Differences in tent materials?

[buck]

Coated ripstop nylon vs. Coated polyester taffeta

Is one material better than the other?

[Mountain Dog]

Yes!!

[buck]

Which one wins?

[wirerat123]

The Ripstop Nylon is better in every way.  BY FAR.

Coated polyester tafetta is often called PVC or DWR, it's the same thing those yellow rain coats are made from.  It's bulky and heavy, it smells really bad, but it's typically durable, and certainly waterproof.

Coated ripstop is more plyable, more lightweight, less succeptible to tears, is way more packable, and is really easy to maintain and repair, but is also more apt to leak through if you are touching the tent body in a downpour.

[buck]

This is why I was asking: http://www.rei.com/product/801348

The weight of this 2 man tent is what first caught my eye, and then the reduced price. But the polyester taffeta was something I had not seen in other tents. This particular tent would be over a pound less in weight than our current - stitched and patched - 2 man tent.

[Rob]

DWR actually refers to the coating on a fabric that helps its water repellancy, not the type of fabric itself. Durable Water Repellent coating (DWR) is what most people fear will be degraded when they wash their waterproof items. PVC often refers to the coating as well. There is some weight differences in the fabrics, taffeta being the heavier of the two, not sure of the exact differences but it seems somewhat negligible to me unless you are a ultralight backpacker. One big difference is that Ripstop Nylon has cross hatch threads in the weave that helps prevent tears from "spreading" increasing durability. The taffeta materials are often used by some manufacturers of hammocks. Not sure if there is a "ripstop taffeta" out there or not.     Hope this helps. Happy Trails.......... ..

[Mountain Dog]

I have a 2 person tarptent that IS big enough for two and it weighs 2 pounds.  You have to decide what is best for you.  As for me, I'll sacrifice other places in life so I can save two pounds while on the trail.  Two pounds is a lot if you do 15+ miles each day.  It is not much if you are a 10- miles a day person.  "Best" is too relative for a finate answer.  BTW, a 2 pound tent is not part of an ultralite gear. 

[wirerat123]

There is some weight differences in the fabrics, taffeta being the heavier of the two, not sure of the exact differences but it seems somewhat negligible to me unless you are a ultralight backpacker. One big difference is that Ripstop Nylon has cross hatch threads in the weave that helps prevent tears from "spreading" increasing durability. The taffeta materials are often used by some manufacturers of hammocks. Not sure if there is a "ripstop taffeta" out there or not.

Actually you are correct about these being the coatings.  And while doing my research I have found that tafetta with a DWR coating can be as little as 1.3oz per square yard where as coated ripstops even if advertised as 1.1 are typically 1.3 at minimum.  Since I have started making gear I've been learning a lot about different fabrics and such.  Rip Stop Nylon is the more durable of the two without any doubt.

Is there Ripstop Tafetta?  I happen to have about 40 yards of 1.1 oz ripstop nylon (non coated) that I have been making hammocks out of, and about 30 yards of just nylon tafetta that I will be making tarps with.  Both feel exactly the same except one just has ripstop grids sewn in.  So I think the answer is yes.

The difference is apparently negligable over the long haul.  Ripstop barely winning the popularity contest for home gear makers because it will in fact last much longer than regular tafetta typically will because the damage will stay local to a small area and is easy to repair.

There is also different types of tafetta, Nylon Tafetta, polyester tafetta, silk tafetta etc.  Since my tafetta, and my ripstop feel almost exactly the same and are both Nylon, I'm going to assume that my ripstop is nothing more than Nylon tafetta with a ripstop grid sewn in.

[Rob]

Well said wirerat, your research concurs with what I also learned about these materials. Thanks for the more precise informaion concerning weight diffrences and revealing the fact that a form of ripstop nylon taffeta does exsist. Weather making your own equipment or purchasing it from a retailer, it is always prudent to do your research before making an investment in materials or gear.   Happy Trails.......