Masterful designs.
Elegant solutions.

Silicone Coated Nylon

Specifications:
30D Nylon 66 with Double Ripstop Grid
3000mm+ Hydrostatic Head
100% Silicone Coated, Both Sides
~1.5oz/yd

We utilize siliconized 30D ripstop nylons in all the floors of our non-Li series tents and many of the flys. We select sil-nylon with low stretch and good bias stability which gives dimensional stability and uniform deformation. 

Nylon 66 offers the best strength to weight ratio available in traditional woven materials, but nylon expands and becomes more flexible when saturated with water leading to “sag” when it gets wet or humidity rises. We use this fabric for all of our non-Li series tent floors and in the flys of many of our tents due to its excellent strength and durability.

Silicone Coated Polyester

Specifications:
20D Polyester with Nano-Ripstop Grid
3000mm+ Hydrostatic Head
100% Silicone Coated, Both Sides
~1.4oz/yd

We utilize a siliconized 20D ripstop polyester in the flys of our polyester tents. This material offers weight savings, lower moisture adsorption, lower sag when wet, and better UV resistance compared to our silicone coated nylon. Tear and puncture resistance is lower than silnylon but with low stretch, good bias stability, and with some care taken to avoid puncture and abrasion this material is ideal for nearly all of our 3 and 3+ season tents. For tents with polyester flys we still use our 30D sil-nylon in the floors for its superior abrasion, tear, and puncture resistance.

Dyneema® Composite Fabrics (DCF)

CT1E.08:
Used in our Li series flys
15,000mm or greater hydrostatic head
~0.55oz/yd

CT2K.18:
Used in our Li series floors
20,000mm or greater hydrostatic head
~1.0oz/yd

What is DCF?

Our Lithium product line uses Dyneema® composite fabric (DCF), a laminate material made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers and mylar film. Dyneema® is a brand name of these UHMWPE fibers which have a higher tensile strength than steel. When these fibers are laminated between films of mylar the result is an extremely light, strong, waterproof, and UV resistant material.

While DCF has tensile strength, tear strength, and hydrostatic head ratings which far surpass other tent materials it does have its own weaknesses. Notably, DCF has low abrasion resistance as the thin mylar film can wear away, eventually causing small “pinholes” in the material. To avoid the formation of these pinholes, hard creasing of DCF, which stresses the mylar film, should be avoided. Hence loosely rolling, and never stuffing, a DCF tent will help maximize its longevity. Because of this tendency for pinhole formation DCF has a lower life span than our silicone coated wovens and we expect DCF tents to last ~⅔ as long under similar use. That translates to something like 200 nights use compared to 300 nights in a sil-nylon tent.  

DCF is also extremely low stretch which is an excellent property for tent materials, but leaves it more vulnerable to punctures. Where a fabric with stretch can deform around a pressure point to relieve stress, non-stretch fabrics like DCF do not leading to lower puncture resistance against small points like the end of a stick. Fortunately, DCF is also very easy to patch, and patch material is included with all our DCF tents. 

Also unlike woven fabrics DCF will deform plastically, meaning that instead of springing back to its original shape it becomes permanently stretched out. This is not typically an issue as the stretch is extremely small, but this property is why we do not add guy line loops to the center of DCF tent panels. Using such loops deforms the DCF around the loop making the panel no longer flat, and once a panel is deformed in this way, it will not tension properly. 

Dyneema® fiber and fabrics are made in Arizona.

Challenge Sailcloth Ultra TNT

Ultra TNT Desert Sage:
Used in our Ultra series flys
140,000mm+ hydrostatic head (200psi)
~0.94oz/yd

What is Ultra TNT?

Ultra TNT is a 0.94oz/yd^2 laminate fabric made by Challenge Sailcloth. Ultra TNT consists of 200D UHMWPE fibers laminated between 0.25mil Mylar films. This film-scrim-film construction is similar to that of DCF. The key difference between Ultra TNT and 1oz/yd DCF (CT2K.18) is that Ultra TNT has more widely spaced but thicker fibers of UHMWPE and those fibers run in three directions rather than just two as in DCF. 

In our testing, Ultra TNT matches or outperforms 1oz/yd DCF in most ways. The biggest performance advantage of Ultra TNT is that the fabric is stabilized by UHMWPE fibers in three directions instead of just two. This means Ultra TNT is more dimensionally stable than DCF which decreases the amount of deformation of the fabric under load.  This superior stability reduces the strain on the Mylar films increasing durability along with making the fabric extremely rigid when well pitched. The coloration of Ultra TNT is also more opaque than DCF, meaning more privacy inside. 

The main weakness of Ultra TNT compared to  DCF is that the wider gaps between UHMWPE fibers mean that it does not like to be sewn without added reinforcement. When stitched, needle holes tend to tear the Mylar up to the next UHMWPE fiber. This also occurs in DCF but to a much lesser degree as the fibers are much closer together. Because of this, we use fully bonded construction for Ultra TNT rather than the hybrid sewn and bonded construction we use with DCF. These gaps are also why Ultra TNT does not make for a good floor material as small points (such as a stick) can puncture the areas of mylar between the UHMWPE fibers. Interestingly, both puncture resistance and abrasion resistance of Ultra TNT are lowest when it it brand new. As the material softens with repeated crumpling abrasion and puncture resistance go up. This is because initially, the spans of Mylar between the fibers is flat and tight, and just like any tightly stretched piece of material it is easier to puncture then when loose.

The other benefit of Ultra TNT is cost. At roughly half the price of DCF, Ultra TNT is not only better performing in many ways but also leads to much more affordable tents.

Silicone & Polyether Urethane (Sil/PeU) Coated Nylon

Specifications: 
Used in our Ultra Series Floors 
20D Nylon 6 with Double Ripstop Grid
2500mm+ Hydrostatic Head
One Side Silicone, One Side Polyether Urethane (PeU)
~1.2oz/yd

We utilize a 20D nylon ripstop with a silicone and polyether urethane (PeU) coating for our Ultra series floors. This material pairs well with Ultra TNT as it can be seam taped, weighs less than our 30D Nylon, and offers major cost savings to you as the customer compared to a 1oz DCF floor. Compared to 1oz DCF this fabric is more durable due to its better abrasion resistance (no pin-holing), is less slippery (less sliding around on your sleeping mat), and packs smaller. The polyether urethane coating (PeU) is more durable than a typical polyester urethane coating (PU) but not as durable as 100% silicone coatings (see the section below on why 100% silicone fabrics are great) However, this coating pairs well with laminate fabric flys which also do not have the same durability as a 100% silicone coated sil-nylon or sil-poly flies meaning that the floor will not wear out before the fly.

Ultra TNT vs. DCF transparency

Coatings and Seam Sealing

Why does my non-Li Series Tarptent need seam sealing?
We choose fabrics with 100% silicone coatings, and currently no usable seam tape exists for these coatings. This means that to seam seal the tent, liquid silicone must be ‘painted’ on by hand.

Li series tents do not need seam sealing as they are fully seam taped using PSA backed DCF tape from the factory.

To see how to seam seal click here.

Why use 100% silicone coated fabrics?

Unlike any coating containing polyurethane (either polyester or polyether, often abbreviated as PU and PeU), 100% silicone coatings will never rot, yellow, or chemically decompose under normal conditions including hot humid environments. This means that the fabric’s coating will not limit the lifespan of the tent and does not require special care or storage specifically to preserve the coating. 100% Silicone coatings also increase the strength of the fabrics they are applied to, providing yet another benefit over PU/PeU coatings which actually decrease a fabric’s tear strength.

SlingFin’s Coating Guide

Do your fabrics have flame retardants?
No. Like many manufacturers these days we do not use fabric treated with flame retardant as any marginal safety benefits they may provide from fire is far outweighed by their toxicity to humans and the environment.