Fabric Test Results

[hk2001]

Troyji,

First, Please don't take my previous post as an attack against you. It wasn't. I just have a hard time accepting someone taking the results of one test and praising it as gospel, which is why I quoted Eyebrows' message and not yours. My post was to slow down the awards ceremony he was ready to throw. Because it will be many months of real world testing on every fabric before anything is evident.

Second, for clarity, I've done gear testing in the past for both Dutch and RBTR, and continue to test for RBTR. Up until a few months ago, I was also a vendor, making hammock chairs, and hammocks out of the various fabrics from both vendors.

The usefulness of these tests is a matter of opinion. In reality, there are a bunch of new DIY fellows around with minimal test results available to help guide their decision on what type of fabric they might wish to try first. The two main criteria I worry about myself are 1) how soft the fabric is to the touch, and 2) how does the fabric hold up if I were to damage it by accident. To be fair, I don't need fancy machinery to tell me how soft the fabric is to the touch, nor to observe how the fabric distorts when moderate pressure is applied. I found that these two tests helped in my decision making, but I understand if you prefer something more scientific. I described my methods in detail as full disclosure to the reader, after all.

No, you don't need machines to tell you how soft the fabric is. That comes down purely to a matter of opinion. I guess what I have a problem with is that the strength test isn't simulating what were to happen if you damaged it by accident. Looking at your pics, it doesn't look like you've actually damaged the threads in any of the photos. All it looks like you've done is distort the weave, and in a few cases stretched some of the threads. While stretching some of the threads will weaken the material to some extent, your talking a minuscule amount compared to the overall strength. A better test to simulate real world damage would be to rake keys over the material using force, to simulate leaving keys on your belt. Poke a stick at it to simulate.. well, poking a stick at it.

I completely agree... which is why I make no claims about tensile strength, compression strength, or weight capacity. The tests required are beyond anything one can perform from their home with 6"x6" fabric samples. I defer to the vendors' specifications for this.

While you couldn't determine an accurate weight capacity at home with a 6x6" sample you could easily compare strengths reliably. You could also do things like thread counts, close up images of the material while on a light table (or DIY light table). I did a review on Epsilon Multicam a year or so ago, where I pushed it to the point where the fabric started to rip at the threads. I then attempted to do the same test with HyperD1.6, and my hammock stand broke before the material did.

I would love for you to give your feedback in this thread about your experience with each (your opinion is satisfactory, no scientific method required). I anticipate that the other readers would appreciate your feedback as well.

HDXL is beyond a doubt my favorite. I love the extra width. As I said, I often push over 400# in hyperD with me and my wife in the same hammock (not sleeping, but often just sitting and reading, etc) The extra width of HDXL makes it king in my book. I can call it that, because nothing else comes close to the width. No testing required Quick! someone get the crown!

Of the 60" Fabrics, HyperD 1.6 is my personal favorite. I have many nights in it, and it's my opinion that it is the most comfortable fabric on the market. Low stretch, even at high weights. It breathes really well, and as you mentioned, it is the softest feel of any fabric you tested.

A close second is Epsilon Multicam (1.55) . It feels even softer than HD1.6 but because it is a downproof material it breathes less.

Argon 1.6 feels like starched cotton to me. I personally don't like it, and the hammock I have made out of it is only for lending out when friends come over and want to hang.

NylonD, and PolyD have been pulled from the market, so opinions are irrelevant.

As far 1.9, it really depends on the source. I've gotten it from RBTR, Joann's, Magna fabrics, and a few other sources. My personal suggestion is to avoid Joann's based simply off price. It runs close to $9 a yard (here at least) where as RBTR is $4. Magna fabrics is kinda like gambling. I've ordered some rolls where it's been alright, and I had one 80 yard roll where there was a bar repeat (a line across the width of the fabric, every 36") through out the entire roll.

I have heard differing opinions on comfort of the Hexon, as one would expect - though the majority seem to love it. Unfortunately, I cannot gauge this until I actually get to lay in one - and we all know comfort comes down to personal preference.

Agreed

I would agree - which is why I have not made said claim, myself. Of the two criteria I tested (softness to the touch and how the fabric/ripstop hold ups to moderate pressure) with the procedure I performed and ranked them by (which is describe in detail for reference) the Hexon fabrics came out on top.

I invite you to redirect your passionate energies to help us improve our understanding of the various fabrics available to us. Sincerely.

As I said, my post wasn't against you. The truth of the matter is we could debate fabrics till we're blue in the face. I'm tossed up between preferring hard scientific data and real world results. Either way I am a huge fan of accuracy.

I've been meaning to set up a bunch of DIY comparison devices in my work room. Nothing that can give hard numbers about weight limits, or Hydrostatic Head results, but things that can simply compare Fabric A vs Fabric B. Currently working on one to compare tarp waterproofness, using a small pressure tank. I can tell you how much pressure it takes to make water penetrate a few tarp materials. I can tell you how they compare to one another. But I can't tell you what the true HH numbers are.