Flat tarps – cuben less versatile than sil?

Yes, Cuben(DCF) does not have any stretch, well not enough to help with pitching. It can be more effort to get a good pitch, sometimes. Often line locks are used as adjusters.

Yes, it is not real abrasion resistant. But, it is usually good for a single 2000mi through hike, maybe a bit longer, or roughly 200nights. Do Not Fold It In the Same Spot. Leaving any of the material to repeated abrasion is not good for it. Better is to randomly stuff it, but it will not pack as neat or as small as sill. It also tends to discolor with sharper creases.  Avoid compressing the bundle. It wrinkles easily and tends to keep wrinkles rather permanently. Sill will often work them out.

It IS easier to repair with duct tape. It sticks pretty well to the plastics in DCF. But it doesn’t last more than two seasons. It is HIGHLY waterproof and never needs to be resealed, indeed is difficult to do so. Sil can be resealed and lasts around 5-10 times longer (I have an easy 500nights on my sill tarp over about 14 years…resealed twice.)  Both are susceptible to sparks from a camp fire. Again, gluing a small patch is possible with either. DCF is a membrain or plastic film. Sil is woven from nylon thread..

Wow, I was hoping for a little more longevity than that for the cost. So the strength of cf is tear strength, as opposed to abrasion and general wear? So apart from the weight, are there any advantages to flat tarps made from cuben rather than sil? Admittedly, the weight is a major deal as it would more than cut my shelter weight in half.

As Cuben doesn’t stretch, it doesn’t get the sagging that can occur with Silnylon when exposed to moisture/condensation…..and Cuben as stated above is highly waterproof.

Yes, the strength of Cuben vs Sil is tear strength….but much less abrasion resistant.

For a good value vs weight ratio, I’d go with the Brooks Range Mountaineering UL Guide Tarp. It’s made of 20d ripstop, so at 12.5 oz  the 8′ X 10′ Guide Tarp is about 3 oz lighter than a similar sized 30d silnylon tarp.  What’s more, it features 16 perimeter tie-outs and a center pull.

Brooks Range is a little more expensive than other manufactuers, but you can regularly (like right now) buy their tarps for 20% off at campsaver and backcountry. There’s a few choices of colors. You can also find them marked down on other sites.

Another good value in tarps is Oware (very good quality, reasonable price, able to customize)

http://shop.bivysack.com/FlatTarp-TM_c6.htm

The Brooks Range and the Oware both look good, thanks. Just wondering if any of you know whether HMG’s cuben tarps have the same abrasion/wear/durability issues? Its seems quite a big deal is made of how tough their cuben is, but looking at their site the cuben they call CF8 is actually .74, as used by MLD and some others.

I just picked up my first flat tarp, in silnylon, and I’m under the impression that the stretch makes different pitches possible… For example, I set it up as a lean-to with one corner dropped down the other night and got a nice, taught pitch. I don’t think cuben would do a twisting plane like that as well.

I’ve seen multiple references about how silnylon Trailstars pitch better because of the stretch when compared to cuben Trailstars. I’d think the same issue is relevant with flat tarps unless you plan to only do A-frame, lean-to and maybe half-pyramid pitches…

Yes, I’m thinking that the advantage of cuben might be lost if one is hoping to utilise the full versatility of a flat tarp. Great to have such a light tarp, but perhaps not so great if you can’t make full use of what flat tarps have to offer – combined with the durability issues above. I have heard the same regarding the cuben vs silnylon Trailstars (Chris Townsend ‘Tailstar Wars’). It’s a shame in a way as I’d love to shed the extra weight, but as with the above suggestions, some non-cuben tarps are pretty darn light. Perhaps over time the cost may come down, making the durability less of an issue.