Hyperlite Mountain Gearmakes pack and shelters with a unexampled , Space Age material call Cuben Fiber . It ’s 15 times strong than blade and lighter than anything that ’s hail before . How do they do it ?
We ask Hyperlite Mountain Gear ’s founding father , Mike St. Pierre .
IW : What is Hyperlite Mountain Gear ?
MSP : Hyperlite Mountain Gear is a designer , manufacturer and provider of mellow - tech ultralight outdoor gear . We employ province - of - the - fine art fabric and minimalist designs to create fully functional , durable and ultralight gear that is roughly half the weight of manufacture standards thereby grant users improved public presentation in the out-of-doors .
The 55 literHMG Southwest 3400 packweighs just two pound .
IW : How ’d you come across Cuben Fiber ?
MSP : In 2008/2009 I was shape as a chef in New York City and , during solar day off , I was heading up to the Adirondacks to escape the hustle and bustle of the metropolis . I ’d been an avid outdoorsman and hiker for many years and had always been looking for room to reduce or eliminate the 50 - 60lbs pack that I carried . During this time I stumbled uponCuben Fiberwhich had just jump being used by DIY’ers . So , I decided to try out it myself and build a Cuben tarp and packsack in my lowly Brooklyn apartment on my mother ’s old stitchery machine . It was moderately poor quality the first go - around , however , I was carrying such a little pack afterwards ( 20lbs ) that I was being stopped by parking area rangers in the Adirondacks who were making me empty my pack and leaven I had enough gear wheel for sixty mile weekend — they did n’t want to amount deliver me ! It was at that point in time that I knew I was on to something and that the game was deepen — traditional gear built by the traditional brand was entirely unneeded for me and belike would be for others as well .
IW : In layman ’s term , what is Cuben Fiber ?
MSP : Cuben fibre is essentially a formative laminate “ framework ” embedded with the potent military man - made fibers on the planet . These vulcanized fiber are called Spectra or Dyneema , count on the maker , and were originally developed for ligament replacement . These fibers are fifteen times stronger than brand by weight , are stronger and clear than Kevlar , and do n’t lose their technical unity when folded or crinkled .
Upon understand the incredible characteristics of these fibre , the rope diligence began incorporate them into the cores of their rophy as it enabled strong and lighter products . Hyperlite Mountain Gear is essentially doing the same thing : using high - tech , New stuff advancements to make easily performing products such as tents , rucksack , stuff sack , etc .
HMG ’s shelters set up with trekking terminal in decree to save weight and increase forcefulness .
IW : Can you explain how cuben fibre is “ good ” than traditional framework ?
MSP : Many company have or are seek to build lightweight gear using traditional fabric , but it just is n’t possible . What I mean is that it is possible to build up lightweight geartrain using traditional fabric , but it is n’t possible to build lightweight gear from traditional fabrics that will carry the various weight loads that many outdoor adventurers require , or halt up to significant retentive - term use . If it were possible , every brand would be bid a two pound camp that could carry 65 - 70lbs , similar to HMG . Additionally , Cuben Fiber is 100 % waterproof meaning gear does n’t wet out , it does n’t absorb water weight , and it eliminates or highly reduces the potentially harmful peril that sozzled power train can mean in the outdoors .
IW : What has Cuben had to sacrifice to achieve such radically light weight ?
MSP : There are two principal sacrifices that are made when using Cuben Fiber . The first is color . Spectra or Dyneema fibers can not be dye without losing some of extremist characteristics that make them so beneficial . Cuben Fiber manufacturers are act on this job and have count on out coloring methods in the lamination process . For backpack materials , we always use a face fabric ( mean Cuben is on the inside of the pack ) which can be colored if purchased in very large book . In time , the forfeiture of color should be remedied .
The other major sacrifice is the cheap prices that consumers are wonted to give for traditional materials like nylon or silnylon . Cuben fiber is seven to thirty meter the monetary value of the traditional material that are produced in Asia . Despite our minimalist dispersion chain of mountains , the high cost of Cuben fiber still lead to finished goods price that are high than consumers are wonted to . There can be a psychological consumer roadblock to purchasing Cuben Fiber gear , however we believe it is only a issue of time before even that diminishes .
As an example , who twenty yr ago would have imagine that almost everyone in our country would carry a $ 300-$600 phone in their air pocket ? And who twenty years ago would have imagined bicycler paying $ 5,000 + for a lightweight route bicycle ? applied science continually enable higher performing product that make our lives easier , by create more time or more delectation and that , in many diligence , has proven to be well deserving the added price .
HMG late moved to a expectant mill in Biddeford , Maine . ( Photo courtesy HMG . )
IW : What are the challenge of working with Cuben Fiber ?
MSP : I ca n’t say too much here due to trade arcanum , but I will say that Cuben Fiber is nothing like traditional woven cloth . As one illustration , there is much less room for stitching error because when make an error in a laminate , you ca n’t just cut the thread and re - stitch . An error in a laminate mean that stitch hole continue and are clear seeable ; and no client wants to see that . Therefore we have to assure that our Maine production staff is well trained and always ride out focused on the undertaking at hand .
IW : What limitations is the material dependent to ? Are there any applications where it would n’t work ?
MSP : Everything in the world is subject to some or many limitations and Cuben Fiber is no different . However , this simply intend more creativity and out - of - the - box thinking when approaching a design . I think that with the right fabric formula and trouble clear capabilities this material could be used in any capacity where woven fabrics have traditionally been used . To date , HMG only uses non - breathable translation of Cuben fiber . Therefore there are sure enough restriction for many software , however breathable translation are usable and are constantly being develop and improved . Soon enough we will start form breathable versions of Cuben fibre into our R&D processes .
IW : When design say , a pack , out of Cuben , how is that approaching unlike than with traditional materials ?
MSP : There must be a stack of sentiment that go into the eminent - stress percentage point of that product , such as a pack , because the methods by which laminate components are stitched or bonded together are very dissimilar from woven fabrics . to boot , our end is to make products that strike the most optimal residual between durability and exercising weight . Therefore our designs must be well thought through and well tested so that we are not just add reinforcer upon reward in any high - emphasis areas and thus defeating our own goal and purpose . What we are doing though is ferment because it is unbelievable how many users say HMG packs are the most well-to-do they ’ve ever worn , regardless of how much weighting is in it .
The Great Pyramid - shapedHMG UltaMid 2offers cavernous interior space and weighs just 16.6 oz .
IW : If forward motion in materials technology is the main contributor to instauration in outdoor gear and HMG already utilise Cuben Fiber — the most advanced fabric available — how will HMG carry on to innovate ? Where do you go from here ?
MSP : I think instauration breeds innovation and technological advancements in any industry force further innovation because those technical advancements allow newfangled style of intellection and entirely new possibilities , in particular when it come to design . Therefore as we encompass newfangled technologies in a very traditional industry , we have a wealth of new possibility to explore as we continue to learn how to enforce these technological advancements . We will ride out advanced by using any young textile advancements , be it Cuben Fiber or something unexampled that is produce , and rack our brains and tap our creativity to try new things and continually attempt to lick problem through the synergism of technology and design .
IW : HMG currently specify in packs and shelters . Would Cuben Fiber oeuvre well as a cloth in other cogwheel , for case sleeping bags ?
MSP : This is a good question . We ’ve already prototyped bivvy sack using a combination of Cuben Fiber and other , more traditional textile . But there is always the potential of abridgement when using non - breathable materials , which is why we have yet to found that product . We will be exploring breathable Cuben option and are highly sure-footed that we can make a better and light bivvy . Sleeping bags are not something we have looked into as of yet but , we do feel they could greatly benefit from our design and material doctrine . As mad as we are to start work on a sleeping grip , there are several other product in the HMG R&D pipeline that are going to take precedence over a log Z’s suitcase for the time being .
The UltaMid 2 and Southwest pack sacrifice no strength or performance in pursuit of rotatory light weights . The lighter the material you have to comport is , the further you’re able to carry it into the open .
IW : What are the barriers to play the cost down ? Can we expect Cuben to be used more widely in the hereafter ?
MSP : When thinking of any newfangled technological advancement , they are almost always more extremely priced than traditional alternative until they are proven to outperform those traditional option . Then demand gain , supplying increases and prices hail down for two reason . First , as the requirement for the technological advancement is essay , supply increases at a higher charge per unit to annul provision shortfall , thus create a lower monetary value peak . Second , as supply increases , manufacturers get ahead economies of scale that further lessen the price of production .
While Cuben Fiber was make up over twenty long time ago for macrocosm - class sails , it is still a relatively fresh and unknown material among the mass market of outdoor consumer . It is make more and more cognisance all the clock time and I do think that its improved product characteristics will continually head Cuben fiber to be more widely accept and thus stimulate costs , and ultimately retail price , to accrue . We ’re very excited about the products we ’re produce at Hyperlite Mountain Gear and we are admittedly worked up about both the grow acceptance of Cuben Fiber gear in the outdoor industry and the resulting potential price decreases that may follow .
IW : What challenge does HMG confront as the brand grows ?
MSP : I think HMG faces very similar challenges that every early stage company face as they grow . We need to continue to design and get products that fill a motive in the marketplace . We call for to continually maintain or improve our in high spirits - quality product line . We need to continue to find and/or develop a new generation of production stitcher throw the sewing genesis disruption make by the overseas outsourcing of American manufacturing over the past 20 - 30 year . And we need to find and hire the correct additional direction aid who share the visual sense of HMG ’s father and can make meaningful contributions to the emergence of the company .
With that say , I do believe that continuing to educate the out-of-door consumer will be a significant task as we move frontwards . There has been a changing philosophy in the outdoors towards lightweight and ultralight attack among hard-core exploiter and outdoor adventure seeker . And we think this approach , which includes train made from non - traditional materials , is figure out very well . It is enabling users to do best , engage in multi - discipline stumble ( like packrafting where users are acquit full whitewater gear plus hiking and camping geared wheel ) and do it all with more consolation and enjoyment . In our impression , there is no longer a reason why any user should be post traditional heavy gear now that high - performing lightweight choice exist .
We ’ve carried HMG gear for hundred of sea mile . It play .
IW : Who benefits most from Cuben Fiber products ?
MSP : The hardcore users engaging in distance hike , mountaineering , ice climb , packrafting , fatbiking , backcountry skiing and adventure racing are already using and achieving great benefit from HMG gear . These are the thought leader and influencers in the industry who are proving that gear made from forward-looking materials coupled with modernistic , simple designs are very effective and efficient thereby allowing them to do better than they could with traditional gear . As the larger market becomes more cognizant that these products are usable and embrace the exchange attack to the outdoors , we do n’t see a substance abuser class that could n’t benefit from the applied science .
In addition to all the unbelievable trips that our core user share , some of the favored stories we take heed are from the aging population who have discovered our product and expressed such gratitude for the gear we offer because they sincerely think they would not have the power to take in outdoor activity so late into their lifetime . Ultralight gear is enabling this demographic to continue savour time in the backcountry , and it is incredibly rewarding make out that we are having this type of outcome on people .
Photos : Chris Brinlee Jr.
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