Cuben Fiber question

[BD]

Thinking of purchasing a CF tarp.

What does it feel like in your hand?- can I stuff it like I have always stuffed tarps and tent fly's?

[threepin]

for the the ultimate in CF knowledge you might check into backpackinglight.com
in my limited experience and knowledge its a fairly smooth surface material that is somewhat crinkly and stiff. You can stuff it, though i am finding to get the packed size small folding and rolling seems best.

the type and weight of cf has a large impact on its properties.

as i understand it the fabric is a sandwich of dyneema fibers and mylar.

the lack of stretch and when both dry and wet is nice but does make pitching tougher and potentially noisier. Strength is great but abrasion resistance on the lighter weights is the weak point.

Much nicer and lighter to pack when wet than sil-nylon

[Adam Alphabet]

Thinking of purchasing a CF tarp.

What does it feel like in your hand?- can I stuff it like I have always stuffed tarps and tent fly's?

Who's making it and in what weight cuben?
There are various weights so they all feel a little different. Initially they feel stiff and you can fold it and crease it, which makes it easy to work with. threepins description of 'crinkly' is a good one. Once used for a while it softens up quite a bit it does not crease anymore it also doesn't feel nearly as crinkly. 

I use a tarp that I made out of 0.51oz a couple years ago as well as a pertex/cuben bivy that I made that uses 0.74oz for the bottom. I also just got back from a 4 day trip where my whole kit; frame bag, seat bag and handle bar set up were made from a combination of 1.43oz and 2.92oz hybrid. It's amazing stuff and being a MYOG'er I absolutely love it.

For a tarp you'll likely get something in the 0.51oz weight.

Yes you can stuff it the same as any of your other gear. The stuff is great. Some additional info here... also a great company to order material or gear from. http://www.zpacks.com/materials.shtml

[BD]

Thanks for info. Gossamer Gear tarp made from Cubic Tech CTK non-woven laminate is what I am looking at.
Comments???

[Adam Alphabet]

Gossamer Gear has been a staple in the ultralight game for a long time. I haven't used any of their gear but reviews and reputation with them seem to go far. It doesn't say what weight material the cuben is but a quick email to Glen will get you an answer. My guess is it's going to be 0.74oz, maybe 0.51oz. If it's 0.74oz it'll be bomber (for cuben), if it's 0.51oz, it'll be fine too. Little pricey, if that matters but their work is supposed to be top notch.

Again a plug for zpacks (no affiliation at all) but have a look here for some options as well. I'm sure they'll cat cut one for you if that's what you're after. Flat has more set up options, but each their own. http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/tarps.shtml

Either way I think you'll be happy. The cat cut and huge coverage will keep you and your gear dry.
Post some pics and notes when you get something.
good luck.

[southmark]

Take a look at Zpacks.com. Joe is a pioneer in cuben products for backpacking. He even sells the supplies for DIY projects. I have two of his cuben tarps. He does custom also. Another good source of cuben tarps is hammock gear.com.