Originally Posted by
cyccommute
It is not made of siliconize nylon. According to
Backcountry.com, it is taffeta. That is a very different fabric from nylon. Nylon is a manmade fiber produced from polyamide that is highly abrasion resistant and very strong. Taffeta is made from regenerated cellulose (think cotton or paper) that is only moderately abrasion resistant and not nearly as strong.
I didn't see any indication on that site that the tent is not made of nylon. Taffeta is more an indication of the type of weave and can be made of various materials, incl. nylon. All the hiking equipment fabrics (packs, tents, etc.) that I've had that were designated as taffeta were made of nylon.
Here's the dictionary.reference.com definition:
1. a medium-weight or light-weight fabric of acetate, nylon, rayon, or silk, usually smooth, crisp, and lustrous, plain-woven, and with a fine crosswise rib effect.
2. any of various other fabrics of silk, linen, wool, etc., in use at different periods.
And this company sells a variety of nylon fabrics, many of which they label as taffeta:
The table for main products standard