It is unfortunate that we have not popularized certain newer fibers more because there have also been amazing advancements in textiles over the same period - lighter weight gear does not NEED to have crap durability - it just unfortunately does in practice.

Which fibers? Cuben fiber (Dyneema) has become mainstream, though it’s still expensive and less durable than silpoly or silnylon.

Cuben is actually now known as DCF and not exactly the same - it is a laminate (not a woven fabric) like silpoly or silnylon. There are products that are very similar to silpoly or silnylon that are essentially woven UHWMPE fibers (dyneema is a brand of UHMWPE along with Spectra) either with a waterproof coating like the above or laminated to a layer of plastic (like Mylar) for waterproofing.

There are also lots of other woven UHWMPE products (like cut resistant gloves), etc etc etc. While these are somewhat expensive now I do not see any reason why they have to be super pricey if production was scaled up significantly. Garments made of UHWMPE would be impressively durable and resistant to heat, cold, chemicals, and other environmental hazards. As far as I know noone has yet to make woven UHMWPE with fibers as small as we get from Nylon or Polyester but if that could be innovated it could be a big game changer.

Great info, thanks!