Author Topic: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?  (Read 10024 times)

richardh1905

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12714
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #30 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.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Sleepy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1727
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #31 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.....

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #32 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.
« Last Edit: 12:27:17, 29/12/19 by Owen »

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11822
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #33 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
It comes in white because that is the colo(u)r it is.
Solvitur Ambulando

Sleepy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1727
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #34 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

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #35 on: 16:50:31, 29/12/19 »
On a £200 tent it's £40 + p&p

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #36 on: 20:02:05, 29/12/19 »






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. 

watershed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 449
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #37 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.

Litehiker

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 194
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #38 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.


WILDWALKINGUK

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #39 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.       
   

Owen

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1760
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #40 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.
« Last Edit: 09:18:40, 03/01/20 by Owen »

scottk

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 77
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #41 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.

WILDWALKINGUK

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 139
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #42 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/ 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. 

watershed

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 449
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #43 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

Steelystan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 383
Re: Anyone in Old Blighty using Dyneema (Cuben) fabric tents?
« Reply #44 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...
178/214.

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy