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  1. #1
    Senior Member chknbone's Avatar
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    Silpoly durability in regards to remaining "waterproof"?

    Saw a comparison chart that shows 1.1oz Silpoly as having a Hydrostatic Head of >1500 when "new" and >492 when "aged" but it does not define what "aged" is. I've done a couple of DIY tarps with the 1.1oz Silpoly and they get used on 5-6 trips per year. Does anybody know how long the Sil/PU coating typically lasts on this fabric?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chknbone View Post
    Saw a comparison chart that shows 1.1oz Silpoly as having a Hydrostatic Head of >1500 when "new" and >492 when "aged" but it does not define what "aged" is. I've done a couple of DIY tarps with the 1.1oz Silpoly and they get used on 5-6 trips per year. Does anybody know how long the Sil/PU coating typically lasts on this fabric?

    Thanks.
    Well, looks like no one knows? I've got some older, but little used, sil nylon tarps that I wonder the same thing about.

  3. #3
    Senior Member oldpappy's Avatar
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    I'll be using my 13 year old Hennessy sil nylon tarp in your area starting next week (Warren Pa area). I'll let you know if I have any issues. I would think that Sil poly would age better than sil nylon due to less streatch.You can always do a garden hose/sprinkler test.
    Enjoying the simple things in life -
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  4. #4
    Senior Member chknbone's Avatar
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    An answer I got from a local vendor was this:

    "The aging tests simulate hundreds of uses. But they're just simulations. From experience, using our 1.1 Silpoly 2 weekends a month, I can say that after 4 years, my tarps are still going strong."

    So between them and oldpappy's input, I won't need to worry about water starting to seep through anytime soon!

  5. #5
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    Mine keep the rain out which is the main point. But I was disappointed to see the water doesn't bead up like my silnylon tarps. It's more of a continuous, shiny wet surface. I don't believe the "less absorption" point either; still seems like a sponge to me.

  6. #6
    Senior Member chknbone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OneClick View Post
    Mine keep the rain out which is the main point. But I was disappointed to see the water doesn't bead up like my silnylon tarps. It's more of a continuous, shiny wet surface. I don't believe the "less absorption" point either; still seems like a sponge to me.
    That's interesting. The water on both of mine bead up really well to the point that I can give them a good shake the morning after a rain and they are almost dry.

    I've been really happy with the silpoly performance on mine in general. The whole reason I started looking into the durability thing was because I had both of mine in "porch mode" on the last hike me and the wife went on when a storm came up in the middle of the night. The next morning the "porch" side for each setup had collected a good 1/2 gallon of water that had pooled and been sitting there the rest of the night. I was kind of surprised that no water was dripping through after sitting like that for several hours. Neither tarp showed any signs of being stretched or had any issues with keeping the rain out the rest of the trip and just started wondering how long could I expect that to be the case....

  7. #7
    Senior Member OneClick's Avatar
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    I got screwed then. AFTER shaking mine thoroughly, I went around with a small piece of Absorber cloth and wrung out about 4oz of water. That a lot of water, weight, mess!

  8. #8
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Well, looks like no one knows? I've got some older, but little used, sil nylon tarps that I wonder the same thing about.
    I have had my 2008 JRB Sil-nylon pitched over a similar age Claytor No Net hammock for 2 days of numerous heavy rains, with even more frequent lighter rain, and the hammock has not gotten wet yet. Of course, that still tells us nothing about sil-poly, nor does it mean that this tarp is anywhere near as water proof as it was. It does indicate that it is at least adequate for the wet conditions of the last 2 days.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Firesong's Avatar
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    Had a customer keep his 1.1 Silpoly tarp up in the sun for around 140 days running. UV killed it before it lost its waterproof ness. Split across the ridgeline which had me super curious how that happened. It was super aged and color faded when I saw it personally. It was literally left up and used each night to sleep under. It’s a different scenario than hiking where you take it down each morning and setup each evening / late afternoon. One customer in Australia said tarps last around 40 days if it’s left up as a sun shade too much over there. UV is a tarp killer.

  10. #10
    Senior Member chknbone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OneClick View Post
    I got screwed then. AFTER shaking mine thoroughly, I went around with a small piece of Absorber cloth and wrung out about 4oz of water. That a lot of water, weight, mess!
    The way you describe it kind of sounds like the factory forgot to apply the coating to your fabric. I'd send some pics and see you can't get some new material to replace it (of course then you have to go through the whole cutting, lining up, and sewing process again )

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