Would it be possible for the cuben fabric makers to create a breathable cuben fabric simply by putting a few million needle holes into it?

Depending on the number and size of the holes it might mimic either uncoated nylon or mosquito netting but weigh less.....possibly much less.

This idea was submitted by my cat when she saw my new cuben fiber rainfly.

The only problem I forsee with perforated cuben is loss of integrity of the film. Polyester film has zero resistance to tearing once it is nicked or punctured, and the fiber layer in a sheet of cuben won't stay together on its own. You can peel apart a piece of cuben to test this. Without the film the reinforcement layer falls apart.

To me it seems strange that we haven't seen a mill produce lightweight woven dyneema textiles.

There are a few mills that make "lightweight" woven Dyneema/Spectra but your talking $100+ a yard with 500 yard minimums. Thats a 50K investment.

I wonder why it is so expensive.

Demand too small?

Difficult to produce?

--B.G.--

Edited by --B.G.-- on 04/25/2011 22:33:33 MDT.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=42510

Check out the above thread. Or are talking more along the lines of a mesh?

Sounds like your cat is already all over the project...now if she can do breathable AND waterproof...
have fun,
Steve