durability sylnylon, sylpoly vs cuben

[jungleboy84]

hey guys, newbie here. i love the forum!

im concerned with weight and price, but ultimately i will go with durable and reliable over anything else. i dont like it when the stuff i need fails, (or can't handle the abuse of where i camp). especially when its expensive.

so I've been reading about cuben fiber, the price is equally as impressive as specs. so i think its worth it if it is not riddled with holes in short order. there is ALOT, of pokey sticks, and sharp stuff in my neck of the woods. I mean claustrophobically thick overgrown and pokey!!!! to the extent i wear safety glasses often! its hard to avoid a tarp coming in contact with a bunch of pokey sticks.

cuben fiber sounds like it has a tendency to "pop" a whole easily when under tension.

i would love to hear some experienced opinions on durability of tarp materials,,,

thanks

[SGT Rock]

I've been using my cuben tarp for about 5 years without holes. I think cuben sucks for packs, stuff sacks, etc. But it makes an excellent tarp.

[Cadenza]

I've been using my cuben tarp for about 5 years without holes. I think cuben sucks for packs, stuff sacks, etc. But it makes an excellent tarp.

I agree on the packs. I kinda like some of my cuben stuff sacks and dry bags.
But cuben is a fantastic material for tarps!

It seems that the only people who question cuben as a tarp are those who haven't tried it. I've been using a cuben tarp for about 5 years and it has held up very well. In fact it's still as good as new.
THE ONLY thing I find fault with about cuben is the shine. If I want stealthy, I go back to sil-nylon multicam. If I'm not worried about having my camp spotted then I have no issues with cuben.

[WaffleBox]

Even if your cuben tarp gets a hole in it, it is REALLY REALLY easy to repair in the field. Slap some cuben tape on it and you'll never know it was damaged.