO.
There seems to be some semantics about what to call it. To me, it is obviously netting, with fine threads suitable to block tiny insects, plus the double ripstop nylon rectangles that are suitable for blocking larger insects and other pests. Being a netting, air flows freely though it.
Haven’t had a chance to weigh it yet, but if it is 1 oz/sq/yd as spec’d by RBTR, it will provide much increased durability for inner tent walls, with a minimal weight penalty of 0.1 to 0.2 oz/sq/yd over sub one oz polyester. Hope RBTR’s spec is accurate. Since I haven’t seen any strength tests, don’t know if the finer threads will resist dog claws and the like; but it is definitely noseeum proof, and much stronger with the double ripstop nylon pattern, and will hold up better.
Suggest ordering sample set to see the colors before ordering. The blue is much darker when folded, but will be plenty transparent in a single layer of an inner tent wall.  Also, there is a DWR coat, that will reduce water absorption by the nylon yarns.
Further specs are at: <ahref=”https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0261/6507/files/RBTR_Data_Sheet_-_1.0_oz_MONOLITE_Ripstop_Nylon.pdf?1659933254105489743″&gt;

Having some problems tonight with the hyperlink, so you may have to access the data page from Geoff’s link.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Sam, any idea how it compares to say the mesh used on ultimate direction running vests? Be great to find something like that. Looking over my UD vest, it wouldn’t be too complicated to replicate and MYOG once you have one as a template. Lots of things I’d change on mine to suit my style.

[Geoff Caplan]

Sam

Thanks for the review – very useful.

Here’s a hammock that someone has built with this stuff. Seems to be pretty strong:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5H9HR_YdY&t=2s

[Sam Farrington]

Adam; regrets that I’m not a runner, so am not familiar with the apparel.
Geoff; My interest in this one oz netting came from seeing netting portions of my tents wear out quickly, developing holes that continually increased in size. The netting in my tents is often load bearing, although the latest design in progress is not, except for possibly holding up floor walls. Regardless, it is a pain to to do an extensive tent mod or even worse, build one from scratch, and then watch the carefully sewn-in  netting almost immediately begin to dissolve before my eyes.

So, the 1 oz Monolite looks like the solution. Of course, so far we don’t know for sure how well those fine threads between the double ripstop will hold up, but at least the we can be fairly sure that rips will be limited to no more the 1/6-1/7 inch ripstop rectangles, which is a big deal compared to disintegration that makes an inner worthless even as just a bug, pest and condensation barrier.  And as I mentioned above, relative to .8 or .9 oz polyester netting, 1 oz/sq/yd is a very small weight penalty for greatly increased performance. I would think that long distance hikers especially, would go for this improvement, and doubt whether the polyester netting in either of my current tents would survive a longer trek.

Maybe we will see some tests of hammocks like the one in the video.

[Geoff Caplan]

Sam

Stumbled on my own thread when Googling for reviews of the Monolite.

How have you found it holding up in practice?

I’m prototyping a shelter setup that I’d want to last for a few hundreds days when I retire and spend a couple of years doing thru-hikes around the world. I’ve had the same experience of the very light mesh disintegrating with use. As my bug net is small, I think I’d take the modest weight penalty and go with the Monolite provided it really does perform as advertised.

[Sam Farrington]

Geoff, You got me. Do not yet have a tent built and in the field that would answer your question. A couple points, though: RBTR sell samples if you do not want to place a minimum order, and could be compared with the usual netting available for MYOG. I’ve noticed that much more robust netting has been used by Sierra Designs on some models.

Also, I took an early retirement from a full-time job at age 61 to do a Jun-Sep trek through Colorado, and discovered that the bod contained a number of flaws that were never even noticed in 2-3 week treks. I should have done the long trek between earlier jobs – heaven knows was changing them enough in middle age. If you do wait till retirement, by all means, stay in tip-top shape.

[Author]

Posts