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Source: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/6818
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

<p>For years I've seen high-tech <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuben_Fiber" rel="noreferrer">cuben fiber</a> gear and drooled over how incredibly lightweight it is, and longed to buy or make some of my own equipment with it. (Then upon seeing the price tag, well, my mouth then closes.) It's made of Dyneema so it's theoretically quite a strong fabric for outdoor gear as well. It's become almost a staple material among the super-ultralight gear crowd, but I don't personally know that many people (well, none) who have any equipment utilizing this wonder-material. It's also not common among mainstream manufacturers, being primarily used by cottage gear-makers or DIY outdoors enthusiasts.</p>

<p>What research I've done online is also not very convincing because it is generally based on what the material is <em>supposed</em> to do, and not what it actually does in real-world scenarios.</p>

<p>What I'm interested in knowing is:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>How durable is cuben fiber? How does it stand up to abrasion, punctures, tearing, repeated folding/packing...</p></li>
<li><p>How does it's durability compare to sil-nylon (silicone impregnated nylon) which is quite the mainstream lightweight fabric today. (Also much cheaper.)</p></li>
<li><p>And once it's damaged, how difficult is it to repair? Does it have "self-healing" properties like sil-nylon?</p></li>
</ul>