I made a cuben fiber rain shell. It weighs aprox 1.5 ounces give or take a few grams. Made using .33 oz cuben fiber and the tape from KiteBuilder. I made a rough pattern out of a Tshirt I liked, then I increased the size a few inches. I made the hood using Thru Hiker pattern to start and modified it to fit my head as I went along.

I added a different type of visor, I thought this would work better in windy conditions. The cinch strap runs under the visor along its own length of fabric seperate from that of the visor.

Edit: Need to add some pit vents. Im thinking of just cutting a hole under each pit and covering with Thru Hiker mesh. Without venting it is like a sauna suit.

Edited by dirtt on 04/01/2010 18:03:06 MDT.

The weight is so crazy, I nearly had a heart attack. :-)

Good job, now all we need to do is to convince a big company to make these.

Awesome...perfect winter vapor barrier aswell.

How are the seams holding up with the kite tape?

Dustin,
Which tape did you use from Kitebulder?

Tap15 - Double Faced
Tap16 - Super Seam
Tap18 - C3 Sail Tape 3/8"
Tap19 - C3 Sali Tape 1/2"

Thanks

I used this tape, Super Seam Tape 9460PC - 3/8".

The seams hold up fine for normal wear but if you pull on them hard enough they will seperate. I did notice the seams got significantly stronger after hanging up for a week or two. If it becomes a problem I will do a proper seam and fold the edges over and retape.

I didnt do a proper feld seam, I think its called a feld seam. I was lazy when I taped it and just taped down the seam and stuck both pieces together. Then I flattened it out with a chapstick tube like applying a sticker. Anybody can make these! :)


I have not tested in cold and wet conditions yet, hopefully the adhesive holds up. I have tested it in 100 degree weather and heat doesnt seem to weaken the seam. I live near the Southern most trailhead of the PCT so we don't see this kind of weather often.

> I did notice the seams got significantly stronger after hanging up for a week or two.

Correct. 3 days is normally enough.

Cheers

Very nicely done. What is that white rectangle over your left chest? A pocket? Fold in pouch?

On a secondary note - that is the worst case of frostbite I've ever seen - you might want to get that checked before your eyes, nose, and lips fall off.....

Its a stuff sack on the inside of the shell. The frostbite is from a recent trip to Tijauna.

Kind of scary,

Love the weight though

Dustin:

Figured that is what it was - I really like it though. Thanks for posting the pics - very helpful.

frost bite in Tj? That wouldn't be frostbite... nice looking shell though.