Guys,
I've decided to go with the mountainwilderness Monster Fly 10x12 (W/Doors) tarp but I'm having a bit of a hard time deciding what material to choose. Here's the list. Which would you choose and why?
Silinylon $100.00
Silpoly 2nd Gen $100.00
PU4000 Silpoly $110.00
Sil Membrane $115.00
I would cross off silnylon due to stretch. I have 3 DIY silpoly 2nd gen and I like the material. To me it is a nice balance of weight and strength. I don't have any experience to weigh in on the other 2 materials though.
I threw together a quick comparison chart:Originally Posted by grhughes
Tarp-fabric-basic-chart.jpg
If you don't mind being a little more gentle with your gear, go with Membrane Silpoly - lowest weight, highest waterproofness, very low stretch. If you want the same high waterproofness in something a little more robust and don't mind the extra weight, go with Silpoly PU4000.
Silnylon is the strongest, but stretches when wet which means retensioning your tarp. Silpoly offers the lower stretch. Both are slightly less waterproof over time compared to MEMBRANE and Silpoly PU4000. There is a wider color selection with the silnylon and silpoly though.
If you're just looking for a straight up pick - go with MEMBRANE silpoly if we have your color and treat your tarp nicely.
Last edited by ripstopbytheroll; 12-16-2015 at 22:26.
Thanks for the through information. Where does Cuban Fiber fit in with these materials?
I know sylnylon get a bad rap, but let's face it: it is tough and there are thousands of tarps and tent flies out there made from the stuff and functioning quite well. Yes, it stretches when wet/damp. Maybe the bigger issue is that it absorbs a bit of water, making it a bit heavier when packed wet, and it takes a bit longer to dry out. All that is pretty minor stuff for the majority of folks. And it's quite affordable, all things considered.
That said, I do see the trend that various forms of poly will probably make nylon obsolete for tarps and flies. Maybe that's a good thing. It may well be progress. I'm just not quite sure...
Thanks for the information ripstopbytheroll .
I just put the membrane silpoly through a night of continuous 30+ mph winds and it held up great. It surprised me with how well it held up.
How durable would you say it would be compared to silpoly?
I haven't really abused the normal stuff, but after seeing how the membrane held up I don't really see myself ever using the regular silpoly again. I think the membrane is plenty strong.
The creator of the fabric, Kyle, says that silpoly is more durable than the membrane and that makes sense since it's a thicker fabric. In my couple of months of using membrane silpoly I don't see the membrane giving up any time soon though, so I don't think the durability of membrane over the regular stuff is worth worrying about.
silny is stronger than comparable silpoly?
i had always assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the opposite was the case.......
good to know.
edit: i went and checked my tarps i was basing that on. i'm with you. i have some old tarps that are real tanks, and i was thinking they were poly but they aren't. they're nylon........
i wish i could remember better...
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