Cuben bought out by Dyneema
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:59 am
Don't know if gear is of that much interest to the general HST readership, but it's an area that I follow somewhat to keep abreast of materials technology. As in almost all market segments, military demand is ultimately the key driver behind advances in materials development in the never ending quest for lighter, stronger, warmer & dryer.
For anyone who has read some of my opinions on the matter, I believe these advances in materials technology have dramatically altered the backpacking/hiking game. I think one of the more interesting effects of the growth in popularity of the PCT has been the wide-ranging adoption of ultra-light philosophy and gear. Even more interesting - at least from my perspective - are the specific kinds of materials, uses & techniques being adopted to achieve UL weight goals.
I mentioned on the meet-up thread (viewtopic.php?f=36&t=12006&start=156#p97686) that I built a new backpack out of Dyneema 210. Recently, the large Dutch company that produces this fabric bought out the manufacturer of Cuben - a smaller company from Mesa AZ. This article provides an excellent in-depth analysis of the possible impact from the buyout:
http://hikelighter.com/2015/06/20/cubic ... rp-buyout/
For the record, I see cuben fabric as having only one good possible area for backpacking: shelters. As someone who has made my own quilts, tarps, backpacks, etc, one of the first things you learn is how much material is needed for each - duh! The second is intended use - also duh! But seriously, it's pretty straightforward:
- quilt: 7 yards, needs to be able to both breath + have a durable water repellent surface
- shelter: 7+ yards, needs to be water proof (not just resistant), strong and tear resistant
- pack: 1 yard, needs to be strong & tear resistant
The reason Dyneema is so dominant in the pack arena is because even though it's heavier than Cuben, you simply don't need that much fabric, so the total weight savings is substantially muted ie can be measured in ounces. Compared to the ease of use in cutting, sewing, repairing & maintaining Dyneema, it's easy to see why that green cross-hatched fabric is on practically every PCTer back.
Right now, I've got an over-sized silnylon cat-cut tarp, but I've been toying of re-doing it in Cuben. The stuff is pretty expensive however, so I'm not sure what the value may be in gaining a few more ounces of weight savings. Anyway, I find the topic interesting, so enjoy reading if it's something that triggers your interest.
For anyone who has read some of my opinions on the matter, I believe these advances in materials technology have dramatically altered the backpacking/hiking game. I think one of the more interesting effects of the growth in popularity of the PCT has been the wide-ranging adoption of ultra-light philosophy and gear. Even more interesting - at least from my perspective - are the specific kinds of materials, uses & techniques being adopted to achieve UL weight goals.
I mentioned on the meet-up thread (viewtopic.php?f=36&t=12006&start=156#p97686) that I built a new backpack out of Dyneema 210. Recently, the large Dutch company that produces this fabric bought out the manufacturer of Cuben - a smaller company from Mesa AZ. This article provides an excellent in-depth analysis of the possible impact from the buyout:
http://hikelighter.com/2015/06/20/cubic ... rp-buyout/
For the record, I see cuben fabric as having only one good possible area for backpacking: shelters. As someone who has made my own quilts, tarps, backpacks, etc, one of the first things you learn is how much material is needed for each - duh! The second is intended use - also duh! But seriously, it's pretty straightforward:
- quilt: 7 yards, needs to be able to both breath + have a durable water repellent surface
- shelter: 7+ yards, needs to be water proof (not just resistant), strong and tear resistant
- pack: 1 yard, needs to be strong & tear resistant
The reason Dyneema is so dominant in the pack arena is because even though it's heavier than Cuben, you simply don't need that much fabric, so the total weight savings is substantially muted ie can be measured in ounces. Compared to the ease of use in cutting, sewing, repairing & maintaining Dyneema, it's easy to see why that green cross-hatched fabric is on practically every PCTer back.
Right now, I've got an over-sized silnylon cat-cut tarp, but I've been toying of re-doing it in Cuben. The stuff is pretty expensive however, so I'm not sure what the value may be in gaining a few more ounces of weight savings. Anyway, I find the topic interesting, so enjoy reading if it's something that triggers your interest.