Hammock Gear Cuben Fiber 4-Season Tarp

[ULWalkingPhil]

Ordered a Cuben Fiber Tarp a few weeks back from Hammock Gear in the states, yesterday it turned up in the post. Today I had a chance to set it up for the first time. My first Cuben Tarp, my first encounter with Cuben and I'm impressed.

I had to document my first encounter with this lightweight space age material, so here it is. My first encounter on film.
My scales measured this tarp under 200 grams.

I'll let the following footage tell the rest.

[ULWalkingPhil]

A couple images of my new Tarp

Attachments

[ULWalkingPhil]

6 weeks now, since receiving my Cuben tarp and I can report it's worth every dollar I paid for it. This thing is super light.
In someways it's also kind of scary. When you look at it, it resembles see thru tissue paper. Luckily it's a lot stronger than it looks. I love the see thru aspect of the material, Laying in my hammock looking at the moon through my Cuben Tarp is great. I like that it don't stretch when wet like sill-nylon does.

[Bluegum Mic]

Not sure if you've had it out in strong winds yet Philip but I had mine out in some ugly weather (two very large trees came crashing down in the early hours) and it was drum tight the whole night. I think they're fantastic and agree much tougher than they look. We'll have to get a SE QLD hang organised soon

[nq111]

Nice going. I can second the effect of the light is great because you are always under trees and get that nice dappled light in the morning. Combined with the morning chorus in the rainforest is great.

I have a MacCat in Cuben. Sure is light - like picking a bag of loosely stuffed down!

Another thing, not sure if I am imagining it - but it doesn't seem to collect condensation like other materials. I was always getting drips in the morning with silnylon tarp - some reason this stuff seems different.

I know cuben is a bit of overpriced overdone fluff but it has some great qualities.

[Bluegum Mic]

I've got the MacCat 4 season in cuben too. Good to see he's back making tarps (and leighlo is back making quilts...I might get a matching TQ to my QU

[ULWalkingPhil]

Not sure if you've had it out in strong winds yet Philip but I had mine out in some ugly weather (two very large trees came crashing down in the early hours) and it was drum tight the whole night. I think they're fantastic and agree much tougher than they look. We'll have to get a SE QLD hang organised soon

So far, nothing to serious. Winds have been a bit calm in the past 6 months here where I live, or at least when I've been out hiking, I've wondered how durable the Cuben is with fallen branches. I'm just a little concerned with Fraser Island on a stormy night in particular at Central Station, Lake McKenzie camp etc, can be a bit of a scary place to sleep during storms with fallen branches. At least Cuben is very easy to repair if need be, a lot easier than sill-nylon to repair.

Yes, I'm up for a SEQ get together.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Nice going. I can second the effect of the light is great because you are always under trees and get that nice dappled light in the morning. Combined with the morning chorus in the rainforest is great.

I have a MacCat in Cuben. Sure is light - like picking a bag of loosely stuffed down!

Another thing, not sure if I am imagining it - but it doesn't seem to collect condensation like other materials. I was always getting drips in the morning with silnylon tarp - some reason this stuff seems different.

I know cuben is a bit of overpriced overdone fluff but it has some great qualities.

My tarp almost blown away on me. I taken it out of my pack, placed on ground and all of a sudden off it went and here I am chasing after it. It didn't get to far away. I'm a lot more cautious when I take it out of my pack now. The same with my cooking kit.

Yes, I've noticed this. Less Condensation. I've read on the hammock forums similar comments to this. Someone said, it's because Cuben don't leak whereby Sill-nylon eventually does leak. Not to sure if that's correct, but it makes you wonder.
You can actually touch the inside without getting wet of a morning.

[ULWalkingPhil]

There's not a great deal of info out there on Cuben Fiber, I'm alway's on the look out for any info I can find.
Tonight I came upon this website, which is worth a read.

http://hikeitlikeit.com/2012/cuben-fiber-roundup/

[andrewa]

I've just acquired a Zpacks hexamid. Cuban is interesting stuff - it reminded me of Woolworths plastic bags!

I tried a Hennessy hammock last summer in Nz, and froze my butt off, even with a torso sizedunder quilt. I wondered whether a large part of my frozen butt related to breeze under the hammock.

Looking at your piccies of your new tarp, it comes right down to the ground, and would negate any breeze issues. Have you found it warmer to sleep under ?

I loved the comfort of the hammock, but the cold issue negated the weight savings, hence my new plan with the hexamid.

A

[ULWalkingPhil]

I've just acquired a Zpacks hexamid. Cuban is interesting stuff - it reminded me of Woolworths plastic bags!

I tried a Hennessy hammock last summer in Nz, and froze my butt off, even with a torso sizedunder quilt. I wondered whether a large part of my frozen butt related to breeze under the hammock.

Looking at your piccies of your new tarp, it comes right down to the ground, and would negate any breeze issues. Have you found it warmer to sleep under ?

I loved the comfort of the hammock, but the cold issue negated the weight savings, hence my new plan with the hexamid.

A

I've not found any issues with cold in my hammock. I do use a 20F under-quilt and I'm a warm sleeper. I don't mind having a bit of a breeze going through. In saying this, the coldest I've been down to thus far is 2 degrees celcius. Further tests will be needed in order to answer this question. I'm planning on a hike through the Blue Mountains in the next 6 to 8 weeks from now. I've found my Blackbird Hammock helps to keep me warm as well. The flyscreen traps a bit of heat and blocks the wind from hitting me. I've never been cold in my Hammock.

Get yourself a decent underquilt and you shouldn't have any problems with CBS. (cold but syndrome)
Some use a cover over there underquilt. A mate I went hiking with at Fraser Island used his Poncho to cover his under quilt. I think if I done this I would melt. I feel like I'm laying on a electric blanket in my hammock.

I'm glad Cuben is not the same strength as a woolworths plastic bag. Today I went grocery shopping at Woolworths, the bag with my meat in it, did not make it to my kitchen, it disintegrated before I could get to the kitchen.

I love to test out my hammock setup in -5C temps, but thus far have not had that opportunity. The night it got down to 2C, I was very warm. I own a Esbit Downmat with down in it, my hammock feels warmer to lay on than my Downmat.

If you take the route of Hammock's, may I suggest to invest some money in a good quality under-quilt. My under quilt is not full length, to keep the weight down I use a Warbonnet Yeti which is Torso length. under my lower legs and feet I use a 3mm foam. I used to use a 5mm foam, but found it way to warm. with the 5mm foam I used to wake up in the morning with sweating feet.
Lucky for me, I appear to be a warm sleeper. I only realised this in the past couple of months. As when ever I go camping with anyone else, I'm usually the last to put a jacket on.

Last edited by ULWalkingPhil on Thu 13 Sep, 2012 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Bluegum Mic]

I agree with Phillip the seal between the hammock and underquilt is really important. My first ever night in a hammock I got a little cold (was 5 degrees) but after adjusting it I was fine. Im a cold sleeper but Im always really toasty in my hammock. Mind you my hammock is a dangerbird and my UQ a leighlo and the two just seem to be a match made in toasty heaven. Never need to adjust anything as the hammock has a great set of loops to feed the cord through and it all just stays in place. Hopefully with some adjusting you can get to enjoy your hammock. I love mine

[nq111]

I tried a Hennessy hammock last summer in Nz, and froze my butt off, even with a torso sizedunder quilt.

Exactly - this is why hammocks shine in tropical conditions!

Plenty of ways to make them warm enough even for really cold conditions - but IMHO tents are better suited for the cold.

[ofuros]

I tried a Hennessy hammock last summer in Nz, and froze my butt off, even with a torso sizedunder quilt. I wondered whether a large part of my frozen butt related to breeze under the hammock.

A

You can always use a undercover for your UQ.....it forms a wind barrier, stops those cool breezes from wicking away all
that lovely heat your producing & keeps it it your insulation.
I use it on mountain summit hangs or south of border ....say in Chaelundi N.P. where the overnight temps plummeted to -10...add in wind chill...
& it was *&%$#! cold for this warm blooded Queenslander.
Hammock was warm & cosy.....I just didn't want get up & face the icy dawn the next morning. Brrrrrr

As the others have said, a well fitted UQ also goes without saying.....play around with the fit before you head for those hills.

Last edited by ofuros on Fri 14 Sep, 2012 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Macca81]

Certainly the wind makes a huge difference. I have had mine down to -6 with wind chill calculated to -24, but had my tarp strung to the ground on the windward side. Slept warm all night. Had the same setup minus the tarp (slept in a giant marquee, kept the rain off just fine) on a warmer night, probably 6 degrees, but the gentle breeze kept me feeling a little cool... Not enough to not sleep, just enough to stop me being cosy.

Sent from my obscenely large android phone...

[ofuros]

Now, returning to the original post....the tarp looks like the ducks nuts !
Good to see your happy with purchase, Phillipsart.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Now, returning to the original post....the tarp looks like the ducks nuts !
Good to see your happy with purchase, Phillipsart.

I don't mind the way this post is leading, it's very interesting reading, I'm alway's curious to hear other's experiences in the cold. I think the big difference is getting a decent under-quilt and know how to set it up. Hang your tarp low to block most of the wind. Tarps such as mine with the additional doors on the ends also helps to keep you warm and keeping out nasty storms. I've been through some nasty storms thus far in my Silnylon Superfly and never got one drop of water on me. I've not been out in any nasty storms thus far in my Cuben Tarp. Since purchasing this Tarp the weather has been beautiful. Hardly any rain. The winds are starting to pick up a bit.

I've found the Cuben Tarp don't move so much like my Superfly tarp does in stronger winds. I think this is because it don't stretch like silnylon. Cuben was used on the sails of the winning boat in the 1992 America's cup, so it's been around for a while. It's only recently that it's been used for Tarps and Tents, mainly by Cottage industry's because of the cost of the material, I think the big game players have been steering away from Cuben. There are a few exceptions.

Last edited by ULWalkingPhil on Fri 14 Sep, 2012 2:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[ULWalkingPhil]

I agree with Phillip the seal between the hammock and underquilt is really important. My first ever night in a hammock I got a little cold (was 5 degrees) but after adjusting it I was fine. Im a cold sleeper but Im always really toasty in my hammock. Mind you my hammock is a dangerbird and my UQ a leighlo and the two just seem to be a match made in toasty heaven. Never need to adjust anything as the hammock has a great set of loops to feed the cord through and it all just stays in place. Hopefully with some adjusting you can get to enjoy your hammock. I love mine

I think the biggest mistake some make is not to setup the under quilt to your hammock. This is where I liked the Warbonnet Yeti as it's made to suite the Warbonnet Blackbird, no adjusting required. Under-quilts need to be up snug against the hammock in particular at the ends, if there's any gaps, your going to freeze as the cold wind will enter and warm air escapes. On warmer nights I can slide my under quilt towards my head end which creates a gap allowing cool air to flow in between the hammock and under-quilt. For this reason I've never found I've had to purchase a summer under quilt. It's amazing how cold it can get on your backside when your laying in your hammock with no under-quilt, even in temps at 20C I've felt cold on my but without my under quilt.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Durability of Cuben Fiber?
in particular the ultralight 0.51oz cuben fiber that's used to make my Tarp and what most other gear manufacturers use, The following Youtube footage answers that question in more detail. It gets very interesting 3.43 into the footage.

[Mountain Rocket]

Durability of Cuben Fiber?
in particular the ultralight 0.51oz cuben fiber that's used to make my Tarp and what most other gear manufacturers use,

There are a many great deal using 0.74oz cuben as well though. As that Youtube video shows, 0.51oz cuben is certainly holding its own in the field, but I think it would be wrong to suggest 0.51 is the most common. It is one of the most common

I like what MLD has to say on the topic:
>.5oz sq/yd Lightest Pro Level Tarps and Shelters + Special Use Gear - User Care Required
>.7oz sq/yd Super Durable Tarp and Shelters, LW Bivy Floors, Chaps, Stuff Sacks - Our most common Cuben.

Either way that looks like a wicked set up. Hammock tarps are certainly interesting!

[andrewa]

I'm pretty impressed with the 0.5 Cuban, other than it's appearance being like Woolies bags. For tarps/tents it isn't going to get much wear. And I can't see puncturing it being a problem, unless you like to roll things up on the ground.

As to the UQ thing, mine is a home grown one. Elongated asymmetrical hexagonal shape - i posted it on MYO gear last year. I think my issue is the way I've attached it - I thought press studs would be the best, but, even though it has shock cord at the sides, it doesn't snug up right. Compounding all this is the asym H hammock with bottom entry, and the fact that I'm the only male in my family. If I get one of girls to lie in the hammock, they aren't as heavy or long as me, so what fits them wont fit me! I need to fluff around and get it right. I like the idea of hammocking. I also add that the pissy little tarp that comes with a HH doesn't provide anywhere near the snugness of the one shown here.

I've just ordered some Cuban from Zpacks. I'm going to make my own tarp, which I'll try to adapt to fit my hammock, and also make a vestibule arrangement for my hexamid...

A

[Mountain Rocket]

I'm pretty impressed with the 0.5 Cuban, other than it's appearance being like Woolies bags.

Andrew the stuff is called cubEn fibre, not cubAn fiber.

[andrewa]

Robert, I know. Try telling my iPad though! It'll prob start writing CubEn soon

[Mountain Rocket]

Haha right! I just wanted to make sure you knew.

As far as this thread goes, nice video in the first post Phillip
I assume that thing that is on your right attached to the hammock is a bug net?

[ULWalkingPhil]

Robert, I know. Try telling my iPad though! It'll prob start writing CubEn soon

i know what you mean, with the iPad. Its apple in general, changes words on you, without you realizing. Its a terrible feature.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Haha right! I just wanted to make sure you knew.

As far as this thread goes, nice video in the first post Phillip
I assume that thing that is on your right attached to the hammock is a bug net?

yes, it is a bug net. Its built in to the hammock, but you can as shown in the video zip it out of the way if not required. Up here in QLD, thats very rare that ever happens.

[photohiker]

Robert, I know. Try telling my iPad though! It'll prob start writing CubEn soon

i know what you mean, with the iPad. Its apple in general, changes words on you, without you realizing. Its a terrible feature.

Without you realising? Really???

[ULWalkingPhil]

Robert, I know. Try telling my iPad though! It'll prob start writing CubEn soon

i know what you mean, with the iPad. Its apple in general, changes words on you, without you realizing. Its a terrible feature.

Without you realising? Really???

Yes, I don't always get that popup. I've typed something than post, I've reread, and found words changed with no warnings. It could be the fact that I'm a very fast typist. It's annoying feature, that I don't like.

[photohiker]

It's annoying feature, that I don't like.

Turn it off then...

[Picaro]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread to ask, now that you've had this and the superfly for about 6 months, I would appreciate your thoughts about them.
Which gets the most use....most suitable for Qld.....is one roomier than the other...does the cuben tarp warm up excessively through the day......?