Spend any time at all researching outdoor gear, whether it’s a new tent or a new rain jacket, and you’ll quickly find yourself awash in a confusing array of jargon. Silnylon, polyurethane, X-Pac, cuben fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)—what are these things?
What none of them are is perfect. Each has its own weight, cost, benefits, and drawbacks. But there is a fabric that’s perfect for you and your particular use case. We put this guide together to help you strip away the…








