Thanks you for showing us your finished project , looks amazing, and thanks for explaining the design idea and the materials you used. Very nice tent. Cheers.
Excellent, it's amazing I pictured a diy tent, then drew it on a notepad, then drew it in autocad, now I'm looking at the same thing online! Good preview before I start the build. You did excellent by the way. And I think by manufacturer's ratings, that's a 4 person tent (they always double a comfortable size lol)
Great! Thanks for going to the trouble to detail all the areas that were challenging. That will defo help me avoid those same mistakes and give me the opportunity to think carefully how I might assemble my tent with less hassle. I'm actually strongly considering making just a tarp version of the tent and then constructing a separate net tent. I know it will add some weight, but I just love the option of setting up just the net tent on buggy nights in calm dry weather. Then you get away from the pests yet have a cowboy camper's view (through the mesh of course). Also, when you're camping during a season when there aren't insect issues you can just bring the tarp and a ground cloth and leave the net tent at home. If I go that route it will be a lot easier to make, though it will take some thought as to how to create the pockets for the poles. I suppose I can just copy the exaggerated catenary cut that's on the zpacks tents which will create a natural "pocket" as it were. Anyway, the info in your video will help me out a LOT! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful. After using it for a full season, the 0.5oz/yd mesh doesn't seem like it will hold up over the long term unless I really baby it. If/when it gets to the point where I can't repair it, then I'm considering just cutting out the mesh and bathtub floor and turning it into a tarp. In terms of simplicity, I think the zpacks style exaggerated cat cut would be the best for creating the pocket. That way you don't have to fiddle with too many layers in those corners.
WOW! First sewing project and you made THIS?! This is awesome! Really! You definitely dived straight into the deep end, but you have done an amazing job (never mind the rats nesty-cosmetic bits, so long as they hold). I'm currently considering a similar project, but maybe with a semi-double skin (as I live in the tropics and condensation is ALWAYS a big problem). You have given me some great warnings. I might leave the lower edge of the doors extra long and unfinished when I attach them -- if they stretch and are longer, I can trim them to fit before hemming. Anyway, thanks so much for posting this.
Nice job with your build and explanation. I ran into many of the same problems with assembly even though I did things in a different order than you. I had originally planed on building a clip in bug net with floor that would prove much easier to sew, but ran short on netting and did the sew in job. I'm sure thats part of the reason 3FL makes them that way. Adds a little weight, but leaves you with more pitch options. I like your heavier floor material as it will make a ground cloth unecessary. See you on the trails.
Well impressed with your first sewing project!! The stretching of one of the pieces of fabric is where an industrial machine or a domestic machine with differential feed dogs comes in handy. You can also play around with taking the pressure off your pressure foot, this sometimes helps. Looks great. What is the final weight and how well does it pack down?
I borrowed a sewing machine when I first did this project, but I've since upgraded to a machine that can vary the pressure on the foot as well as variable feed dog height and it's definitely given a lot more flexibility to help finesse these slippery/stretchy fabrics. The final weight was ~40oz without stakes and it packs down pretty well in a stuff sack that's about 6-7" in diameter and 12" long (albeit, a little tightly)
Wow! You are awesome! I can't imagine all the work that you must have put into that! you should post some of your other tutorials on making things. how about making similar to 4-6 man tipi tent ( like kifaru or seek outside ) with lining. anyway, best of luck with your other projects! just 🅰🅼🅰🆉🅸🅽🅶!
I love the design! The off center peak, the vestibule, the walking stick support. I'd love, love to make one Maybe start with another fabric before Dyneema fiber
Thanks! The peak looks off centre in the video, but it's just a normal a frame design like the z-packs duplex. There are a couple offset peak trekking pole tents on the market, but I think Dan Durston's x-mid design is the best. If I were making the tent again, I'd probably use that design. It would make the geometry harder to calculate though
Super helpful video. I'm currently working on basically the same tent (although, even more similar to the Duplex) and am at the point where I'm trying to figure out my mesh dimensions and then how I'm going to get everything together. Definitely a head-scratcher with all of the angles and seam allowances. This is my first MYOG project AND first time sewing, so I absolutely agree that you should start with a simpler project, or at least a simpler tent design.
goodgearguy hey man! Question for you - when you were attaching the roof to the tub, did you run into any issues since you’re essentially sewing yourself in? I attached one side of the mesh to the tub with a flat felled seam, but I’m realizing that it will get extremely difficult to do that when I attach the next sides. Any tips would be greatly appreciated - thanks!
I didn't run into any issues. I attached all the netting to the floor first and then started started attaching the fly pieces. To attach the netting, I sewed it directly into the seam using a flat felled seam (like this; www.stitchpiecenpurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Flat-Felled-Seam-Step-1.jpg). If you're looking at that diagram, the netting was sandwiched between the blue and green layers and cut to match the length of the blue layer. I should also note that I had installed the zippers in the mesh already so you never really have to sew yourself in. It still can get tricky at that point because you're dealing with so much fabric everywhere, but the mesh zipper should give you access to everything you need (you could even turn the entire tent inside out if you needed to.
the problem on the seam wasn't thread tension (from own experience sewing a lot of ripstop nylon in the past). It is because of the double sided tape, what you need to do to prevent that is to keep the needle lubricated with silicon, otherwise the adhesive on the tape will cause the issue you had. I prefer to use a "universal adhesive" or just stick glue, plus once it is dry it will dissapear and wont add weight to your project (i used to build sport kites, 1 gram of extra weight counts there) and another plus is it wont get yellow/brown overtime as the two sided tape will.
What is a flat felled french seam? Do you sew outside of this (MYOG)? Maybe you could do some study into basic stitches as well, it will all help in the long run!
I've used it in a variety of conditions now and I've had not problems at all with the waterproof zippers. Usually tent manufacturers use flap and velcro so they don't have to use waterproof zippers, which are more expensive.
I used the same stuff you use to seal the seams (silnet, which is now sold as seam grip sil). I imagine anything that will bond with silicone would work. Lots of people use GE silicone ii sealant thinned out with mineral spirits as well. So far haven't had any issues with the patches delaminating.
Hello. Please let us know your experience with using this tent. How well it ventilated, how much condensation did it allowed, lowest temperature you have camped, etc?
Hi. We've used it for 2 seasons and here are my observations: - The floor is overkill and adds a lot of unneeded weight. Ripstopbytheroll sells a 1.6oz PU coated nylon now that I would probably use instead - The 0.5oz mesh was an absolute pain to work with and hasn't really held up that well. Definitely not worth the minimal weight savings over the 0.67 oz mesh, which is much more robust and easier to work with. - We've camped in everything from windy desert nights to multiple days of rain and thunderstorms in the rockies so we've experienced a lot in terms of condensation. If both doors are closed and the wind is calm you'll almost always get at least a little condensation. If you can open the doors or there's a bit of a breeze, there won't be much. Condensation has only been an issue in one type of weather: constant rain. When the air is already humid you get a lot of condensation and when the rain hits the fly it knocks it off. We've had a couple nights where we got pretty wet because of that. If we were to do it over again, we'd probably try to find a more sheltered location so we could keep a door open. - The nice thing about the silpoly is that it doesn't hold water like silnylon, so even with the condensation, you give it a wipe and you're not carrying around extra water with you all day - It's been really sturdy in windy conditions. The broad side of the tent can really catch the wind if you get some really gusty conditions, but the nice thing about silpoly compared to something like DCF is that it stretches, so it transfers a little less force to your guylines and stakes.
I would not have joined the fly to a single wall like that, condensation and water will trickle down the mesh to the floor, even more because you are not using DCF
Tent looks badass for someone who does this for first time. With english as second language and using the metric system am often more confused with all the ounces and inches than understanding the actual designe :)
Amazing accomplishment but the only reason I would want a Zpack Duplex is because of the weight NOT because I think it's a good design. I have the Zpack Duplex and I like it but a dome tent is better if you don't mind the weight. So I don't see how this is a desirable tent. There's already a cheep Chinese knock off of the Duplex that weights more because its nylon rather than Dyneema fabric.
You make some good points. I agree that the duplex isn't the best design. It makes some significant tradeoffs in the name of weight savings. Though, after using this tent for a couple seasons I found that the DCF is part of what makes the design work. Using a stretchier fabric makes the broad side of the tent a big sail if you judge the wind direction wrong. the lack of stretch and DCF's tendency to catch less condensation both help mitigate the other compromises of the tent. For where I camp and how I use the tent, this tent collects a lot of condensation. Every tent design makes choices based on intended use and design goals. In my case I wanted to keep the weight down and have enough space to fit 2 wide rectangular pads (i.e. at least 50" wide at both the head and foot end). If I went with a dome tent, I'd either need to sacrifice space or increase the weight substantially. FWIW, if I was to do it again, I'd pattern it after the x-mid 2p, which sheds wind better and would do better with condensation with it's 2 wall design. Weighs about the same as my design too.
Thanks you for showing us your finished project , looks amazing, and thanks for explaining the design idea and the materials you used. Very nice tent. Cheers.
This was really helpful - thank you for posting it. Can’t believe this was your first fun with sewing.
Excellent, it's amazing I pictured a diy tent, then drew it on a notepad, then drew it in autocad, now I'm looking at the same thing online! Good preview before I start the build. You did excellent by the way. And I think by manufacturer's ratings, that's a 4 person tent (they always double a comfortable size lol)
Great! Thanks for going to the trouble to detail all the areas that were challenging. That will defo help me avoid those same mistakes and give me the opportunity to think carefully how I might assemble my tent with less hassle. I'm actually strongly considering making just a tarp version of the tent and then constructing a separate net tent. I know it will add some weight, but I just love the option of setting up just the net tent on buggy nights in calm dry weather. Then you get away from the pests yet have a cowboy camper's view (through the mesh of course). Also, when you're camping during a season when there aren't insect issues you can just bring the tarp and a ground cloth and leave the net tent at home. If I go that route it will be a lot easier to make, though it will take some thought as to how to create the pockets for the poles. I suppose I can just copy the exaggerated catenary cut that's on the zpacks tents which will create a natural "pocket" as it were. Anyway, the info in your video will help me out a LOT! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful. After using it for a full season, the 0.5oz/yd mesh doesn't seem like it will hold up over the long term unless I really baby it. If/when it gets to the point where I can't repair it, then I'm considering just cutting out the mesh and bathtub floor and turning it into a tarp. In terms of simplicity, I think the zpacks style exaggerated cat cut would be the best for creating the pocket. That way you don't have to fiddle with too many layers in those corners.
Good work. I use blue painters tape to stabilize and sometimes instead of pinning. Comes off easy.
Really nice work. You are brave to show your frustrations.
WOW! First sewing project and you made THIS?! This is awesome! Really! You definitely dived straight into the deep end, but you have done an amazing job (never mind the rats nesty-cosmetic bits, so long as they hold). I'm currently considering a similar project, but maybe with a semi-double skin (as I live in the tropics and condensation is ALWAYS a big problem). You have given me some great warnings. I might leave the lower edge of the doors extra long and unfinished when I attach them -- if they stretch and are longer, I can trim them to fit before hemming. Anyway, thanks so much for posting this.
Nice job with your build and explanation. I ran into many of the same problems with assembly even though I did things in a different order than you. I had originally planed on building a clip in bug net with floor that would prove much easier to sew, but ran short on netting and did the sew in job. I'm sure thats part of the reason 3FL makes them that way. Adds a little weight, but leaves you with more pitch options. I like your heavier floor material as it will make a ground cloth unecessary. See you on the trails.
Well impressed with your first sewing project!! The stretching of one of the pieces of fabric is where an industrial machine or a domestic machine with differential feed dogs comes in handy. You can also play around with taking the pressure off your pressure foot, this sometimes helps.
Looks great. What is the final weight and how well does it pack down?
I borrowed a sewing machine when I first did this project, but I've since upgraded to a machine that can vary the pressure on the foot as well as variable feed dog height and it's definitely given a lot more flexibility to help finesse these slippery/stretchy fabrics.
The final weight was ~40oz without stakes and it packs down pretty well in a stuff sack that's about 6-7" in diameter and 12" long (albeit, a little tightly)
Thanks for making this video - very helpful!
Spray starch will decrease slipperyness and help keep things from rolling.
Wow! You are awesome! I can't imagine all the work that you must have put into that! you should post some of your other tutorials on making things. how about making similar to 4-6 man tipi tent ( like kifaru or seek outside ) with lining. anyway, best of luck with your other projects! just 🅰🅼🅰🆉🅸🅽🅶!
I love the design! The off center peak, the vestibule, the walking stick support.
I'd love, love to make one
Maybe start with another fabric before Dyneema fiber
Thanks! The peak looks off centre in the video, but it's just a normal a frame design like the z-packs duplex. There are a couple offset peak trekking pole tents on the market, but I think Dan Durston's x-mid design is the best. If I were making the tent again, I'd probably use that design. It would make the geometry harder to calculate though
Super helpful video. I'm currently working on basically the same tent (although, even more similar to the Duplex) and am at the point where I'm trying to figure out my mesh dimensions and then how I'm going to get everything together. Definitely a head-scratcher with all of the angles and seam allowances. This is my first MYOG project AND first time sewing, so I absolutely agree that you should start with a simpler project, or at least a simpler tent design.
Awesome. Let me know if you have any questions about mine. let me know how it goes!
goodgearguy hey man! Question for you - when you were attaching the roof to the tub, did you run into any issues since you’re essentially sewing yourself in? I attached one side of the mesh to the tub with a flat felled seam, but I’m realizing that it will get extremely difficult to do that when I attach the next sides. Any tips would be greatly appreciated - thanks!
I didn't run into any issues. I attached all the netting to the floor first and then started started attaching the fly pieces. To attach the netting, I sewed it directly into the seam using a flat felled seam (like this; www.stitchpiecenpurl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Flat-Felled-Seam-Step-1.jpg). If you're looking at that diagram, the netting was sandwiched between the blue and green layers and cut to match the length of the blue layer. I should also note that I had installed the zippers in the mesh already so you never really have to sew yourself in. It still can get tricky at that point because you're dealing with so much fabric everywhere, but the mesh zipper should give you access to everything you need (you could even turn the entire tent inside out if you needed to.
If you don't mind me asking, about how much did this all end up costing, total?
the problem on the seam wasn't thread tension (from own experience sewing a lot of ripstop nylon in the past). It is because of the double sided tape, what you need to do to prevent that is to keep the needle lubricated with silicon, otherwise the adhesive on the tape will cause the issue you had. I prefer to use a "universal adhesive" or just stick glue, plus once it is dry it will dissapear and wont add weight to your project (i used to build sport kites, 1 gram of extra weight counts there) and another plus is it wont get yellow/brown overtime as the two sided tape will.
Great job! Well thought out. Nice tent.
Great video, I'm looking at making something similar.
How deep did you make your cat cut on the Ridgeline?
How much did it end up weighing? Nice job by the way. Tent was my first sewing project too.
Keenan Grimes ~ Oh, man. I'm just realizing he doesn't respond to comments. Bummer!
What is the final weight?
Exactly the same tent that dubber made and showed on his channel.
Looks great though.
Yup, it's based heavily on both dubber and buttskid's designs
What thread and needle size did you use for these materials?
What is a flat felled french seam? Do you sew outside of this (MYOG)? Maybe you could do some study into basic stitches as well, it will all help in the long run!
your lawn is cilantro instead of grass?
Hi. Does anyone know if thru-hiker is still in business
Would you mind sharing how many half yards you purchased of each fabric?
so what is final weight including stakes
nvm, I saw the weight, 40oz w/o stakes.. I just completed Dubber Designs ten and it came in at 34oz w/ stakes
After using outside did you find the waterproof zippers work well enough without the flap and velcro?
I've used it in a variety of conditions now and I've had not problems at all with the waterproof zippers. Usually tent manufacturers use flap and velcro so they don't have to use waterproof zippers, which are more expensive.
What adhesive did you use to bond the reinforcement patches to the sil poly?
I used the same stuff you use to seal the seams (silnet, which is now sold as seam grip sil). I imagine anything that will bond with silicone would work. Lots of people use GE silicone ii sealant thinned out with mineral spirits as well. So far haven't had any issues with the patches delaminating.
Dude.. Looks awesome!
what is the total weight of this tent? and cost?
Weighs about the same as 1 male badger and it cost a total of 2 groats and a turnip to make
That's so damn good!
Damn looks store bought great job
Hello. Please let us know your experience with using this tent. How well it ventilated, how much condensation did it allowed, lowest temperature you have camped, etc?
Hi. We've used it for 2 seasons and here are my observations:
- The floor is overkill and adds a lot of unneeded weight. Ripstopbytheroll sells a 1.6oz PU coated nylon now that I would probably use instead
- The 0.5oz mesh was an absolute pain to work with and hasn't really held up that well. Definitely not worth the minimal weight savings over the 0.67 oz mesh, which is much more robust and easier to work with.
- We've camped in everything from windy desert nights to multiple days of rain and thunderstorms in the rockies so we've experienced a lot in terms of condensation. If both doors are closed and the wind is calm you'll almost always get at least a little condensation. If you can open the doors or there's a bit of a breeze, there won't be much. Condensation has only been an issue in one type of weather: constant rain. When the air is already humid you get a lot of condensation and when the rain hits the fly it knocks it off. We've had a couple nights where we got pretty wet because of that. If we were to do it over again, we'd probably try to find a more sheltered location so we could keep a door open.
- The nice thing about the silpoly is that it doesn't hold water like silnylon, so even with the condensation, you give it a wipe and you're not carrying around extra water with you all day
- It's been really sturdy in windy conditions. The broad side of the tent can really catch the wind if you get some really gusty conditions, but the nice thing about silpoly compared to something like DCF is that it stretches, so it transfers a little less force to your guylines and stakes.
@@goodgearguy4582 Thanks for the information !!
I'm amazed by your creative skills! Just sub'd :-)
I would not have joined the fly to a single wall like that, condensation and water will trickle down the mesh to the floor, even more because you are not using DCF
Whats your total weight for it?
Nick Merkadoe it's about 40oz without stakes and guylines plus another 6-8oz of stakes and line depending on what stakes/line you choose
Tent looks badass for someone who does this for first time.
With english as second language and using the metric system am often more confused with all the ounces and inches than understanding the actual designe :)
i want to make my own
Did u make a tent????
yes
😳😳😳👍👍👍👏👏👏👌👌👌
Amazing accomplishment but the only reason I would want a Zpack Duplex is because of the weight NOT because I think it's a good design. I have the Zpack Duplex and I like it but a dome tent is better if you don't mind the weight. So I don't see how this is a desirable tent. There's already a cheep Chinese knock off of the Duplex that weights more because its nylon rather than Dyneema fabric.
You make some good points. I agree that the duplex isn't the best design. It makes some significant tradeoffs in the name of weight savings. Though, after using this tent for a couple seasons I found that the DCF is part of what makes the design work. Using a stretchier fabric makes the broad side of the tent a big sail if you judge the wind direction wrong. the lack of stretch and DCF's tendency to catch less condensation both help mitigate the other compromises of the tent. For where I camp and how I use the tent, this tent collects a lot of condensation.
Every tent design makes choices based on intended use and design goals. In my case I wanted to keep the weight down and have enough space to fit 2 wide rectangular pads (i.e. at least 50" wide at both the head and foot end). If I went with a dome tent, I'd either need to sacrifice space or increase the weight substantially. FWIW, if I was to do it again, I'd pattern it after the x-mid 2p, which sheds wind better and would do better with condensation with it's 2 wall design. Weighs about the same as my design too.