Waterproof Fabrics • Breathable Water Resistant Fabrics • Breathable Waterproof Fabrics
Guy Line • Mesh • Fill

Cuben Fiber/Spectralite An MLD .7 oz/sq/yd weight of Cuben Fiber. Cuben Fiber laminates use unidirectional prepreg tapes of in-line plasma treated Dyneema/Spectra fibers spread to mono-filament level mylar films with titanium UV protection. (Think: Small Spectra threads in a Mylar sandwich with other alien science stuff added...) After extensive testing of various weights and weaves of CF, this was the very lightest CF that retained enough strength and abrasion resistance for SUL gear. We use a special permanent adhesive tape and reinforcement patches to limit sewing that weakens the mylar substrate. Our Cuben tarp ridgelines are double taped/glued and lightly sewn for max strength and only require minimal seam sealing. Fully waterproof in the hardest rain and can be field patched with duct tape. It's been used successfully on multiple CDT thru-hikes. Less than half the weight of Silnylon, but four times the cost. It's the cutting edge of Solo Super Ultra Light in low weight, but unfortunately, very pricey.

Spintex EXP (tm) New Spintex EXP for 2009 - Over 30% more waterproof than older Spintex and all other sub 1.3 oz spinaker fabrics. .97 oz sq/yd silicone impregnated woven ripstop polyester spinaker fabric. The silicone coating is a slightly harder version than common 1.35 Silnylon that softens with use. This is the lightest and strongest fully waterproof conventional woven spinnaker fabric available and can withstand the hardest rain. High tenacity fibers are woven on special looms to create a ripstop weave 20d X 25d that is light and durable. It has very low stretch and tarps stay tighter after a night of rain. From 2002 to 2007 we tested over 75 lightweight spinnaker fabric and this one was IT.

Dyneema X (tm) 4 oz sq/yd 210D Nylon with a white 210 Dyneema ripstop grid (1/4") reinforcement at 0 and 90 degrees. The high Dyneema content equals 9% of total fabric weight. Each Dyneema thread is 15 times as strong as steel per weight. An aditional X patten of Nylon overweave improves abrasion and tear resistance and is beautiful enough for intimate apparel. PU waterproof coated. The new standard in lightweight super tough pack fabrics. See individual pack product pictures for current colors. Dyneema X was tested and branded by Mountain Laurel Designs and thru-hiker.com!

Shield (tm) Silnylon 1.35 Shield Silnylonª is made to our specific waterproof specs and solid in all rain. ItÕs not regular silnylon - itÕs the best Silnylon. ItÕs a 1.1oz sq/yd High Tenacity Ripstop Nylon that is then coated on each side (impregnated) with a .3oz sq/yd proprietary blend of silicone + other waterproof enhancers. The final weight is 1.4oz sq/yd. Shield Silnylonª is a very lightweight, moderately low stretch, strong waterproof fabric ideal for many lightweight backpacking shelter flyÕs and tarps. Most silnylon is made for the parachute industry and waterproofness is not even tested for - only air porosity. Current parachute and other style silnylon also stretches too much. Some mfgrs tarps must be designed with very aggressive multi -point catenary cut edges to compensate for the excessive stretch - this adds weights and reduce useable floor space . Until about 2006 silnylon quality for backpacking was not an issue because the type and amount of coating applied was generally sufficient for backpacking shelters and the stretch was lower too. Changes in manufacturing, high cost of raw chemicals and US pollution standards caused some companies to stop making it or to change production technique and now most silnylon is not as waterproof as before and / or stretches too much on the bias (loose ridgelines). All over the web there are reports of Silnylon ÒmistingÓ. ThatÕs when some water passes through in strong rain and wind. The main cause is parachute silnylon, old 2nds, and poor quality coatings not designed primarily for waterproofness. We make all our shelters in-house and see (touch, weigh and water test too! ) thousands of yds of silnylon each year. (Most UL companies have the raw material shipped to an outsource sewing shop and do not even see the material until itÕs sewn into a hundred shelters.) We noticed this overall quality change and started testing each roll - often multiple times in the same roll. By mid 2009 we were rejecting 1 in 3 rolls - Not waterproof enough. We never let bad fabric get built into shelters to start with and were able to avoid the terrible choice of go bankrupt or ship the shelter and hope. In late 2009 we worked with a supplier to develop better silnylon to meet our new specs. Products we build with new Shield Silnylonª will perform in the wild better than ever. NOTE:This material is NOT BREATHABLE and complete head enclosure in any bivy sack is not recommended. Proper instruction is required and is not provided by MLD.

Silnylon 2.0 A super tough 2 oz /sq/yd 40d X 40d ripstop nylon with more silicone impregnation and almost twice the strength of 1.35 Silnylon. Far tougher than 1.9 PU Coated or 70d PU coated ripstop nylon and it weighs less.

SuperGrid 2.0 A 2oz/sq/yd super tough spinnaker laminate with a diagonal reinforcement grid bonded to the base fabric. Its firm feel helps it hold shape in various applications while remaining light and durable. The laminate is translucent allowing positive ID of contents inside a Prophet Pocket.

70d Silicone Coated Ripstop Nylon 2.2oz/sq/yd A 70d ripstop nylon is coated on one side with silicone. We use this for the back panel on the Prophet Pack. The relatively heavy .4oz/sq/yd of silicone coating (more than double that in 1.35 Silnylon) makes it waterproof and way strong. (really 2.2-2.5oz) PU coated ripstop nylon. NOTE:This material is NOT BREATHABLE and complete head enclosure in any bivy sack is not recommended. Proper instruction is required and is not provided by MLD.

210d Spectra Grid Stop 4.2oz/sq/yd A standard run of the mill style Spectra Gridstop style nylon fabric . Replaced by Dyneema X .

Momentum (tm) 1.05oz /sq/yd A 20dx20d nylon taffetta with single side heat calendering and state of the art DWR treatment. The surface is a flat black for speed drying. Also, it's made in the US. Momentum's tight weave adds to the DWR ability by virtue of the tight weave Momentum on our quilts.

Breathable Waterproof Fabrics eVENT We use the lightest eVENT made, 2Ply is 2oz/sq/yd and 3Ply is 3oz. A two ply 25dX25d ripstop nylon base fabric with the PTFE eVENT membrane applied. It is totally waterproof and highly breathable. It's not quite as breathable as Momentum but eVENT will withstand direct rain. We now use this in our bags and bivys instead of Epic. www.eventfabrics.com/index.php The two ply is lighter than a three ply and does require user care. The 2L membrane is exposed in a bivy and can be scratched if not carefull. eVENT is the current totally waterproof and highly breathable Top Dog - so much so that GoreTex is now paying huge amounts of marketing $ for bloggers and other online gear reviewers from all over the world to visit the Gore plant to pump up the gTex. NOTE: Complete head enclosure in any bivy sack is not recommended. Proper instruction is required and is not provided by MLD.

3D Spacer Mesh 8 - 15 oz/sq/yd soft polyester wicking mesh used on the business side of backpack straps. About 1/8" thick, soft and non abrasive.

4.0 Open Mesh Used on the rear pockets of packs. Super tough with a multi weave pattern. Largest hole is 1/8". Strong + Light.

900 fp Down We sourced the very best down from Canadian Prime White Goose Down to match our Light Weight and Max Performance goals. No feathers or shafts, just pure white full down clusters harvested from mature geese that listen only to classical music. 2010 NOTE: We do not currently carry any down products- this same quality down is availble from thru-hiker.com for DYI projects.