Talk me out of a Zpacks Duplex

gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
Have a Tarptent Strato2 and i'm very happy with it, only downsides are:
  • The silnylon stretches when wet, so it's either a re-peg in the night or droopy outer that touches the inner
  • It's 1334g

Doing the usual window shopping i came across the ZPacks Duplex

+ Points of the Duplex are
  • It's 567g (plus 8 pegs 94g)
  • It's Cuben Fibre so won't stretch when wet

- Points are
  • It's single skin
  • Looks like it needs pitching high to get good ventilation, which won't be so great if the wind picks up during the night

TT Strato is: 132cm wide, 218cm long, 127cm high: 1334g
Z Duplex is: 114cm wide, 230cm long, 122cm high: 661g

So i lose the double skin, 18cm in inner width and possibly some stability in high winds (say possible as i'd need to experiment with it's height and pegging)

I also lose 673g in weight


I only keep 1 tent so it'll need to do everything from low level camping to high level (2000m)
99% of my trips i sleep in my own tent on my own, but i do have a trip each year which i share a tent with my brother.

Not concerned about space too much as they're both very similar, am concerned about condensation 2 up on a wet night, and stability in high winds.

I certainly don't NEED another tent, but 673g saving i'd be handy when i'm camping on my own.

Me finger keeps wandering over the "Add to cart" button on the Zpacks site, but apart from the weight and sagging the Strato2 has served me well.

So please talk me out of of buying the duplex :confused:
 
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gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
Shewie said:
That's easy, get a cuben Duomid instead :)

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=105

Good rep in bad weather, smaller footprint so easier to find a pitch, less wasted space when you're solo
Click to expand...

Thanks Rich.
Looked at that when i bought my Strato2, concerns were/are the pole in the centre, as i tend to toss and turn a fair bit in the night.
Plus i was unable to find very few good info in the way of pics and videos of the duo innernet apart from the MLD ones.
Tony Hobbs has some great vids on pitching it, but it's only with a solo innernet.

It looks to me like you have to pitch the outer then clip in the inner, is that right?

The other concern was vestibule space with the duo inner, as there would be no room inside the inner for all our stuff

Similar weights and inner size though

TT Strato is: 132cm wide, 218cm long, 127cm high: 1334g
Z Duplex is: 114cm wide, 230cm long, 122cm high: 661g
Duomid CF is: 125cm wide, 225cm long, 115cm high: 637g (for Duo inner and outer)
 
theoctagon

theoctagon

Thru Hiker
Buy one and use it to death so the rest of us know how good it is :p

Think I'd opt for the 0.74oz cuben and ask for linelocs to be added to the tie outs if it was going to be my only shelter
 
theoctagon

theoctagon

Thru Hiker
Crap pic but the only one I can find

photo.JPG

(Mine's the previous version without the corner struts)
 
Lady Grey

Lady Grey

Thru Hiker
Duplex large side walls...maybe not so good in high winds??? Dunno'.....
Fellbound bought one; don't know if he's tested it yet.
Prefer a Mid or Hex' shape in our weather.
Duomid was good but only with an A Frame/inverted V set up to lose that central trek pole. The Duomid took inners from other standard tents, ( MP2, TN etc.)
Better for one person, tho'.
 
WilliamC

WilliamC

Thru Hiker
theoctagon said:
ask for linelocs to be added to the tie outs if it was going to be my only shelter
Click to expand...
You can easily add lineloks yourself - get the ones with sewn on grosgrain loops, either from Zpacks or I think Paul on here sells them on ebay. I agree with Octagon that it's best to get them.
I've been told that the Duomid plus inner can be left attached and erected all in one. For use in Greece, I'd want two doors ala Strato or Duplex.
I considered the Strato but ended up getting the Duplex due to the smaller footprint, because I prefer single skin and I don't like the stretch of sil. I'd buy it again. It might not be the best for UK use, though.
You might want to ask Trekkertent if the upcoming Drift 2 will be available in cuben, if you prefer double skin.
 
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gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
theoctagon said:
Buy one and use it to death so the rest of us know how good it is :p

Think I'd opt for the 0.74oz cuben and ask for linelocs to be added to the tie outs if it was going to be my only shelter
Click to expand...

:D

Not sure i get out enough to test it to death, i think Americas continent will have drifted into Europe by the time i've put through hike sort of miles on it

:D

It'll probably get around 20 nights a year use, so i'm not sure the heavier weight fabric will be needed.
I was considering it though simply because the dark green colour, will block the light a little in the mornings :D

The other option which seems even darker inside is the camo.
John Abela kindly put some pics up of his camo Duplex here

Not really a camo fan, and i find it odd they picked a woodland print, something like the Jervin print i'd be better i'd have thought

441533.jpg


But i do like the idea of slightly darker mornings :rolleyes:


With the rocky hard packed ground here i recon some kind of linelocs are pretty much essential, so good call on those
 
gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
theoctagon said:
Crap pic but the only one I can find

photo.JPG

(Mine's the previous version without the corner struts)
Click to expand...

Good find, your googlefu is better than mine Daniel-san

Can't see any place i could keep 2 rucksacks in the porch without them touching the inner, outer or both.
Don't see there being enough room for 2 people and their rucksacks in the inner either.

So i think that rules the duomid out

Lady Grey said:
Duplex large side walls...maybe not so good in high winds??? Dunno'.....
Fellbound bought one; don't know if he's tested it yet.
Prefer a Mid or Hex' shape in our weather.
Duomid was good but only with an A Frame/inverted V set up to lose that central trek pole. The Duomid took inners from other standard tents, ( MP2, TN etc.)
Better for one person, tho'.
Click to expand...

The Strato2 has pretty large sidewalls and seems to be ok.
Not really had it in a howler yet, but it's stood up to some pretty strong winds so far.

Trick with the Strato2 is using sticks or poles on the side tie outs, this together with really really well located pegs gives a good stable pitch.

Funny you should mention Fellbound he answered a few questions i had just yesterday and i forgot to reply.
Unfortunately he has not really had it 2 up or out in a howler yet.

Also been talking with William of this parish, who has used the duplex a fair bit in Turkey which is pretty much Greece terrain wise, but with worse food and a funny language :p (sorry William i couldn't resist)
Again he has reported no problems so far

As i say i did look into the duomid when i bought the Strato2, but ruled it out on size, porch space and the pole being in the middle.
Looked into it again now and i'm happy i made the right choice, i just don't think it'll work for me.

Shame as it's a cracking tent for 1 person


WilliamC said:
You can easily add lineloks yourself - get the ones with sewn on grosgrain loops, either from Zpacks or I think Paul on here sells them on ebay. I agree with Octagon that it's best to get them.
I've been told that the Duomid plus inner can be left attached and erected all in one. For use in Greece, I'd want two doors ala Strato or Duplex.
I considered the Strato but ended up getting the Duplex due to the smaller footprint, because I prefer single skin and I don't like the stretch of sil. I'd buy it again. It might not be the best for UK use, though.
You might want to ask Trekkertent if the upcoming Drift 2 will be available in cuben, if you prefer double skin.
Click to expand...

I can imagine when you read my post it was met with some rolling of the eyes mate as i've been busting your balls with questions on the Duplex recently :D

Good call on the 2 doors.
Does make life a lot easier in the warmer weather.

I am happy to accept condensation, dual skin, single skin if there is 2 people in a small tent in wet weather then it's just something we have to put up with.

With a dual skin i still had a very little spray from drops hitting the inner.
Plus you then have a wet inner before you start on the next evenings pitch.

If the condensations runs down the walls then i'm happy with that, the only worry is if it's wet and windy that condensation will flick off the skin and onto me sleeping bag.
The odd drop is fine, but if it continues all night then it's going to be a nightmare.

With a silnylon i wouldn't risk it.
With the material stretching when wet i'm certain there would be a fair amount of flick off.
With a CF though i'm optimistic that i can get it taught enough to stop a lot of the flapping.
As i've never had a CF tent before though i'm not sure how optimistic i can be :D


Should clarify.
I recon i'm 90% on ordering the Duplex.
Me being me though i like to wait a while to see if i change my mind, so wanted to know what you folks thought and if there were any positives, negatives or other options i missed.
 
theoctagon

theoctagon

Thru Hiker
Get your bum out of bed and get walking ;)

The photo's of the camo duplex are a good example of what's put me off the Zpacks shelters in the past, they often look to have excess fabric or loose panels. Perhaps @WilliamC can help but to me the 2 side panels should be taut and the mid panel pull out should just move the panel out slightly, not be there to take up all the baggy fabric. It might just be the pitch though, I've seen photo's of the Zpacks stuff pitched nice and tight
 
gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
It's weird how stuff seems to happen at odd times.

I'm subscribed to John Abela - Hikelighter.Com facebook page and he posted this earlier this morning

very few nights over the last 1000+ nights i have spent on the trail would I consider to have been 'brutal' ... last night, was one of them. pounding rain all night long and crazy wind gusts (probably 45+mph - even inside the trees I set up in) that seemed to just go on and on. just get to sleep and bam... my shelter would just get slammed. soooo glad I put huge rocks on top of the msr groundhogs... cannot begin to express how glad i am to have the zpacks duplex shelter with me... probably never going back to a 'solo' shelter. and, now with the sun going down, and the weather even worse... looks like it will be another bad one tonight. only good thing is the temps are staying above 40°, somehow, thankfully. i just kept telling myself today that if Trama and Pepper can keep going through what they are going through, I can handle a bit of damn rain and wind
Click to expand...

Hopefully i'm not breaking any forum rules and hopefully he doesn't mind me quoting him on the forum, i have linked to his page so i think that's reasonable.

So it seems the Duplex is not too bad in high winds
 
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WilliamC

WilliamC

Thru Hiker
:p
gixer said:
...Turkey which is pretty much Greece terrain wise, but with worse food and a funny language :p
Click to expand...

Funny language, can't argue with that, but worse food? You must have only eaten at tourist places.;)

theoctagon said:
;)

The photo's of the camo duplex are a good example of what's put me off the Zpacks shelters in the past, they often look to have excess fabric or loose panels. Perhaps @WilliamC can help but to me the 2 side panels should be taut and the mid panel pull out should just move the panel out slightly, not be there to take up all the baggy fabric. It might just be the pitch though, I've seen photo's of the Zpacks stuff pitched nice and tight
Click to expand...
I suspect that the loosely pitched photos you've seen are tents without lineloks. I've been through a few Zpacks tents and they all pitched good and tight.
I had Joe add a bungee tie out at the bottom centre of the side panel. It can be pegged out alone or the bottom of a pole supporting the mid-height tie out can be put into it. I think it adds a bit more support to this panel
 
murpharoo

murpharoo

Thru Hiker
Oh Matt you now have a Tramplite shelter so why would you want to try my Hexamid !?

They do pitch tight through... and no linelocks on mine.

R0017804.jpg


Quite different shelters though.
Tramplite Outer - 339g - sturdier and reassuringly solid in the wind. Only bug proof with the inner.
Hexamid inc netting - 249g - lighter and bug proof as is . Smaller / no real porch and needs a more sheltered spot. Did I mention ... lighter though :)

BACK on topic - I personally am not sold on the Duplex due to the large panels that make the tent look like it would perform poorly in the wind - though I might be wrong.
Many seem pitched with the mid panel guy pulled tight and distorting the shape of the panel. I think (like Matt) that the mid panel guy should only slightly pull on the panel and this allows the tent to adopt its correct shape.
 
WilliamC

WilliamC

Thru Hiker
I think the concern over the large panels on the Duplex are a bit of a red herring. The panels have an area of 1.65 sq.m compared with 1.44 sq.m for the back panel of the solo Hexamid, so not a big difference (calculations from the figures on the Zpacks website). Admittedly, more of that is at the top on the Duplex, but then again it is supported by 2 poles and the panel is less vertical. It certainly deflects less in the wind than the rear panel of the Hexamid Solo Plus which we used to have.
I agree though on not having the mid panel guy too tight

Edited for bad maths.
 
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