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Title: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 02:17:37, 30/03/19
The UK having a "fair amount" of rain and Dyneema fabric having a high hydrostatic head I would think at least a few of the more fanatical campers have sprung for a Dyneema tent. (While is everything that is fun either illegal, immoral, fattening or expensive as hell??)

Anyone?

I'm seriously considering buying a Tarptent Notch Li Dyneema solo tent this summer. I now have a TT Moment DW solo tent modded for 4 seasons. If gets equal winter (snow) and summer use. I want to keep it solely for winter use.

Options:
1. silnylon floor instead of Dyneema (more puncture resistance for desert dwellers like moi.)
2. partial ripstop inner tent (lower half) to keep out the damn ultra fine windblown Utah dust.

MODS:
1. Dyneema adhesive patch material (3" diameter circle) folded in half and placed on either side of the fly hem at a new stake loop locations. 4 stake loops, 2 per side, to eliminate 90% of flapping in high winds.
2. Light re-coating of 5:1 odorless mineral spirits/clear silicon caulk (by volume) mixture painted or rolled on underside of the floor & immediately wiped down W/paper shop towels to obtain a thin coating for more wear resistance.

These options and mods should result in a more durable and somewhat quieter solo tent albeit nearly 4 oz. heavier.
Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: jimbob on 09:22:55, 30/03/19
Looks like you are actually talking one thing (buying a tent) but wishing for another (making a tent).
I bought a really cheap tent where two reviews said the manufacture process was terrible but the material was spot on. My wife restitched and resealed the whole thing adding strength to every tag and adding a few more, it took her a day to do so. I learned quite a bit about seam sealing from her.
To this day I still believe I should have asked her nicely to make me a tent before she saw one up close and dangerous so to speak. She has since adapted a Vaude poncho to suit me, well it did 45lbs ago. And she has made an ultra light quilted sleep mat for me with rip stop (1.1oz) three layers if kevlar space blanket and two layers of insulating fleece. BUT she refuses to think about making me a tent due to her experience fixing the other one.



As for dyneema have you actually tried using it. People on this forum complain about the sound of drones  40 miles away. Can you imagine the horror stories about the crinkling noises all night in the wind that is normal in the UK wilds, either from the exterior  or interior of the tent ;)
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: vghikers on 11:02:59, 30/03/19
Quote
I would think at least a few of the more fanatical campers have sprung for a Dyneema tent...

Over here we normally hear 'Dyneema' used in the context of ultralight packs, very lightweight but tough. The much thinner material I think you refer to, as used in ultralight tents, is known as Cuben Fibre in typical descriptions.
No doubt there are some UK hikers using them but I've not personally heard of anyone on the forums, almost certainly due to the cost relative to perceived value and longevity - the Terra Nova Ultra tents (their version of CF) will set you back £999 for a solo and £1500 or £1800 for their two-person versions  :o. The weight saving compared to their normal ultralight variants isn't worth it to most people.

I've heard of the infamous noise problem with CF tents in wind and rain where it sounds like sitting in a giant rattling paper bag with a snare drum quartet for company.  ;D


Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 12:53:32, 30/03/19
Trekker tent make their Phreeranger in silnylon


http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/32-phreeranger.html (http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/32-phreeranger.html) or Dyneema,


http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/39-phreeranger-dyneema-composite.html (http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/39-phreeranger-dyneema-composite.html)


Quite a difference in price, £320 for the standard £580 for the Dyneema.


The standard weighs 1250g the Dyneema 740g or 695g depending on which groundsheet you want. So, £260 ($340) difference for a saving of 510g or 555g. (17.98oz or 19.5oz).  ???  I've never even seen a Dyneema tent, so no their not popular here. 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 20:40:02, 01/04/19
IF (and that'a a big if) I bought the TarpTent Notch Lithium solo tent I'd get the $539. version (tougher silnylon floor, $60. less). But really, I'd be saving only 1 pound from my Moment DW solo tent. I recon that is not enough to be worth it considering I need to lose about 15 pounds anyway.


Yeah. If I was doing the Pacific Crest Trail I'd spring for it and save my Moment DW for fall hunting and winter backcountry ski camping since I've modded it for those situations.


But I am definitely doing only sections of the PCT and not the whole trail. I help build (from scratch) the 9 mile Snow Creek section in southern California in 1980 and that's why the PCT has a special place in my heart. And now I really have all the UL backpacking gear I need - about 200 pounds of it...  ::)


So better to save my money for ski equipment and shooting stuff and that bucket list driving trip around Spain and Portugal.


Eric B.





Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: FOX160 on 20:01:07, 09/04/19
Their are a good number on here that use them http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php (http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php) and some from Europe use them on this site too.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 04:25:22, 10/04/19
FOX,
I went to the thread your posted and to SHELTERS. I saw a thread on a new TT Notch owner. He was complaining about the tent sagging in wet weather. Yep, all nylon tents do that.


Of course the "solution" is to buy a Notch Li Dyneema version. ;o)

Anyway to my original post, for UK Tarptent owners I'm wondering if the import tariff is not a killer? Or is there a UK dealer and that greatly reduces the import duties.

Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: FOX160 on 07:30:04, 10/04/19
Litehiker
I replied to your heading Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents, and that their are a number of persons using such fabric shelters from. MLD - TT - HMG - Zpacks - Locus Gear and to raise your question there.

Yep aware of the characteristics of silnylon had the MoTrail for a year and half and many of my friends have TT and other makes of tents too.

There isn’t a UK dealer at present but TT have approached a number of persons over here but nothing at the moment.

Regarding import duties don’t think anyone likes paying them nor the excessive Parcelforce handling charge
it sucks but many find there isn’t anyone that matches the tents from America and happy to pay, let’s hope we do a trade deal with the USA.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 20:16:09, 11/04/19
FOX,


I'm hoping that the Trump administration will negotiate a better trade deal with the the UK if for no other reason than to soften the BREXIT trade situation.
Being a rather large trade partner with the UK I think the US can help a lot in this area. After all we gave the UK no Marshall Plan  after WW II even though Britain really needed it. I think the UK demurred out of pride. Maybe a much better trade deal with the US will strengthen the UK economy in ways the EU could not. Fingers crossed.


Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: richardh1905 on 21:43:53, 11/04/19

Eric - The largest recipient of Marshall Plan money was the United Kingdom (receiving about 26% of the total).


And don't get me started on Brexit!  :) 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 22:19:17, 11/04/19
FOX,


I'm hoping that the Trump administration will negotiate a better trade deal with the the UK if for no other reason than to soften the BREXIT trade situation.


Eric B.


Now I know you're trolling, stop it.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Mel on 22:37:32, 11/04/19
And don't get me started on Brexit!  :) 


Please. Don't get started on Brexit.  Previous topics on the "B" word subject have been locked.  This topic is about tents.


Eric - I already agree with Owen that you appear to be trolling the forum. Your hunting/guns topic was removed, so now you're turning a conversation to politics - yet another potentially controversial subject  ???

Back on topic (tents) it is then  O0 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: roughyed on 23:38:26, 11/04/19
I have owned and used a couple of zPacks tents over the years.  I have bought them in the USA which saves a few pennies.

(and Richardh1905, you are 100% correct!)
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: richardh1905 on 09:10:41, 12/04/19
Don't worry Mel - I have absolutely no intention of being drawn further on the subject  :)

Why can't people just stick to what this forum is about - walking?
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 19:52:10, 12/04/19
Yeah, sorry about that drift into politics. Wasn't "trolling" for a response, just thinking out loud. I guess US backpacking site members are more tolerant of such remarks.


Back to Dyneema tents. My one gripe about most of them is the lack of color in the Dyneema for shade and also to better blend in with the environment. For the same reason I should not want a yellow or red tent I feel the white Dyneema tents stand out to much in a natural setting.


But my main reason for wanting a green or brown or even camoflage coloring is the shade it offers. Would you buy a white silnylon tent if offered green or gray? Me neither.


And then there's the added bonus of more privacy. White Dyneema is just too translucent.
It is really that more expensive to add color to Dyneema "fabric".
Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: richardh1905 on 20:57:35, 12/04/19

I always have a preference for a drab green tent - If I am out in the wilds it is much better to blend in with the environment rather than stick out like a sore thumb and spoil someone else's enjoyment.


..although I did once nearly 'lose' my boulder shaped olive green 'Trisar' in the Torridon mists after nipping out amongst the tent sized boulders for a 'comfort break'  :o
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: fernman on 22:41:23, 12/04/19
I always have a preference for a drab green tent - If I am out in the wilds it is much better to blend in with the environment rather than stick out like a sore thumb and spoil someone else's enjoyment.

Or to avoid being spotted by an irate farmer or landowner.
But my previous and present green tents still stand out, they're too dark and nothing like the green hues of the uplands.

..although I did once nearly 'lose' my boulder shaped olive green 'Trisar' in the Torridon mists after nipping out amongst the tent sized boulders for a 'comfort break'  :o

LOL! I can just visualise you starting to panic!
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 23:20:24, 12/04/19
Richard,
Have "stealth camped" off the Appalachian Trail in the Shannondoah National Park. Camping was permitted only at the wooden shelters but they were always overrun with rodents and backpackers. (Often hard to tell the difference.)  ;) 


Eric B.  
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Wurz on 21:10:11, 14/04/19
Z packs offer them in green and camo.  https://zpacks.com/collections/shelters (https://zpacks.com/collections/shelters)  I toyed with buying a Solplex (I'd get the Duplex now) in camo.  But the cost and sinking pound put me off.  As much as I like my Notch I think I'd rather still get the camo Duplex instead of the Notch Li. But then our needs and priorities are probably different.

Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 21:46:20, 14/04/19
Wurz,
I'm so sold on Tarptent's AEON and Notch LI designs that I'll wait a bit until Henry Shires decides to offer a colored fly. Hopefully it will be green.

The AEON has very cleverly solved many of the solo 'mid design problems and I may opt for it. I have the TT Moment DW solo tent for 4 season use and I like it for winter camping in my "winterized" mode with the longitudinal Crossing Pole and, when needed, guy lines. IMO the Notch is basically a Moment with 2 hiking poles for support instead of a pole hoop.

The AEON is a "floored & doored" single wall tent that comes in at 1 pound (0.6 kilo?). I just wish it had a silnylon floor. It would only add another ounce but be more durable than the Dyneema floor. Alas it is not an option as it is with the Notch Li. Anyway that light 1 lb. weight is welcome when steaming up a grade at 11,000 ft. where the air ia a bit thin (and I'm a bit old).

I saw the AEON in a video on Backpacking Light where the site owner took it into Montana's high country at over 11,000 ft. on a ski trip. He ran into a "ground blizzard"that night with gusts to 65 mph. (so about 100 kph.). The spindrift snow came right in through the lower perimeter netting and door netting proving it was absolutely only meant for 3 season use. He decided to pack up around 12:30 Am and retreat some miles back to his pickup. As Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry said, "A man's gotta know his limitations." ;o)

Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 14:53:41, 26/12/19
Did you ever buy the Tarptent?
 I have been considering a Notch Li for some time now with the fuller inner that gives a bit more weather protection and privacy. I currently have a knee problem that may curtail further Long distance walks, but if/when it clears I will probably purchase one. I see that the web site is awaiting 2020 update. So maybe Henry will further confuse me by changing some designs.
I would go for dynamo to ensure total water proof especially for the floor. I currently have a older copper spur 2 UL Big Agnus, which is a splendid tent, but it can let through a little damp through the floor when kneeling on it especially on clay type soil. I want to get something that wont do this. And the Noth Li in Dynamo seems the best thing on the market with 2 doors ultra light weight and twin skinned. Nice to hear if you have bought one and tried it out.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 18:54:17, 26/12/19
Watershed,
No, I haven't purchased a Dyneema Tarptent yet.  But like you, I'm now liking the TT Notch Li with the "partial solid" interior to keep out blowing dust and (should I get caught in a freak snowstorm) spindrift snow. There is a video on the Backpacking Light showing how inadequate the Aeon Li is with spindrift snow.


I've suffered in Utah's Grand Escalante on a few windy nights with dust coming through a full netting inner tent and covering everything in a fine dust, me included.


BTW, I've used my Tarptent Moment DW in a snowstorm and the "partial solid" interior did very well in keeping out any snow. The Moment DW is very similar in shape to the Notch.


And for two the TT Stratospire Li looks very good and very storm-worthy.


Eric B.


 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: gunwharfman on 19:01:51, 26/12/19
I have a bivi (great for stealth camping after I've waltzed out of a pub) and am looking for a spot nearby. I also have a tent (bright orange) so what I would really like is a tent (drab green please) that once in my sleeping quilt I can lower the roof to bivi height and in the morning raise the roof and get myself organised as I do in my tent. Does such a product exist?
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 19:12:34, 26/12/19
Thanks for the Reply Eric
 I must admit the ultimate for me would be a  Stratospire 1 in Dynamo, but as yet they don't make it. (only done in Silnylon)
I asked Henry and he said it would be in direct competition with the Notch Li, so didn't see the need. I think it would be a great tent, slightly bigger floor area than the Notch but smaller than the Stratosphere 2 Li to allow you to camp in tight spaces.
 Ah well we can see what 2020 models are posted.
I think if knee improves over next few months I will order The Notch Li. Seems the perfect tent for Long distance walks in Scotland.
Cheers,
          Neil
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 19:18:00, 26/12/19
Neil,
If you get that Notch Li I'd like to see some photos of it "in the wild". Let us know how it handles high winds when properly guyed out.


Eric B.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 19:26:09, 26/12/19
Thanks Eric B will do.
I wont be doing multi day walk until end of April, but will send photo's if it all comes together
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: beefy on 15:50:26, 27/12/19
Personally I cant justify the cost of dyneema tents,
It has been mentioned on YouTube that The notch Li is made from very thin fabric,
And care has to be taken when using it, I wonder how durable it is?

As for silnylon sagging when wet, it's no big deal to adjust the guy lines etc.
I normally check them when I need to pee in the night anyway :)


If these tents were sold in the UK without all the extra expense, and the price comes down as they become more popular, then maybe I will consider one in the future, however, it would need an inner suitable for the UK weather
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 16:00:37, 27/12/19
Thanks for the reply Beefy.
Yes the cost is a consideration.
The biggy for me though is the waterproof and weight combination.
I have a silnylon tent for shorter walks I have done that is 1 to 14 days.
but for a Fifty plus day walk in Scotland I think it will be worth the expense.
Cheers,
         Neil
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: beefy on 17:14:49, 27/12/19
Thanks for the reply Beefy.
Yes the cost is a consideration.
The biggy for me though is the waterproof and weight combination.
I have a silnylon tent for shorter walks I have done that is 1 to 14 days.
but for a Fifty plus day walk in Scotland I think it will be worth the expense.
Cheers,
         Neil
The notch looks like a great design, good luck with it, and please let us know how you go on with it O0
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: richardh1905 on 17:44:53, 27/12/19
however, it would need an inner suitable for the UK weather

^ this.

..and the bit about not being able to justify the cost!
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: richardh1905 on 17:50:00, 27/12/19
Thanks for the reply Beefy.
Yes the cost is a consideration.
The biggy for me though is the waterproof and weight combination.
I have a silnylon tent for shorter walks I have done that is 1 to 14 days.
but for a Fifty plus day walk in Scotland I think it will be worth the expense.
Cheers,
         Neil

I too will be interested to hear how you get on.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Sleepy on 10:31:21, 29/12/19

Anyway to my original post, for UK Tarptent owners I'm wondering if the import tariff is not a killer? Or is there a UK dealer and that greatly reduces the import duties.

Eric B.


I really wanted a scarp 2 a few years ago, it was roughly $300 (£200) iirc at the time which I thought was very reasonable but after tax, duty and shipping, I couldn't get it below about £500! I gave up in disgust, that's beyond the joke no matter how much I wanted it.....
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 11:25:57, 29/12/19

I really wanted a scarp 2 a few years ago, it was roughly $300 (£200) iirc at the time which I thought was very reasonable but after tax, duty and shipping, I couldn't get it below about £500! I gave up in disgust, that's beyond the joke no matter how much I wanted it.....


That doesn't sound right, I got a Notch a few years ago cost £181 tax etc came to £38.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: ninthace on 12:48:55, 29/12/19
  <<snip>> Back to Dyneema tents. My one gripe about most of them is the lack of color in the Dyneema for shade and also to better blend in with the environment. For the same reason I should not want a yellow or red tent I feel the white Dyneema tents stand out to much in a natural setting.


But my main reason for wanting a green or brown or even camoflage coloring is the shade it offers. Would you buy a white silnylon tent if offered green or gray? Me neither.


And then there's the added bonus of more privacy. White Dyneema is just too translucent.
It is really that more expensive to add color to Dyneema "fabric".
Eric B.
It seems so http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog/C1405331529/E20090417092703/index.html (http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dyeblog/C1405331529/E20090417092703/index.html)
It comes in white because that is the colo(u)r it is.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Sleepy on 15:58:52, 29/12/19

That doesn't sound right, I got a Notch a few years ago cost £181 tax etc came to £38.


I can't remember how it all worked out, maybe I shouldn't have quoted figures but it really was along those lines - more than double it's original price one way or another


That said, I remember going quite a complex route to find the final cost so plenty of scope for me to have got it completely wrong
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 16:50:31, 29/12/19
On a £200 tent it's £40 + p&p
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 20:02:05, 29/12/19

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/923/VHUb2I.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnVHUb2Ij)

(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1024x768q90/922/qQyQrr.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pmqQyQrrj)


A couple of photo's of the Tarptent Notch in use (the silnylon version) as you can see it didn't really handle the wet snow well. For normal UK 3 season weather it has been fine. I find the fly is very good at spilling the wind but the inner can flap quite a lot. It hangs from the outer fly by some short lengths of knicker elastic so not really surprising. The inner is also very narrow, only just as wide as my NeoAir sleeping mat so a bit claustrophobic at times. Still a nice lightweight tent. 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 22:55:59, 30/12/19
Hi Owen,
        you are right about the Silnylon sagging. Unfortunately as you know is a problem common to all Silnylon tents.

That's one of the reasons I am exploring a Dynamo/Cuban fibre tent as this isn't an issue. That along with the fact it is genuinely water proof.

With Silnylon I would need to treat the tent a couple of times on a long trek to reproof the floor, which is a hassle I can do without.

The Notch Li isn't a big tent, but I wouldn't be using it for a camping holiday, I would be using it for multi day hike where I would be generally walking 8 - 12 hours a day. its purpose would be solely for sleeping in a "dry" space.
 
A Bivvi sack wouldn't be any use due to the condensation issue and the weight saving would be negligible if any.

I have a Big Agnus Copper Spur 2 that I use for less demanding walks where the tenting aspect is as/or more important as the walking.

The bottom line is the more I research it the more obvious it appears that Dynamo/Cuban fibre is the best material for 3 season hiking.
 positives are It is stronger, lighter, more waterproof, negatives seem to be slightly less puncture resistant, but easier patched and less likely to tear.
Bottom line for what I need it is better at everything but, like most similar things in life will cost me more.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Litehiker on 04:54:04, 03/01/20
Owen,
I do see the problem of a pole supported tent, regardless of its clever design. That's why I'd never use a Notch Li in winter. The other thing I'll have to change in a Notch Li is adding several guy-out points. This is a failing Henry shires needs to address whether or not he sees the NotchLi as mainly a "forest tent".


My arch pole supported Moment DW is much better in winds and wet snow load than the Notch design, particularly with my modified X-ing pole running beneath the fly instead of over it.


Eric B.

Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: WILDWALKINGUK on 05:52:38, 03/01/20
In 2019 I purchased a Tarptent Stratospire Li directly from Tarptent in America for £658.16 and after it arrived in the UK I had to pay another: Import duty £56.69, VAT £104.80 and Parcel Force handling fee £12
I justify the cost by the number of nights (69) I've wild camped last year and will hopefully again in 2020.
My tent has a solid interior and Dyneema floor. The dyneema feels like a thin plastic bag but has been surprisingly tough. As yet the inner tent floor has no holes in it and I'm loving how waterproof it is, the water just beads up and runs off it or I shake them off when I take the tent down and it's basically dry. The Stratospire goes up tight and stays tight all night, so I've not had a problem with the dyneema rattling in the wind and it was windy when I used it over new year. The Notch Li is a similar design and I would happily buy one, but my only worry is the solid inner on the Notch looks like it hasn't got a solid roof like the Stratospire inner, so in usual UK weather, condensation may drip through the roof mesh when it's windy. But I'm only guessing. I would buy from Tarptent again, the tent is well made and their service was good.
Considerations not mentioned yet are, because the dyneema is so light weight the tents can be bigger without a weight penalty. My 2 person Stratospire Li weighs 807g and I love having 2 porches and all the space inside but it's sometimes harder to find a wild camping spot due to the size. Not a problem with my trusty Nordisk Telemark 1 which weighs about the same.
Dyneema also needs packing more carefully, not just stuffed in it's bag, it's recommended folding and rolling it up or it will damage. It has been suggested the dyneema will wear out faster than silnylon but mine seems fine so far. Also the Stratospire and Notch are held up buy walking poles which is fine until you break one during the day while walking with it, but having said that, it's great being able to adjust the height of the tent to suit the weather conditions (how much draft you want through it).  I'm now planning my gear list for the Scottish National Trail and which tent to take, and it's a real hard decision between the two, they're both good tents for different reasons.       
   
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Owen on 09:00:22, 03/01/20
Litehiker,


I too wouldn't use my Notch in winter, those two photos were taken a couple of days apart in August in Arctic Sweden.
That was my first trip there I decided the Notch was a bit too lightweight. So, for my second trip I went back to my twenty year old Macpac Microlite which is bombproof but weighs 1.9kg (4lbs). I now have a Trekkertent Phreeranger which I'll be using next time.

Windwalker,


The top of the Notches inner is indeed mesh and yes, condensation dripping on you can be a problem.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: scottk on 23:13:24, 04/01/20
Colin Ibbotson makes shelters in the UK. His company is called Tramplite. I’m not sure if he is making many at the moment as I know one of his family is ill.
.75 DCF which he reckons is the sweet spot for wear.
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: WILDWALKINGUK on 10:06:45, 05/01/20
I've reviewed the Tarptent Stratospire Li and you can read it here: https://wildwalkinguk.com/2019/09/24/tarptent-stratosphire-li-review/ (https://wildwalkinguk.com/2019/09/24/tarptent-stratosphire-li-review/) I've included all the import costs in the review.
Over the last 40 years I've spent too much money on tents, buying about 15 trying to find the perfect one. I was always worried about the price so let that affect my decision and ended up with a tent that I've not been perfectly happy with, so I've ended up buying another. I wish I had spent that money on fewer tents but better quality ones.
2 years ago I purchased the Nordisk Telemark ULW1 and used it for 58 nights wild camping on my LEJOG and 3 Peaks walk and will happily take it again this year on my Scottish National Trail walk. It's quick and easy to pitch and has a small footprint, so it's easy to find a wild camping pitch. I purchased the Tarptent Stratospire Li to use when hiking with my wife but I'm so impressed with the it, and it's not much heavier, so am considering taking it instead but it's down side is it's pitch size. If I had the choice, I'm pretty sure I would take the Notch Li. I love the interior and porch space and flexibility on the pitching height so you can vary the airflow through the tent depending on weather conditions. 
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: watershed on 16:21:02, 05/01/20
Thanks for your comments and review Wildwalkinguk.
This is very useful.
I am seriously considering splashing the cash on a Notch Li.
I await the results of my Knee X-Rays and Physio advice. If positive Tarptent will be getting a check sent!
Cheers,
          Neil
Title: Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
Post by: Steelystan on 12:52:22, 11/01/20
I got a Zpacks Hexamid for the PCT second hand from a man near Bristol.  It is quite open on one side but has a sort of canopy or hood where the open side is in case of rain - on two occasions I have used the tent in prolonged heavy rain and stayed dry inside.  Cuban fibre is totally waterproof by any practical measure and mine is not in the least crinkly or crisp-baggy.  Not is it particularly noisy in wind - compares well with a Terra Nova LaserComp, which probably flaps more if anything.  Pegging out makes a difference.  In the future I may get a fully enclosed ZPacks tent for the UK just because mist/fog might make thing damp.  The real killer is cost - I only paid £150 for mine second hand in great condition but if I get a newer one it’ll be £500 or more plus taxes and VAT when it arrives - might get it if I’m in the US with work this year...