Soft Tyvek

[Deleted member 3000]

I have carried a 5' x 8' sheet of soft Tyvek for years. It is suitable for a ground cloth, a blanket, or a privacy curtain. It is washable, folds quite small, and weighs only a few ounces. It seems to add about 10 degrees of warmth as a blanket. I treat it with permethrin, so it is a bed bug repelling sheet or blanket. You can find it offered on eBay, or get a thirty-foot end-roll here for $75:

http://www.materialconcepts.com/products/tyvek/uv-soft/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pure-White-SOFT ... 27c301ec0f

The exterior Tyvek used as a vapor barrier in construction is stiffer and heavier, but still makes a great ground cloth. Don't buy it by mistake.

 

[Kitsambler]

This lighter weight Tyvek is great stuff; I bought mine from a kite-supply shop on Amazon.com. Makes a great bedsheet, and the end-trimmings make a terrific small sit-upon to protect the pack bottom and keep the trousers cleaner. I agree whole heartedly with Falcon.

 

[colinPeter]

Hi falcon269 & Kitsambler,
Sounds really good.
Could you answer a couple of questions for me, regarding Soft Tyvek.
Is it soft in the sense that it doesn't "rustle" when you move on it, under your sleeping bag.
Is it soft as in flexible so it folds double/triple to go in your pack.
Even though soft is it "tough" enough to be a gound sheet on dirtand/or damp ground
Regards
Col

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Is it soft in the sense that it doesn't "rustle" when you move on it, under your sleeping bag. Reasonably quiet. Not as quiet as a wool blanket, but much, much quieter than a plastic bag. I doubt that anyone else can hear you shift underneath it.
Is it soft as in flexible so it folds double/triple to go in your pack.My sheet folds to about the size and weight of a wallet.
Even though soft is it "tough" enough to be a ground sheet on dirt and/or damp groundYes. Read the spec sheet. It is virtually tear proof, and is a moisture barrier of construction grade, which means it lasts for decades. If you want just a ground sheet, the hard Tyvek would be superior, but heavier.

 

[colinPeter]

Thank you falcon269 for the detailed reply, much appreciated.
I had never heard of it, but an online search revealed that it is avaiable in Australia, it appears that most of the "bushwalking" forums rave about it.
However, seems it is rather expensive over here, groups apparently buy rolls for a club/forum and sell it off the roll to their members.
Seems that Ebay, as you mentioned, is the best option for buying it, even with shipping.
Again, thanks for the advice.
Col

 

[grayland]

Thanks for the info on this. I had never run across any mention of it before.
Does it only come in white? I would suspect so but seems it will get pretty sketchy after a little use.
Do you take the 4.5 x 8' size?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Yes, 4.5' x 8'. It only comes in white. It stays pretty clean, but I wash it on my return from a Camino. The hard Tyvek always has printing on one side, so with the soft Tyvek, you don't advertise the product everywhere you go. The soft Tyvek also is used to make protective suits, rain suits (Frogg Toggs), hats, envelopes, and hundreds of other products. Those tough envelopes you get that you cannot tear open, they are Tyvek. I had a friend who stitched some lightweight insulating fabric (Insul Bright) to soft Tyvek and had a pretty nice, very warm, very light, sleeping sack.