Uv and silnylon advice please

I don’t know of any specific testing or conclusive data on this subject.  Probably why you haven’t received any replies so far.

Nylon is known for moderately degrading in UV.  The good news is that silicone is fairly UV stable and i think also somewhat absorptive. That means it should protect the nylon some from UV damage/degradation.

On the flip side, there are plenty of people that wear nylon shirts, pants, shorts, etc, without a silicone coating, in high UV intensity areas (deserts, higher mountains, +/- 30 degrees lat. from the equator, etc), and it generally takes years for the nylon to appreciably degrade.   Silnylon, again, should fare even better then.

If looking for greatest UV longevity/durability, go with silpoly.  However, it’s weaker and less forgiving, ounce for ounce than silnylon.

If i was going to live outside for an extended period of time–especially in an exposed, sunny area, and needed a light, tent type shelter, then i would use silpoly.  Light colored too.

I once had a dome tent I had made, with alternating yellow and blue panels. After a couple of years of use, being pitched over the full weekend about once a fortnight or once a month (We were rock climbing in a desert region), the yellow panels turned into paper and shredded. The dark blue panels were still fine.

My conclusion is that the DYE matters more than the base nylon fibre. In any event, I think you need direct sunlight/UV to do the harm.

Cheers

In general, it’s probably best to keep gear out of direct sunlight as much as possible; I try to avoid indirect sunlight as well.  Except of course when I’m in the field.