I just noticed that The Rain Shed has 2-Layer eVENT® in slate blue. It's located under Just Arrived. It's $13.00/yd. I assume it's the real thing since it has the registered trademark symbol after the name.

http://www.therainshed.com/Just%20Arrived.htm#eVENT%AE_2-Layer_WP_Breathable_

wow! thanks for the heads up! I'll need to ask what weight it is.
This is rare and exciting folks.

Please post when you find out the weight. I could see myself snatching up quite a bit of this for all sorts of projects

Homemade eVENT tent anyone? =)

Anybody inquired yet? I've never seen blue before.

I could use a little general eVENT education. What are the most common varieties in use? 2-layer? 2.5-layer? 3-layer? Since the eVENT PFTE is supposedly oleophobic, is there any risk of dirt and oils clogging the 2-layer? Are there trade names for the different layers and weights?

Sorry for the 20 questions, but I want to make sure that my excitement is warranted.

Also, talked to the owners of OWF a while back. They said they could get eVENT, but only in very large lots that they were not confident they could resell quickly.

I noticed that this was two layer, and not three layer... how would it work for the top layer of a bivy? Would it be durable enough?

MLD uses 2-layer in their event bivy, it works fine and is the lightest variety of event, but you have to be careful not to abrade it with rough clothing inside the bivy, quilt is fine. Every layer you add after the 2-layer adds weight.

I sent them an email asking about the weight and if it is a "limited quantities" kind of thing, or something they have lots of now.
Answers will be posted once I get them!

This is a photo I took of the 3rd layer of eVENT at 60 x. It looks very similar to the 3rd layer of Gore-Tex. A bivy top or externally suspended tent should be fine with 2 layers because there should be insignificant membrane friction. I strongly suspect that an internally framed tent, a bivy bottom, or most unlined outerwear clothing applications will result in enough cumulative friction, over a long period of time, to abrade the unprotected membrane (layer 2) and cause leaks.

Edited by richard295 on 04/16/2008 14:23:56 MDT.

here is their reply:

"Sorry I don't have the weight on this fabric. It was a special purchase of a limited amount."

Edited by jeremy11 on 04/16/2008 09:42:00 MDT.

I just ordered a few yards. I am thinking of making this bivy..

http://www.therainshed.com/RS180bivy.htm

does anyone have any experience with this pattern? It has similar dimensions and features to my bibler big wall bivy.
Once I get the fabric, I will try to get the weight for you guys. It should be here in a few days.

I just called and they didn't have the weight, but said it felt more like a mid-weight fabric.

Just placed my order for 12 yards, and they said they have about 70-80 yards left from a leftover run from a manufacturer. So this is a one time deal; once it's out of stock, it's gone. This is a chance to make gear that you would pay top dollar for, and it is going to considerably change my gear setup.

Now that I think about it, 2-layer eVENT would not be appropriate for a tent. I have MLD's 2-layer eVENT gloves, and once you've scuffed off the membrane, you've only got a windshirt.

I think the best applications would be:

1) Bivy shell for use under a small tarp. In this case, a few small scratches of the membrane here and there won't end your trip (unlike leaks from a tent); you'll still have a windshirt-like wicking nylon top layer.

2) Sleeping bag material, especially for a synthetic bag/quilt with no bivy. This would be great because it would be much lighter than 3-layer, and the membrane would never be exposed, so you wouldn't have to worry.

3) Rain Chaps or Kilt. This is what I'm looking forward to most. MLD offers this for around 3oz, but it's $140 and should be easy to sew. Much lighter than my 12oz eVENT pants, much more compact than Propore pants, and much more breathable than silnylon chaps.

4) WP/B gloves. These wouldn't last very long, but you could make a couple pairs with scraps of fabric. I might make a pair of elbow-length gloves for the Gatewood Cape. One could make shoulder length gloves for ponchos.

Right now I'm planning on sewing a layer of eVENT to the top of the silnylon portion of a SMD Serenity Shelter, to create a bivy INSIDE the mesh netting. This should only add 4-5oz or so at most. This way I still have the full protection from bugs for afternoon naps AND a warm bivy for cool, windy nights. This might even get me to take the Gatewood Cape above treeline, since I would be protected from spindrift, and if the tarp blew away I'd still be in a fully WP/B bivy. The eVENT chaps would complement this system perfectly, and both the chaps and bivy should be really easy sewing projects.

Fun, fun, fun!!

FYI:

We use the lightest 2 layer eVENT version - it's the lightest WPB material made -right at 2 oz/sq/yd.

I considered buying all of this type eVENT they had but passed since it is a heavier supplex/taslan style outer fabric. Note, they don't have much left. My best guess is it's something like a 3.2 - 3.8oz.

-It should be fine though for some smaller DYI projects.

Hmm, I wonder what they mean by 'mid-weight' fabric. Certainly it will be heavier than Pertex quantum but lighter than 3-layer eVENT. Or are they comparing mid-weight to heavy corduroy canvas-like fabrics? At this point I'm going to guess that if it's 2-layer, it's the light 2-layer. Who would want to make 2-layer heavier fabric rather than 3-layer for the same weight? I'll be sure to weight it when it arrives, though.

Ron,

Thanks for the update. That's good to know. I wonder if the heavier fabric might even be better for chaps and gloves for durability. It might make me rethink using it in a bivy or sleeping bag, though. Of course, if I had access to 3-layer eVENT at this weight, that would be preferable. But this is all we can get, so I'll take it!

Edited by jcarter1 on 04/16/2008 13:38:59 MDT.

I deviate - any word on the Spinnaker fabric supply?
:-(
Sven

so... what I am gathering is that this may not be the best material for a shell bivy, due to the fact that the inner membrane is exposed.....

Couldn't I just sew a light layer of momentum or something along the bottom layer to protect it, thus making it a three layer of sorts?

My goal was to use this as a bivy, but now I am worried that it won't work too well. I guess in a bivy, I will be in a sleeping bag, so the chances to scuffing the membrane are lowered. Just how fragile is this stuff anyways?

My experience is that you can rub the membrane no problem (except the oils in your hands), but if you knick it with your fingernail, you will scuff off the membrane. It feels, looks, and scuffs like a large coating of white-out on a windshirt. My experience with the fabric is limited, though, so I'd be curious to hear others chime in.

I had originally backed away from the idea of a 2-layer eVENT bivy, but that was when I was attempting a stand-alone setup (no tarp). I think under a tarp, though, a few nicks here and there would add a negligible amount of moisture seepage. I don't think a sleeping bag would cause any scuffing. You will want to change into clean socks; I would think if you lay on top of the bivy and there is sand or small rocks in the bivy, you might cause some abrasion.

Treat it like any other UL fabric and I think you should be fine.

Since this is already a heavier fabric, adding momentum would increase the weight to as much as 4oz/yd. Plus, you'd have 2 layers of nylon, which would reduce the breathability. Interesting idea, though.

Edited by jcarter1 on 04/16/2008 14:08:30 MDT.

thanks for all the helpful info... I figured it out... even without adding another layer of momentum to the bivy, I can make this for around $55 and it will weigh somewhere in the 16oz-20oz range. I think I am still going to go through with this.

I wonder if you sandwich a layer of ClimaShield XP (5oz/sq yd) between this ~3.5 oz/sq yd eVENT and a layer of Momentum 0.9 oz Ultralite Taffeta, one could have a really nice water/wind-proof quilt or overbag for winter. It would be on the heavy side but could you leave the bivy at home? not sure...