Durston tents now have DCF floor options.

[Mike]

Out of nowhere, Dan silently adds DCF floor options to his tents. I’ve owned every one that he’s released and I’m stoked for this update. I’m not a fan of water soaking through the floor, so this is perfect for me. Just ordered mine this morning.

https://durstongear.com/products/x-mid-pro-2-tent-ultralight-thruhiking

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Yes we have added DCF floor options to all of our DCF tents.

My historical preference to use woven fabrics is because 1.0 oz DCF is more expensive and bulky than a woven floor, yet hardly saves weight so there’s not a great reason to take on the added cost and bulk. However, we are using a new version of DCF for these floors that provides similar durability as 1.0 oz DCF  while reducing the weight and bulk, so now it packs similar to our woven floor tents and actually saves weight. It’s still an expensive way to save 2 oz but when a tent is getting this light it’s one of the first optiosn left. With the DCF floor option I think the X-Mid Pro 2 is now the world’s lightest 2P tent at 18.2 oz (515g).

[Mike]

Thanks for the update on the tents either way Dan. I think it has everything I could want at this point. Off topic, but I saw you respond to someone that the Wapta will have traditional straps. Would you ever consider a fastpack version with best style straps and pockets?

[Brad W]

Can you give more details on the floor material? Oz/yd2.

[Mike]

In this Justin video, he talks about how it’s heavier on the bottom than on the top. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cikcSb9nS7I

[Bradley Danyluk]

Is the new DCF material really going to be similarly durable to 1oz? I don’t understand how only having the thicker layer on the bottom can provide that – a puncture or abrasion would normally have to go through both thicker layers on 1oz to make a hole, and half that protection is sacrificed by having only one layer be thicker.

I understand the complaints about pack size and weight on 1oz floors but in my experience it’s pretty much the ideal floor material if you’re not using a ground sheet. Just want to make sure the new material will hold up as long.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Durability is a tough thing to sum up because there are so many different types of stresses (abrasion, punctures, tears) but my view on DCF floors is that abrasion is the main consideration and for this the mylar on the underside is pretty much entirely what determines its performance. There are also tears but all DCF is super strong so these are rare. A puncture can happen but also fairly rare and is avoidable with due diligence on site selection. For punctures having thicker mylar on the top would help some but still having it on the bottom is a big help compared to the thin mylar on both sides that some companies use.

I personally think only having the thick mylar on the underside is the right balance because get the same abrasion performance as 1.0 oz DCF (which I think is the main thing) yet you lessen the bulk and weight of the material. Those thick 1.0 oz floors are the main reason why DCF has a reputation for being bulky, and using the thinner mylar on the top does a lot to alleviate that.

So I think durability is “similar” but how similar it is will depend on the type of stress. For abrasion I think it’s the same. For tears and punctures it is less but I think those are lesser considerations. It’s a tradeoff but I think what we’re using here is the right balance.

[Bradley Danyluk]

Thanks Dan, I suppose that makes sense – with abrasion I’ve noticed as soon as any dyneema threads are exposed things fall apart, it doesn’t have abrade through both layers to cause a cascading failure.

[Dan]

I’ve been waiting for these to be back in stock and the lighter full-DCF version was a pleasant surprise. Just ordered mine.

[Brad W]

Does anyone have any abrasion testing data(ATSM 3884) on different DCF material thicknesses? I see it listed for other material-Ultra, etc. but not for DCF.

[Art Rhizhiy]

DCF doesnt have good abrasion resistance in general, hence not the best for floors. But some people will do it to same a few grams..

[Author]

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