Nylon and polyester are both lightweight and durable synthetic fabrics that share many of the same properties such as easy care wrinkle resistance stretch resistance and shrink resistance.
Nylon vs polyester tent fabric.
Why is nylon or polyester the best material for tents.
Polyester is usually a lot cheaper and more common in lower end products.
For tents there are 2 types of materials.
This means that if the outer foil is made of nylon and the tent is in the sun you can get sunburn.
Traditionally polyester is best but modern technology has done for things to change.
Much of nylon s strength comes from its inherent stretchiness which can be a blessing and a curse.
When nylon gets wet it absorbs water and expands 3 5 in length 2 for nylon 6 6 high tenacity.
It does not necessarily mean that nylon is better but there are many variations from which to choose nowadays.
Nylon also tends to be more durable and weather resistant which is why it is more likely to be used in outdoor apparel or gear.
Polyester also doesn t stretch as easily as nylon making it more user friendly and it s naturally more uv and water resistant these are just a few of the many factors we consider when selecting fabrics.
Both fabrics are flame retardant but nylon is stronger while polyester is more heat resistant.
Nylon is used for lightweight backpacking tents.
Both nylon and polyester are synthetic materials made from petroleum residue rather than naturally occurring fabric e g.
Nylon has a much better strength to weight ratio than polyester which is the main reason it is usually the fabric of choice for tents.
The vast majority of tents are made out of man made fabrics either polyester or nylon based.
These are both synthetic fabrics and polyester does have some subtle advantages in uv performance but nylon is ounce for ounce tougher.
For family tents you will typically find polyester.
They cost more than similar nylon fabrics so we better have a darned good reason to use them.
What we look for in the comparison.
Nylon and polyester are both synthetic fabrics but nylon production is more expensive which results in a higher price for the consumer.
Nylon is also more supple and packs smaller.
The materials from which they are made the outer foil floor and inner tent are extremely important.
It makes the tent almost completely sag proof.
Two of the most popular materials nylon and polyester are used in everything from clothing to different types of tents and both come with advantages and disadvantages.
Therefore a shelter made of nylon can be lighter than one made of polyester.
Two main choices are nylon and polyester.
Cheaper you can get a lot more affordable tents with man made fabrics the exception is of.
Packcloth a polyester fabric is not as light as nylon but is more durable and durability was a top priority for the elixir tents.
Nylon is transparent to ultraviolet radiation.
