--- title: "Dyneema® fiber and its composite and hybrid fabrics" description: "Dyneema® fibers caused a product revolution in various fields from military gear, through climbing ropes, to outdoor equipment. What exactly is Dyneema®?" canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/dyneema-fiber-and-its-fabrics" last_updated: "2021-11-22" --- # Dyneema® fiber and its composite and hybrid fabrics Authors: David Czempka Date: 2021-11-22 Dyneema® fibers caused a product revolution in various fields from military gear, through climbing ropes, to outdoor equipment. What exactly is Dyneema®? Dyneema® fibers have sparked a product revolution across a wide range of industries – from military equipment, through the sails of top sailors, telecommunications and recreational climbing ropes, fishing lines and nets, all the way to outdoor gear. We're really not exaggerating when we say it's one of the most significant advances in outdoor gear technology in the last decade. But what exactly is this remarkable material? ## Dyneema® fibers Dyneema® is the trade name for a material that's technically classified as **ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)**. Dyneema® has a remarkable strength-to-weight ratio and is **the strongest fiber in the world**. Dyneema® fibers are 15 times stronger than high-quality steel, lightweight, extremely abrasion-resistant, waterproof, and resistant to UV radiation and chemicals. *Jakub Jonáš with a Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction backpack (photo: Jiří Pařízek)* *Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound and Junction backpacks (photo: Jiří Pařízek)* ## Dyneema® Composite Fabrics (DCF) They're high-performance, non-woven composite laminates with a rip-stop structure. Dyneema® fiber is arranged in a grid pattern, sandwiched between thin outer polyester films, and fused together in a high-pressure autoclave. This material used to be called **Cuben Fiber**. Dyneema® composite fabrics are highly durable, yet light enough to float on water. The material's unique properties allow it to flex continuously at stress points without compromising strength or structural integrity. **Lighter than silnylon, but stronger than Kevlar**, Dyneema® composite fabrics are **100% waterproof before seams are sewn, and highly resistant to chemicals and UV radiation**. This material was originally designed **for use in high-tech sails for racing yachts**. Dyneema® composite fabrics (DCF) are considered a top-tier material **for modern ultralight tents, tarps, and waterproof dry bags**. [Hyperlite Mountain Gear](/b/hyperlite-mountain-gear), for example, uses it in their [Gear Pods](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-pods) organizers. [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pods](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-pods.md) ## Dyneema® Composite Hybrid fabrics (DCH) An additional material (such as 50-denier or 150-denier polyester) is laminated onto a base of Dyneema® composite fabric (DCF). This creates a material with high abrasion resistance, exceptional strength, excellent rip-stop properties, and imperviousness to moisture. In the outdoor world, this material is often used for backpacks and their accessories – Hyperlite Mountain Gear, for example, uses DCH50 (120 g/m2) on its [white backpacks](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-junction-40l) and DCH150 (170 g/m2) on its [black backpacks](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-junction-55l), the [Shoulder Pocket](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-shoulder-pocket) shoulder-strap pouch, and the [Versa](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-versa) bag. [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Versa](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-versa.md) ## Hardline with Dyneema® fabric [Hyperlite Mountain Gear](/b/hyperlite-mountain-gear) uses this fabric on its backpacks for more or less everything that isn't built from DCH – so the shoulder straps, hip belt pockets, and the side pocket on the [Junction](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-junction-55l) backpack. In this material, Dyneema® fiber is woven into a nylon base fabric for extra tensile strength. Hardline with Dyneema® has a water-repellent treatment, but it's nowhere near as waterproof as Dyneema® composite fabrics. *Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound and Junction backpacks (photo: Jiří Pařízek)* *Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound and Junction backpacks (photo: Jiří Pařízek)* *Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction backpack (photo: Jiří Pařízek)* Photo credits: **Jiří Pařez Pařízek, Josef Gabrhel** **Main source:** https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/pages/dcf-dyneema-cuben-fiber - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pods](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-pods.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Side Entry Pod](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-side-entry-pod.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-unbound-40.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Junction 40 (2025)](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-junction-40.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Aero 28](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-aero-28.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Camera Pod](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-camera-pod.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Bottle Pocket](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-bottle-pocket.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Daybreak Ultralight Daypack](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-daybreak-ultralight-daypack.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Dyneema Repair Kit](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-dyneema-repair-kit.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pack Accessory Straps](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-pack-accessory-straps.md) - [Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 40 (2025)](/p/hyperlite-mountain-gear-southwest-40.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/dyneema-fiber-and-its-fabrics). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.