Cuben Fiber Durability

For the past year and a half I have used one small cuben fiber stuff sack as a snack bag for all my trips. This is a video of how it has held up and my thoughts on the material.

[@josephallen19]

Good info, well done.

[@korbynavi7940]

a trick: you can watch movies at flixzone. I've been using it for watching loads of movies recently.

[@quincyfinnley2653]

@Korbyn Avi Yea, have been watching on Flixzone} for since november myself :)

[@TeriyakiBoy]

This video helped a lot. I was on the verge of either buying a "cuben" fiber UL pack but the I was hesitant due to not knowing long term durability issues and it's cost. You definitely helped with providing some crucial durability information to me. Thank you!

[@survivewithout]

thanks for the honesty. I have been wondering for a while. I sure hope the price goes down

[@PRJKTan12]

Great video! Very concise and informative. It's good to hear from someone actually talking from experience instead of someone who just bought their brand spanking new dyneema whatever and gives it 5 stars.

[@j.k.photography3664]

Thanks for the info.

[@davishlamburnt3734]

Thanks so much for putting this out there. It's good to see an extended use look at these materials.

[@jtlerch]

Excellent no BS video as normal. My trips to the woods are night and day different than what you do but I always learn a bunch from your videos. Keep them coming.

[@Zedoutdoors]

A timely video as i've been researching the cuben fiber tarps to lighten the weight of my tarp, also a great heads up on the tenacious tape as not heard of it before ~Peace~

[@UrbanSuburban010]

Finally, this is exactly the info I have been looking for. Thanks a bunch! Guess I will be sticking with my silnylon for now.

[@bluesummers5051]

I find that they're worth it when it comes to things like shelters and backpacks. The 210D option which comes in black feels far more durable than the standard Cuben while still being around the same weight and price. There's a guy who tested the abrasion and rip/tensile strength of hybrid cuben on a fabric testing machine along with a bunch of other materials like cordura, dyneema gridstop, xpac, silnylon, etc. Here's the link if anyone's interested: hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/tabid/679/forumid/23/postid/10747/scope/posts/Default.aspx

[@briancuprisin4571]

Best summary I've seen. Subscribed.

[@ChadMorgan709]

Thanks for that very informative video. You answered a lot of the questions I had about both the fabrics and their properties.

[@EvansBackpackingVideos]

Great video. I love my cuben fiber tarp and it's holding up many miles later. So is my cuben fiber pack from ZPacks. About its being translucent--some people don't like that in a shelter because you lose some privacy. I don't care myself.

[@jiffywartbustle2348]

Very helpful, thank you - I keep mulling over Zpacks tarps but have never pulled the trigger on them. Weight savings are substantial though the cost(esp in Canada) has always been too significant. For general hiking and camping, I'll stick with what I've got for the time being!

[@kurtz260]

Glad you put up another video. great info and beautiful vid quality.

[@timc46440]

Any other day it would be weird to watch a guy talk about his sack on the internet... good shiz Kyle, I like the long term usability reports instead of table top unboxing reviews.

[@AmyB.]

Timbo Slice hahaha :)

[@simeonshanebushcraft]

Thank you for info on that, I was skeptical about cuben fiber whether or not it was worth the money.

[@kevinfraser5179]

Thanks for the info. Been doing a lot of reading about making my own "ultra-light" shelter. And as you have said, there is not a lot of information I can find about the pros/cons of cuben fiber. Also, dat depth of field tho. Great looking shot.

[@DrJosh2]

Thank you for affirming the same conclusion I'd come to; I was still trying hard to rationalize dropping $800 on cuben fiber gear.

[@TeaInTheTreesbp]

Nice info, was looking into grabbing some Z-Packs gear for our Thru-Hike of The A.T. in a few years. Still on the fence about its cost thou. You helped quite a bit as far as when to deploy cuben fiber and when not to. Will probably only use it for 4 week or longer backpacking trips. Excellent video and info. ATB -Nate

[@curtisholt4703]

Zpacks also sells cubeb fiber tape for repairs.

[@princesswearshikingboots4479]

Thanks, great video and sound advice. I was toying with idea of a Cuben Fiber Zpack but was put off by the extreme price. Pity they can't make them cheaper.

[@gaylinlack726]

Agree completely. For those of us not having the ability or time to spend months on a trail and not interesting in setting records for speed hikes the cost at present is not worth it for most items. Sacrifice a little wt. and save money for the next trip. Thanks.

[@nikoulph]

honesty is priceless! Nice review. The Dyneema/Cuben material feels like not very durable, as you pack and pack and pack over the days and nights, it makes those little holes that you mentioned. After 1 year or 2 max, the extremely expensive product will still be usable? (especially waterproofing, tarp, tents)

[@benjaminshaw4263]

Thanks for your thoughts

[@OutandAboutWest]

That's the kind of review I like, well done! Cheers, -Bas

[@kevintaxera2743]

Good to know, thanks Kyle. Very informative.

[@cameronalexander359]

Awesome review. Very helpful. Thanks.

[@scooter041031]

Just found your video I have been wondering the durability of this material in other gear such as tents or backpacks. I saw Will Wood's video on his Zpacks tent and he said that the duplex tent he has is starting to deteriorate after his AT through hike. My question is doe UV and use tend to wear harder on this gear compared to other tents on the market. I am somewhat rough or hard-using on gear I camp/hike at least once a month if not more and I have tents that are almost 20 yrs old besides fading and re-waterproofing and taping they are still in really good shape I am wondering if this material will hold up longevity wise as long. If it deteriorates due to the elements and doesn't last as long then it isn't worth the money. It would be nice to see some more long-term honest reviews on this gear like you have here.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

man that seems pretty poor performance. You said 90 days. I have nylon stuff sacks that are over 30 years and one over 40. my Kelly white cloud, made out of 100% spectra is over 20 yrs old. Kelly tested the pack by filling the pack with rocks and dragging it behind a truck. spectra is great.

[@nikoulph]

Good point, if I spend the money, I want the honey! And durability looks like a serious issue. A good product should last for a life time, especially on the price range Dyneema and Cuben products are marketed.

[@yunggolem4687]

Spectra and Dyneema are both UHMWPE products. Sounds like Cuben they're just using a thin layer of UHMWPE for the structure and layering on some cheaper materials that ablate relatively quickly. Seems like if you're going for the best you should probably skip Cuben and go straight to an all UHMWPE product.

[@garybolenable]

Good review. Cost is definitely an issue when considering ultralight gear. If I were thinking about pulling the trigger on a Dyneema item, I would definitely do it for a backpack. Backpacks are heavy as fook and the Dyneema backpacks are much lighter and don't really cost that much more. I would also seriously consider a Dyneema sleeping bag. The are rather more expensive than a normal sleeping bag but still within a reasonable cost for value. Tents on the other hand... my wife would kill me if I paid $700 - $800 for a tent that was made from Dyneema. That being said, if cost were no option, I would get the Zpack Duplex Flex. Not so sure I would pony up for cuben stuff sacks though.

[@couz10]

Thanks Kyle, good to know.

[@NorwegianWoods]

Thanks a lot for the information :) - Martin

[@gilligansisle6914]

Very informative! Thanks burls!

[@gsocias]

Thanks for the information.

[@woodlandsnorth]

Appreciate the info, thanks.

[@SublimatedIce]

Great video and review. Have to agree it's not worth it for the vast majority of people.

[@junocide]

Cuben rules.Valid point on the cost though.

[@jonnyt16]

What shirt are you wearing in this video? Thanks.

[@BurleyOutdoors]

Its made by Arcteryx but no longer in production.

[@jonnyt16]

Thanks for the reply bud. Looking forward to your video on your recent Temagami trip.

[@relativelynomadic]

Very fair. Id

[@WorldSurvivalist]

I came to the same conclusion with it.

[@dallasbrenneman6200]

Yea, the price of dyneema manufactured tents, tarps, and stuff sacks are outrageous! The manufacturing costs of these items don't jive with the actual material and labor costs. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can make the same style tents, tarps, or stuff sacks using the same dyneema materials for about half the cost. The high prices come from manufacturers trying to rip people off. Do your research before buying any product that seems overly expensive, because you can usually make the exact same product for WAY less. Thanks for your review on this material! Very helpful for anyone.

[@grahamriley8124]

But the companies have other costs as well. And they want decent rewards for the risk of starting a business! We also get innovation. For those without the time and skills it is good.