New ultralight DD setups!

**magic354** · 05-04-2014, 15:22

Originally Posted by ripstopbytheroll

Weight and durability mainly. PU is a less durable coating than silicone. Manufacturing wise it's also a lot easier to apply and achieve a higher waterproof rating with PU. Put those together and you probably have the reason for seeing PU on cheaper tarps. I've also read that PU actually makes the coated fabric weaker while Sil makes it stronger, but I've never seen any data to back that up.

A thread that I started about the differences between PU and Sil coating. Ripstopbytheroll, incase any of you are unaware, runs a website selling materials for hammock camping, basically things like silnylon, 1.6oz ripstop nylon, cuben fibre etc. and this was his opinion. Given his experience dealing with usual hammock fabrics I trusted it. But there is no actual data to back it up.

**andyfalkirk** · 05-18-2014, 10:12

There will always be a weight issue when it comes to gear. As a 6'5" tall person I have to admit some of the hammocks aren't made for me. Haven't try DD superlight but it seems to be not my size. Instead I bought EXPED Travel Hammock Duo which is longer and wider and much more comfortable for the big boys and weights only 490g. But still interested in DD superlight tarp. Seems to be quite good value for the money. Any comments on that?

**Zilla** · 05-18-2014, 11:08

There is not one bit of data showing where pu treatment weakens the fabric, it might make it a bit heavier but we all know that allready, as far as sylicone making fabric stronger, there is also no data to prove that, it might give it a bit more flex or strech but how could it make it stronger,,does putting a coat of paint or wax on a car make the metal stronger?..

**craige** · 05-18-2014, 12:01

Originally Posted by Zilla

There is not one bit of data showing where pu treatment weakens the fabric, it might make it a bit heavier but we all know that allready, as far as sylicone making fabric stronger, there is also no data to prove that, it might give it a bit more flex or strech but how could it make it stronger,,does putting a coat of paint or wax on a car make the metal stronger?..

I don't know much about the pu coating, but the silicon is an impregnation. The silicon bonds to the fibres in the fabric, reportedly making the fabric stronger.

**Zilla** · 05-18-2014, 13:23

Originally Posted by craige

I don't know much about the pu coating, but the silicon is an impregnation. The silicon bonds to the fibres in the fabric, reportedly making the fabric stronger.

i think the inpregnation may make it stronger, i just cant find any data on it, but pu coating weakening the fabric does not make sense to me, if anyone has a source of data on this i would be interested in reading it

**magic354** · 05-18-2014, 16:29

Originally Posted by Zilla

i think the inpregnation may make it stronger, i just cant find any data on it, but pu coating weakening the fabric does not make sense to me, if anyone has a source of data on this i would be interested in reading it

I've found this site, doesn't mention anything about sources etc. but its an interesting read:

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/FAQ/FAQ_SiliconeVsPU.htm

Note:

"As far as the final fabric properties are concerned, you should not think of 'silnylon' as a 'coated fabric', but rather as 'nylon-fabric-reinforced silicone polymer sheet'. This is a bit like fibreglass or glass-reinforced epoxy. This difference translates into mechanical properties too. A key parameter is 'tear strength'. It is claimed that a PU coating focuses the stress in a tear right at the tip of the tear, and this actually makes a PU-coated fabric behave weaker than the base fabric. However, the elastic silicone polymer in silnylon fabric takes over and distributes the stress across a number of threads, and this makes the silnylon fabric significantly stronger in tear than the base fabric - reportedly up to 2.2 times stronger."

Originally Posted by andyfalkirk

But still interested in DD superlight tarp. Seems to be quite good value for the money. Any comments on that?

I have been eagerly awaiting review videos cropping up on YouTube as DD send out the Superlight range to their 'testers', I have just watched all the available contact on the range. If you search 'DD Hammocks Superlight' you'll find them all, there's about 6 on the whole range atm. The tarp doesn't feature too heavily (mainly about the hammock and mosie net) but everyone has said that the quality is exceptional and they have not cut any corners in order to save weight. For the money, I think it would be a really good tarp, and as I've mentioned before, I've always been very impressed with DD's kit.

**sandykayak** · 05-18-2014, 19:06

I only found two YouTubes on the Superlight Range. This one is 22.40 mins.

http://youtu.be/KKH2fNbNze4

I don't fancy the soft shackles. If you were buying the combo, what Dutchware items would you buy? The biners to replace the soft shackles. Anything else?

What other changes would you make? I thought of a few: Change out the tarp stakes.
Add a Ridgeline to raise the mosquito net. Possibly even attach some netting loops to the net.

**sandykayak** · 05-18-2014, 19:22

I clicked on DD hammocks USA option but still get weights in grams and prices in pounds sterling.

Is there a link to US currency and weights/dimensions?

**magic354** · 05-18-2014, 21:04

Originally Posted by sandykayak

I clicked on DD hammocks USA option but still get weights in grams and prices in pounds sterling.

Is there a link to US currency and weights/dimensions?

Here is the link to the US part of their site:

http://www.ddhammocks.com/products?set_country=US

It contains all the prices in USD, however, the weights are still in grams, you will have to convert this yourself.

Yes, the NorthWestBushcraft video is the most comprehensive. If I personally was buying the combo I would swap out the soft shackles for a carabiner, I like to use climbing grade, and have two 24 kN rated wire gates that come in at 26g each that I use, however, DD now offer a 'Superlight' carabiner that is rated to 900lbs, and only weighs 8g. As you mentioned, I would also add a structural ridgeline, the mosie net does come with some cordage to form a ridgeline to keep it off your face, but if you add a structural ridgeline to the hammock it will do that same job. Tent pegs is up to you, personal preference, the DD ones are suitable. Apart from that, I like to use snake skins, and I use tarp tensioners on my tarp tieouts.

**Maximiliam69** · 05-18-2014, 22:46

Originally Posted by sandykayak

I don't fancy the soft shackles. If you were buying the combo, what Dutchware items would you buy? The biners to replace the soft shackles. Anything else?

What other changes would you make? I thought of a few: Change out the tarp stakes.
Add a Ridgeline to raise the mosquito net. Possibly even attach some netting loops to the net.

If you would add all this and also bring the mosquito net, then I would look at the Woodsman X single layer from UK Hammocks instead. The Woodsman wit ridgeline and mossie net is only 20 grams (0.7 oz) more than the DD with netting.