Cuben/ Dyneema tents longterm?

[Beendare]

Q for you guys that have owned the UL Dyneema tents for at least a few years…or you use it a bunch;

Any delaminations, leaks?

I’m primarily interested in; How has this product held up for you early adopters that have been using it for many years?

All commentary welcome…

 

[BBob]

Tarptent, MLD bivy no issues. I have about 3 seasons in on both and so far no leaks or any worrysome wear and tear. Taped seams have no delams so far. I added stick on hooks to the underside of the tent for when I use it as a tarp and once those things are stuck they don't come off or even start to peel. I'll add that I use my stuff a lot but I am not necessarily hard on gear.

 

[Westernduck]

I’ve had a Tarptent stratosphere LI for about a year and a half. It’s been through 2 hunting seasons without any issues. I do use a bigger tent for non hunting trips though.

 

[mtwarden]

My TT Aeon Li is four years old; has to be 100+ nights now. I had one small hole/tear in the floor- guessing something sharp underneath I didn't see. DCF is easy to repair though- clean area, apply small patch- done.

No other issues. I know it's not going to last forever, but even if I get just one more year (I think it will be longer than that)- I feel I got my $ worth.

A solo tent with a full bath tub floor, decent sized vestibule, full bug netting, holds up in rough weather (I use longer stakes and stack rocks on them if it's going to be high winds), plenty of room in the interior (and I can sit up w/ no problem) and weighs 18 oz all in- tough to beat imho.

 

[arwhntr]

I made a DIY all taped seams dyneema shelter back in 2018. I'm shocked how well it's held up. Not a single issue and well over 100+ nights sleeping in it.

 

[nnmarcher]

Unfortunately no personal experience, but Zpacks has this listed under their Duplex:

“The expected life span of this shelter is at least one full 2500+ mile thru hike, or many years of casual use with some care.”

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have a few pieces that have seen some use - tents, ground clothes, tarps. A couple of pin holes from wear on top of an expected tear or two that probably would have happened with silnylon or whatever fabric.

my brother is an ultralight hiker and has a dyneema pack that he shredded up a bit with a few yeasr of good use. Easy to patch and I think chewed up dyneema is a bit of a badge of honor in that crowd. I bet if you check some of those lightweight forums, there is some good feedback on long term use.

one other comment, I think most dyneema gear is going to be built with a specific focus on weight. therefore, in addition to the dyneema, the gear makers are cutting weight elsewhere as possible. That means they probably trade of some durability to save weight on things like zippers and netting, etc. so you end up with a piece of gear that has zippers that are a little more dainty and harder to use or maybe netting that is thinner and snags and tears more than conventional gear. So, while the dyneema fabric may hold up comparitively well the overall product is going to have a bit less durability than something more conventional but also likely quite a bit heavier - ie. don’t buy a 2# z packs ultralight 3-person tent made of dyneema, angel farts and helium thread and expect it to last as long as a 10# hilliberg expedition tent.

 

[roosiebull]

One thing I have not heard much about is storage, what’s the best way to store them when not using them?

My dyneema shelter is not as focused on lightweight as it is being completely waterproof and not sagging in wet weather.

Is it bad for dyneema to store them in a stuff sack? The only durability issues I have had so far was with my bathtub ground cloth made of DCF, and have used it as a meat tarp, and putting around meat in my pack to keep things clean… one buck I hit the offside knuckle and there was some sharp bone and during that pack, I did poke a small hole, but how would it not?

Easy to patch, not a big deal, still use it as a meat tarp, but went back to a heavy contractor bag for keeping my pack clean

 

[BBob]

The general recommendation is to roll them up and not stuff them. I’ve rolled my tents up for decades regardless of material so nothing new for me. I leave them stored rolled up (if I know they are absolutely dry) as there’s no coating to degrade from humidity.

 

[mtwarden]

I store both of mine rolled in stuff sacks.

The one thing TT warns of is do NOT stuff into the sack, roll and then put it in the sack.

 

[mtwarden]

^^ faster typer

 

[WeiserBucks]

I recently bought a used DCF Cimarron. It's been used quite a bit and shows signs of wear. It's got several patches and needs a few more but it's still 100% functional and I expect plenty of service from it going forward.

 

[Beendare]

Sounds like its good stuff.

Considering everything, especially that I’ve worked with silnylon, the weight savings of about 4-6oz isn’t worth it to use for my custom solo shelter.

 

[hammerco]

We have had a HMG Echo II and now have a Dirigo. Durability has been great. No leaks or delamination. But condensation does seem to be a bit of an issue in both. Unless I'm going extremely light, like on a fast packing hiking trip, I bring a double wall, silnylon pyramid setup.

 

[johnnycake]

Unfortunately no personal experience, but Zpacks has this listed under their Duplex:

“The expected life span of this shelter is at least one full 2500+ mile thru hike, or many years of casual use with some care.”

I've been running a Zpacks triplex in Alaska since 2018. In that time I've got about 100 nights in it, and have lent it to buddies for nearly that many nights as well. No leaks, no delaminations, just great. One buddy had a couple guy lines break when he borrowed it and he contacted Zpacks and they got them replaced pretty quick. I've run it in summer, fall, and early winter. It's seen torrential rain, sustained winds+80mph and gusts over 100, and heavy snow. It just works.

 

[Aplonsky]

I’ve had a Tarptent stratosphere LI for about a year and a half. It’s been through 2 hunting seasons without any issues. I do use a bigger tent for non hunting trips though.

Have been using a stratospire Li since 2019 for both summer backpacking trips and hunting. I'm not nice to my gear, it's been through some hellacious storms, and I have no issues to report - phenomenal tents.

 

[Holocene]

I had a camo DCF Zpacks triplex for a few years and it did great for 30-40 nights. One small tear caused by a sharp piece of gear, but the material is so easy to patch.

Very good shelter for the rain we get in PNW and I liked how it didn’t really have they classic “tent” smell the way silnyon has.

 

[BBob]

I liked how it didn’t really have the classic “tent” smell the way silnyon has.

I never thought of that or noticed but very true. The urethane coatings do tend to stink. Another plus for DCF

 

[JBirthisel]

I bought a dyneema tarp and have used it for about 5 years. I always worried that it would be fragile because how light weight it was. Zero issues. One year on an archery hunt it was pouring the rain as I set it up. I had my quiver stuffed in the side pocket of my bag with the nocks sticking out. I launched my 50 pound pack under the tarp and throw the nocks right into the tarp. Punctured one small and stopped the pack mid flight. Had to repitch the tarp but was very surprised it didn’t rip it in half. Got home, throw a piece of dyneema tape on it, been good for 3 years.


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