Silpoly tarp - hopes crushed within 5 minutes

**Zilla** · 02-14-2017, 14:44

Sorry for your lose, i dont think any fabric out there for tarps is made to drag across sharp branches and bark but my 1.1 silpoly Winter Dream has been caught by the wind like that before and survived without a scratch.
It's ok to try and find ways to lighten your load but 1.1 is as low as i'll go for something as impotant as my tarp, never really understood why someone would want cuban , most of the time spent worrying if a branch will fall thru it and it being almost see thru is a negative for me as well.As far as the membrane goes, this is the first time i've heard of it failing so fast, good luck on your next one.

**Monkeyboy42** · 02-14-2017, 14:51

I think someone else asked also, but where you using membrane, or membrane pu4000. The pu4000 has notes about its fragility. Curious for my own reference, since I have considered making a membrane tarp.

**OneClick** · 02-14-2017, 15:09

Originally Posted by Zilla

Sorry for your lose, i dont think any fabric out there for tarps is made to drag across sharp branches and bark

You're making it sound like I went surfing with it thru a cactus field. I didn't "drag" anything. It gently blew into the tree and back down without me even pulling. And while I'm sure silnylon wasn't "designed" to be dragged thru anything, I've done it many times without flinching. They look new after 5 years now. I don't really baby my tarps. I was careful not to blame anyone but myself here and stand by the facts and my experience. You can only expect so much after the material gets thinner and lighter. "Sharp branches and bark"? I dunno, didn't seem unusually sharp to me and I was there when I saw it, so I don't know what else to say.

Originally Posted by Monkeyboy42

I think someone else asked also, but where you using membrane, or membrane pu4000. The pu4000 has notes about its fragility. Curious for my own reference, since I have considered making a membrane tarp.

I'm not sure, whatever is on their site to order on the Hanger page. Last product that says "HANGER HEX TARPS - 15d MEMBRANE .93" Then I just picked my size and color in the dropdowns.

**Bmello** · 02-14-2017, 15:57

Originally Posted by Al Icks

I'm curious, what do you guys think would happen to xenon wide (1.3?) in this situation?

I made a Dutch style asym from the Xenon wide last year and have had not issues. I also haven't been too careful with mine. No holes or leaks after about 7 months of usage.............

Thanks for the heads up on the .93 Membrane. I am getting ready to DIY a winter tarp and was looking at this for the project. I'll stay with the heavier Silpoly for this next project.

**BanjoPicker** · 02-14-2017, 15:59

Bummer! Buy hey, if you are going to have your hopes crushed it is best to have it overwith in 5 minutes. As opposed to waiting until your tarp shreds itself in a big, gusty downpour.

I have never much liked the idea of a fragile tarp. It is great for the times that your don't need a tarp (stuffed in the bottom of your pack, slogging uphill), but no so good when your do need it (aforementioned big gusty downpour). I carry a tarp for the times when I need it.

**TrailSlug** · 02-14-2017, 16:24

Hum.. I have a SilPoly tarp and it's been blown into tree limbs, blown across the ground (embarrassed to tell how) and it's as good now as it was the day I bought it. I'm empresses with how tough this fabric has proven to be. What could be the difference?

**ripstopbytheroll** · 02-14-2017, 16:29

Hi Mark. Sorry to hear about your trouble on the first trip out no less. I know it's really frustrating to be excited for new gear and then have a let down. As you alluded to, going lighter and thinner is not without trade offs, with durability being the big one to keep in mind.

I appreciate your feedback on what happened and we will certainly take that on board to help others trying to make a similar material decision. I would offer to send you some repair sealant, but it looks like you have that taken care of.

What I can say is that when it comes to small objects like branches, they don't necessarily need to be thorn sharp to cause a puncture. For instance, if you take a ball point pen and press against anything from MEMBRANE silpoly up through 1.6 oz Silpoly, you can puncture both with very minimal pressure. Same goes for lightweight Silnylon. I also tried it on a piece of Hilleberg tent fabric (30D silnylon, commonly regarded as one of the best fabrics out there) with pretty much the same result.

I guess the reason I bring that up is to alert folks that may be thinking 1.1 or 1.6 will be significantly better against a bad combo of wind and branches. We're always striving to go above and beyond to provide as much fabric education as we can. We want you to make a purchase knowing the tradeoffs and when appropriate, what to try and avoid for certain applications.

Again, thanks for the candid and honest feedback on the field use. If we can help with anything, please don't hesitate to let me know.

**kitsapcowboy** · 02-14-2017, 16:44

Originally Posted by markr6

I guess kitsapcowboy was right on this one.

Certainly one instance in which I wish I had been otherwise... Very sorry to hear about it.

Not to discount your misfortune, which was clearly just dumb luck, but at least it wasn't in vain. You rolled the dice on a MEMBRANE tarp to see if it could be right for you, and the answer seems to be probably not. Probably not for me either.

I think your experience brings to light a more important, more valuable point: there really are no one-size-fits-all solutions in hammock camping. Presumably, this is precisely why we as a community of hammock enthusiasts embrace the ethos of "Hang Your Own Hang". As Shug is fond of saying, in his inimitable wisdom, "It's intuitive. It's complicated. Sometimes it's intuitive AND complicated..." His take-home message is unwavering: just get out there, and don't let gear be an excuse for missing opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.

I understand that there are others who look at things really differently than Shug does. I'll admit that I sometimes balk when I see some of the most learned and experienced voices here on HF propound an absolutely inflexible stance on a specific method or piece of gear, insisting, "Hey, this is the way I do it, and I've done it this way for years, and everyone should do this exactly the way I do." To me, such positions, even when they serve to advance real wisdom with a proven track record, deny the simple fact that one individual's goals and priorities in undertaking the hammock camping experience simply might not line up with another's. To put Shug in good company, I think if Mr. Spock were to go hammock camping, he would find the logic in "Hang Your Own Hang", or, as they like to say on Vulcan, "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations".

Luxury versus lightweight versus ultralight versus "stupid light" is a big issue for a lot of us, and, honestly, it can be hard to find two members on Hammock Forums who see completely eye to eye on how much weight to shave and where to shave it. My personal take is that there is a tendency here, in a group that is kind of on the cutting edge of ingenuity and high-tech innovation, to find gram-shaving to be very "sexy" compared to aspects like trailworthiness, comfort, or versatility. But even that humble observation highlights by own personal bias and priorities, given how I like to camp. The next guy or girl will look at the issue differently.

FWIW I think the MEMBRANE ultralight sil-poly is truly amazing coated fabric for weather protection applications, and I offer kudos to both RBTR and UGQ or bringing such innovative materials and products to market. Clearly it is of great benefit to have MEMBRANE sil-poly as an available option; its advantages are obvious, and likewise its inherent trade-offs bust be understood and respected.

Regardless of our points of view, more choices and options for how to HYOH are of benefit to everyone -- as long as everyone takes a moment to do a self-check and get clear on the goals and priorities they have in assembling their hammock camping kit and venturing out into the piney woods.

My $0.02. Happy hanging to all -- and especially markr6...