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Hey, I was wondering what construction methods are used in the refuge X, as far as the cuben goes. Is it sewn, taped, both?

What do you think about both methods?  

 I am looking into buying or making a cuben shelter, and would love some info, thanks.
 

We use may use straight sewing, taping or a combination of the two depending upon the seam. For me it all depends upon the lines of stress. If I'm making just one tent for personal use, I'd probably tape and sew all main seams. The little extra protection offered by taping couldn't hurt.

Ron

 Ron:

In the link below, there were some questions on a BPL  thread about cuben seam sealing and seam strength.  Can you clarify how the Refuge X seams are sealed and on anticipated durability?  Thanks,

-Ken

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/12839/index.html

Ken,

For seam strength, we analyzed the seams and determined which were the most vulnerable to stress. These seams are both taped and stitched. The rest of the seams are simply sewn.

As to the best method of seamsealing, I don't have a definitive answer. Silicone will simply peel off cuben fiber when dry, so it's not a good candidate. Though you could use silicone on the two pull outs on either side of the tent. I've been told that SeamGrip should work, but haven't had time to try it.  When get around to testing, I'll report the results.

The good news is that the design of the Refuge X minimizes the possibilities of water penetrating the canopy and into the tent.

Ron,