Hello all,

I am in the process of making a single hopped Cuben tent.

I have already ordered the carbon pole and will be getting the Cuben in a few weeks.

I saw a few posts out there from other projects using a .33 ounce Cuben with a $13 a yard cost.

Does anyone know where to get the .33 ounce Cuben at a cheaper cost than the $25 at Quest Outfitters???

This tent, (or full protection tarp), will have a 9' long hoop that will give you a 42" wide and 42" high center with 27.5 squar feet of floor space.

I am going to bring it to the ground at both ends with a 2' width at the ends and a 10' overall length, but have a line going down the centers that will hold up the center a few inches for moister control.

I am going to have a door on each side with netting as well.

The bottom will be extended all around to act as the ground cloth so 1 Polycryo Ground Cloth will be sufficient to cover the rest of the ground.

The side extensions will allow you to pitch it wider to fit 2.
It just won't be fully protected with the sides pitched out to the 4'

The only down side is to have it fully staked with the doors staked, it will take 10 stakes to have that happen.
3 on each end, 2 for the hoop, and 2 for the doors.

Total weight should be???
I'll keep you up to date.

Edited by awsorensen on 06/01/2009 22:56:04 MDT.

Can't wait to see this take shape...not sure about the $13/yard cuben. I pay about $19 plus shipping for the 0.33 oz stuff and that's direct from Cubic Tech.

I'd go with .6 oz cuben fiber -- that is what I believe Ron Moak uses with his Refuge-X. I have .6 oz cuben fiber and wouldn't want to go lighter than that. Zpacks.com sells .6 oz cuben fiber by the linear yard.

.6 Oz Cuben is heavy, (kidding)

I have a z-pack blast in cuben and a cuben tarp that is a lighter weight fabric.

I kind of like the lighter weight better, although it won't be as easy to sew the seams.

You are also taking about the differnce of less than 4 ounces of fabric to 7.5 with the .6 cuben.

I tring for a sub 1 pound tent-ground cloth-pad combo as it is. Not possible with the .6 fabric.

Edited by awsorensen on 06/02/2009 15:25:51 MDT.

hey, howdy..

>I have a z-pack blast in cuben and a cuben tarp that is a lighter weight fabric.

The blast pack is made from 1.5oz fabric. MLD uses 0.6oz cuben and SMD uses 0.75oz cuben. I suggest you contact MLD and SMD for advice before ordering the fabric to avoid disappointment.

Good luck!

You can order the fabric directly from CubicTech http://www.cubictechnology.com/

They have a 9 meter minimum. You can order the minimum and sale the remainder for $20 a sqaure foot on these forums.

> I am going to bring it to the ground at both ends with a 2' width at the ends and a 10' overall length, but have a line going down the centers that will hold up the center a few inches for moister control.

Do you mean some cord from the pole to the ground on the centre of each side? There may be an issue with abrasion unless you intend to bond the cord to the cuben with silicone to prevent fretting in the wind.

.6 Oz Cuben is heavy, (kidding)

You're right, it is heavy ;) Almost twice as heavy as the .33 cuben.

Be a man, go with the .33 stuff....:)

Edited by Steve_Evans on 06/03/2009 06:44:02 MDT.

Well, I'll first be going with a 1.1 sil-nylon to get the measurements correct.
I already have a fiberglass pole for that.
So I guess I'll be showing the "Test Project" first.
The test project should be just over a pound?

I have the Tahoe Rim trail I have to run here soon, but will be starting it right after that.
Good job for some down time after the trail.

Aaron:
Also wasn't sure what you meant by the "line going down the centers."
A 9' long pole arced to 42" high should give you about 5' of width, but I don't think a Fibraplex pole (my guess at what you ordered) can withstand that tight an arc. Even if you use Easton carbon tent poles, or Easton axis nano arrow shafts with the least spine available, I don't think you will be able to push the pole tips to be only 42" apart without snapping the pole either then or later. Suggest you either add an elbow fixture at the top, and/or go with a 5' width between the pole ends and use a high quality, low spine, carbon shaft.
If you decide to use the Axis Nano 350s, I would be glad to send you a few Easton alloy inserts which will serve as external ferrules (I had to buy a min order of 100).
It sounds like your design is similar in outside shape to the TT Scarp 1, only a little smaller in width, but longer and about the same height. So it might interest you to know that the Scarp1 sil-nylon outer, without the carbon struts, weighs about 19.2 oz. The sil nylon is probably around 1.3-1.4 oz/sq yd, so .6 oz cuben would cut that weight in a little more than half, and that's assuming you have the same amount of zippers, the same heavier weight pole sleeve, and about the same number of attachment points as the Scarp.
To get the surface area of the single wall tent, you can use Cadware, or if you are a computer illiterate like me, you can compute the surface area of two large half cones (1 cone total) which reach out at both ends to the point where your roof line and sides would converge if extended out to a point. Then compute the surface area of the smaller cone which = the nonexistant extended portion, and subtract it from the total. You can also build a scale model skeleton with music wire and foam or similar board and cord, and break the surface area down into as close as you can get to triangular and rectangular pieces which you can compute the areas of and add up. You might try several ways to be sure you are in the zone with the surface area. Also suggest you actually weigh the cuben. I have found that the weight can be somewhat more than specified. Then you will have the canopy weight.
Unfortunately, what adds up are the little odds and ends, like zippers, pole sleeves, attachment points, reinforcements, hems, etc. So you have to figure those in if you are set on knowing the weight in advance (I just use the least and the lightest and accept the total addition to the weight). It sounds like you will be adding something akin to reversed snowskirts also, and that will add weight. With all the stakes, assume you will go for the lighest and best Ti you can find.
I suppose you could also spring for a TN Photon, excellently reviewed on this site.
Hope this is of some help.
Sam Farrington, Chocorua NH

Aaron,

You might take a look at the tent in

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=11839&skip_to_post=166173#166173

The tent has a single hoop and tapers to 2' at the bottom and a bit more at the top. It's about 9' long. The center hoop gives you about 40" of height. The hoop does have "elbows" to make the corners it needs to make. A "center line" with short poles would be nice to give you some more room especially at the foot.

Best of luck with your project.

Yes,
I know that weight adds up fast.
On the other hand, there will be no zippers.
I can calculate the weight of a quilt, but obviously not this.
I am also going to use the .33 ounce fabric so lighter will be better.

The poles also bend in a 5' circle, so a 42" distance will be no problem

It will be few weeks until I do anything else on this, (after the TRT attempt).

Aaron,
There is a mistake in my earlier post: a reference to Easton Axis Nano "350" carbon shafts. The number should have been "500," signifying a more flexible shaft that will bend to a tighter curve. Sorry for the error.
Hope you enjoy the hike and the project.
Sam Farrington, Chocorua NH