general | strength | waterproofness | durability | weight | price | |
generic tent fabric | nylon or polyester fabric coated one side with polyurethane (PU) | half (1/2) strength when compared to similar fabric coated BOTH sides with silicone | varies | fairly durable | varies | economical |
Big Sky S40PU | nylon fabric coated one side silicone and one side PU | similar to SuprSil™ fabric | outer 2000mm floor 3000mm | fairly durable | more than SuprSil™ fabric | economical |
Big Sky S30PU | nylon fabric coated one side silicone and one side PU | less than SuprSil™ fabric | floor 3000mm | fairly durable | more than SuprSil™ fabric | expensive |
Big Sky S15PU | nylon fabric coated one side silicone and one side PU | less than SuprSil™ UL fabric | floor 3000mm | durable | more than SuprSil™UL fabric | expensive |
generic silnylon fabric | nylon fabric coated BOTH sides with silicone | higher strength to weight ratio than other tent fabrics | about 1000mm | fairly durable if not abused | 46gsm to 49gsm (1.3osy to 1.45osy) | expensive |
spinnacker fabric | polyester or nylon fabric coated with silicone | good strength to weight ratio | about 500 to 750mm | less durable than generic silnylon | 25gsm to 34gsm (0.7osy to 1.0osy) | very expensive |
SuprSil™ fabric | Big Sky's proprietary nylon fabric coated BOTH sides with silicone | very high strength to weight ratio, about two (2x) times stronger than similar fabrics that use a polyurethane (PU) coating | fly/outer 2000mm | similar to generic silnylon | lighter than generic silnylon fabric | expensive |
SuprSil-UL™ fabric |
Big Sky's propietary nylon fabric coated BOTH sides with silicone | high strength to weight ratio, about two (2x) times stronger than similar fabrics that use a polyurethane (PU) coating | fly/outer 2000mm | similar to generic silnylon, but less durable than Big Sky's SuprSil™ fabric | lighter than generic silnylon fabric, similar to "spinnacker" fabric | more expensive |
SuprSil-P™ fabric | Big Sky's proprietary polyester fabric coated BOTH sides with silicone | high strength to weight ratio, about two (2x) times stronger than similar fabrics that use a polyurethane (PU) coating | fly/outer 2000mm | similar to generic silnylon, but less durable than Big Sky's SuprSil™ fabric | lighter than generic silnylon fabric | expensive |
DCF fabric | Dyneema® Composite Fabric (DCF) is proprietary fabric made for Big Sky by Dyneema®(formerly Cubic/Cuben Fiber) | high strength to weight ratio | 6000mm | much less durable than generic silnylon, spinnacker, or any of Big Sky's other fabrics | much lighter than generic silynylon or spinnacker fabrics | extremely expensive |