Author Topic: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?  (Read 10016 times)

Litehiker

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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.
« Last Edit: 02:26:53, 30/03/19 by Litehiker »

jimbob

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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 ;)
Too little, too late, too bad......

vghikers

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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



Owen

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Trekker tent make their Phreeranger in silnylon


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


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. 

Litehiker

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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.






FOX160

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Their are a good number on here that use them http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php and some from Europe use them on this site too.
« Last Edit: 20:13:49, 09/04/19 by FOX160 »

Litehiker

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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.
« Last Edit: 04:28:40, 10/04/19 by Litehiker »

FOX160

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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.
« Last Edit: 13:01:40, 10/04/19 by FOX160 »

Litehiker

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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.

richardh1905

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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!  :) 
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Owen

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Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #10 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.

Mel

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Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #11 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 

roughyed

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Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #12 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!)

richardh1905

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Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #13 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?
« Last Edit: 11:34:04, 12/04/19 by richardh1905 »
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Litehiker

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Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #14 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.

 

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