Cuben fiber

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Clearly I need to get out more, because up until the other day I had never heard of Cuben fiber.

Silnylon is the shizznits when it comes to lightweight materials for backpacking gear. But, apparently the new kid on the block is this material called Cuben fiber. I was talking to a guy the other day and he was showing me his gear. He had the lightest bivvysack I’ve ever seen… the ground-side was Cuben fiber, the top side was snetting and silnylon. Apparently the CF was waterproof/resistant enough to be a good choice for that task.

It reminds me of Tyvek in terms of the feel and color. Apparently it got its start as sailcloth material for high-tech sailboats and, as with a ll technology, it eventually trickled into other fields.

I need to do some investigating to see if it comes in some more useful colors. And I’d like to test it out to see how waterproof it really is. With the ridiculous light weight it would make an awesome ‘tarp’ to take along in case you have to shelter overnight when on a hunting trip or something.

Clearly, more investigation is in order.

10 thoughts on “Cuben fiber”

  1. ripstopbytheroll has it. very expensive, sold by the half-yard. but made of the same stuff as the new high tech body armor, dyeema. by weight though, there are other materials that are comparable at much less money. i have dealt with rbtr quite a bit and they are good folks.

  2. Been used for a while by ultralite backpackers for shelters and packs and tarps. I really think the ultralite guys are way ahead of us when it comes to some aspects of prepping. BOB’s for instance. These guys do thru hikes with 5 days food and water and a total pack weight under 20lbs. Meanwhile I see some 3 day BOB’s weigh 50lbs for use in an urban environment.

    • Ya know, I, myself, need to get out more. If I read your comment correctly, and ultralightweight through hikers can go 5 days with a 20 pound pack including food and water (hell, even if only food) and gear to make camp, *I* can learn a considerable amount from them!

    • You are spot on with this, I’ve been looking into UL gear for BOB items but the price and colors available just aren’t for the preparedness minded in many cases. I’ve known people to dye tyvek after washing it a few times to get a more subdued color. One of the couples in a network I’m part of is a big time UL hiker and they take it to the extreme at times – weigh out their items to the ounce, even remove buttons or pockets on clothing to cut down weight. She has even admitted that many of the UL items won’t hold up for long term use and has said that she gets 2-3 years of use before it needs to be replaced.

  3. I do a bit of backpacking, and cuben fiber has been around for a while, but they generally want an arm and a leg for it. Needless to say, I have nothing made from it.

  4. Coincidentally, I just received an email advertisement from Huckberry, where they list some denim clothing with this material woven in. I’ll forward it to your listed email so you can check it out, if only to satisfy your curiosity.

    • And having just now followed the link to see what they are selling… WTF are they thinking with those prices?!? (Expensive is an understatement, but I could understand them if the clothes really are ballistic grade as advertised.)

  6. Reminds me of the 80/20 rule. You can usually find 80% of the function for 20% of the price instead of buying “the best”. I like to reserve the best for my most crucial equipment. But if a winning lottery ticket fell in my lap…

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