Dyneema® Composite Fabric: Unmatched performance in next-generation tents

The great outdoors is more popular than ever. With a growing number of people seeking fresh air and locations with ample social distancing, camping trips have become an increasingly attractive holiday choice over the past couple of years. In the US alone, 2022 saw 9.1 million first-time campers – and the growth of the camping industry shows no signs of slowing down.

But providing your own shelter comes with age-old challenges. No hiker wants to carry more weight than necessary, and tents need to withstand the elements, no matter what. Demand for resilient camping tents, then, is getting ever greater – which is where high-performance materials come in…

Dyneema® Composite Fabrics offer a high-performance solution

Above all, the ideal tent material combines lightweight strength, low stretch and intrinsic water resistance – and that’s exactly what Dyneema® Composite Fabrics offers.

These high-tech fabrics are laminated with bio-based Dyneema® fiber inside, with non-permeable polyester films on the outside. Known as the world’s strongest fiberä, Dyneema® is about five times stronger than nylon or polyester, and is made up of unidirectional layers of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber. When compared with other typical woven tent wall and floor fabrics, Dyneema® Composite Fabrics are up to 3.1 times stronger and offers up to 2.1 times higher tear strength – while weighing up to 55% less. What does that mean for campers? They can hike faster and further without compromising on durability.

Peace of mind, even when things don’t go to plan

So, rough ground is less likely to rip or damage the tent, but accidents still happen. If something manages to tear the fabric, Dyneema® Composite Fabrics can be easily repaired in minutes with our reinforced pressure-sensitive tape. This sets it apart from silicon-coated fabrics, which often need specialized repairs that are hard to do in the field. And if you find yourself in extreme conditions, easy repairs become a safety feature rather than a luxury.

Resistant to the elements…

Bad weather conditions will quickly find any weaknesses in your tent’s defense. Dyneema® Composite Fabric does not absorb water at all, unlike nylon, so it stays lightweight even after a heavy downpour. Its fibers are very stiff, which prevents any sagging or stretching, and polyester surface films make Dyneema® Composite Fabrics intrinsically water resistant. In fact, it exceeds the limits of most hydrostatic test machines by achieving >10,000 mmH₂O water resistance, while silicon-coated woven fabrics generally reach just 3,000-5,000 mmH₂O. A tent made with Dyneema® Composite Fabrics keeps you safe and dry from both the weather and wet ground, but if you do decide to pack up and move on, you won’t be carrying the rain with you.

…and kind to the environment

Despite these water-resistant credentials, Dyneema® Composite Fabric tent fabrics don’t use the fluorinated chemicals often used in water repellant coatings. They’re also free of dangerous fire-retardant chemicals, without compromising on safety – the fabric already meets the required safety standards. Both types of chemicals are known to break down over time and enter the environment, but the properties of Dyneema® Composite Fabric make these added chemicals unnecessary.

Reducing our environmental impact is a commitment we take very seriously, which is why we made the decision in 2020 to use bio-based Dyneema® fibers in all our Dyneema® Composite Fabric products. Of course, anyone who enjoys escaping to the great outdoors will probably value sustainability as much as we do – so we’re proud to enable our customers to deliver high-performance tents that don’t leave a mark on nature.

Are you interested in learning more about Dyneema® Composite Fabrics? If so, please contact me directly.

Pam Keefe
Global Sales Manager
Pam.Keefe@dsm.com