These are all fantastic videos Red. For a couple decades I've been doing day hikes and have finally found the courage to start my multi day solo hikes. Thank you for the wealth of info.
Redbeard, I love your videos! Good, honest, reliable info. I have seen so many videos and read so many guides where people complain about getting wet and being uncomfortable in their tents. It was refreshing to see your review and your perspective on this tent. A must buy for me now.
I have this tent and also love it. The Zpacks guys rock at support and now you can even get a stand alone version. You can even get a retrofit on your tent to a stand alone. I have used it in various situations and rain was not an issue. Well worth the money especially with the service and warranty support available.
Hej Redbeard, great review. Saw the earlier one with reference to the Echo II. I was really torn between the two, as I was potentially looking at a tent, that could be used as a tarp or even a hammock shelter. Due to the weight saving with the Duplex, I can also get a tarp, if I want to use my hammock. I am just starting trekking again after a long break due to illness. I am British, living in Vietnam and will be ordering the duplex to do the Pennine Way back in the UK, in a month. Only 270miles, over 2-3 weeks but I can't wait to get started. Hope your friends at ZPacks, can get me the tent and Arc Zip Pack on time. I really appreciate your reviews, very concise with great info and honest! Happy hiking:) Andrew.
Glad it held up for your thru-hike Will. Impressed that you were able to use the tent without a ground cloth. Did you find yourself taking extra care to avoid small twigs/rocks from poking through? Also I usually camp with my dog and get nervous about his claws on more delicate fabrics. Thanks!
I didn't do anything different with this tent than I did with tents I owned before this one. I would be nervous with a dog in the tent however. I would probably put a sleeping bag covering the entire floor before I let a dog inside.
Great vid Will! Loving my Triplex. Crispy, I use the same poles as will (Black Diamond Trailshock) with my Triplex, and set mine at 125cm, which seems fine and feel I could easily put it to 130 if needs be. One thing of note though, the higher the pole setting, the higher the bathtub walls resulting in less floor space to use ( fractionally) and you'll need to bring in the corner tieouts by an inch or so. Other than that it's by FAR the best Cuben shelter I've used having owned a Cuben MLD Duomid ( have a vid of it in 70+ mph and heavy snow/freezing temps on RUclips) and the HMG Echo II. All the best, Dean Cooling Wales, UK.
Have you any pictures of the Triplex in use in the UK. Thinking about getting either a Duplex or Triplex for me and the Mrs. Currently been using a Trailstar forever. Not sure what the Duplex would be like size wise for 2 people with 2 weeks of gear.
Thanks for the great review! would like to see you in there to see how you fit, I'm 6'5" and considering one of these for motorcycle camping due to the weight and small pack size. I loved how well you covered the features of the tent, and especially how well it held up to what was clearly some pretty good thrashing over 7 months, with probably daily up/downs. thanks again!
Nice Videos am glad your posting "post" gear reviews. Got a couple of questions 1) Looks like tent has large foot print with guy lines. How hard was it to find camping spot in ME? 2) Any chance of posting a complete "post" gear list? 3) How about video of what equipment you discarded and added and why?
I never had any toile finding spots to pitch the tent. By the time I got to Maine I was a master at pitching it and could squeeze it in anywhere. Obviously Maine was marshy in places so that made it difficult to pitch any tent!
Super great review. Nice work! I think this tent might be good for adventure riding/camping trips in Canada. No winter camping needed but all other seasons. Hey any idea who might sell this tent to be able to ship to Canada or even better in Canada?
Hi Will, Thank you for your review on the Duplex! I assume your Duplex is made out of the .51 oz cuben fiber. Did you have to do any repairs to it on the trail? How well did the floor hold up or do you use a ground sheet?
Looks good, glad you enjoyed it. However, I would have used the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo (not LE version). Is just about the same interior size, almost exactly, and is about $400 less and only about 3oz heavier.
I like six moon designs. I almost went with one of their tents and the guy I was hiking with used their tent. However I love this duplex tent. Trust me, if you ever buy a cuben tent, you'll never go back to anything else!
Will Wood The only thing that is steering me away from a cuben tent is they appear to be disposable. Not against them, just seems crazy to spend $600 on a tent which has a limit amount of use. Perhaps I'm misguided in my understanding..
Will, how about the sound of the tent durning windy times or while moving around in it. I haven't had a chance to see the fabric in person. I know some of the newer ultralight fabrics can be 'crackly' sounding when they move around.
No sound what so ever. Literally this tent is so similar to a normal tent you will hardly notice a difference. After using it for 6 months on the trail I did notice the flaps not being as tight in STRONG wind therefore they flapped a bit more.
The bathtub floors will be lower when you are in the tent. They are much higher in this video than in actual use if you have gear against the sides. Other than that observation they do come up at a reasonable height to protect from ground water.
Santiago Draco I will have to disagree with you on this comment. With over 6,000 miles of backpacking with the Duplex I always sleep with it at that height except for the few occasions when I'm backpacking with my girlfriend and still have plenty of room for my gear.
Hello RB, love your video's! Are the corners (atop) the trek poles, tape reinforced that you have added or is that factory support? While I know your tent has seen a logo of continuous use, I'm just looking to see what those limits are. Thank you for you input and documenting all this stuff you've used!
Hey Red Beard, I've watched many of your videos but haven't heard too much explanation as to why you prefer your tent exclusively over the shelters. Do you prefer the solitude of a tent, or is there something you dislike about shelter camping? Thanks, and keep the videos coming!
I prefer tents to shelters for the privacy and controlled environment my tent provides. I like to stay up much later than other hikers reading and planning. Also the shelters are filled with mice and often times over crowded. I'm also an introvert so I like my alone time each night.
Will Wood Sounds exactly like me. I was in Australia for 30 days in several hostels and hated them. I often paid for an upgrade of like an extra 4 bucks a night just to stay in a 4 person room. Most people never wanted to pay the extra money.. but the privacy and quietness was worth it. It's nice to see that other introverts do exist. I wholeheartedly agree, solitude, privacy, and freedom in a tent. I'm down. Personally I'm eyeing the SMD Trekker for the AT.
Thinking of ordering the blue .51 duplex tent. Will be using for sec tion hikes. Have you had any experience with the .74 material? Is it worth it in the long run going with a thicker (.74) material or would it be basically for peace of mind? Thanks! Al Lucas
+Richard Moran More to the point is the dog tough enough! I wish I had a dog to bring and would happily have shared in my Zpacks tent. Perhaps worry a little about punctures if the dog has difficult claws.
It packs up pretty small. Probably around 15 inches by 6 inches. It is not to big at all. Check out my video below to see it packed up. m.ruclips.net/video/eqnu-LAlH0A/видео.html
Thank you for the info, I plan to do a thru hike on the Ice Age Trail on May 20th this year! To raise funds for our veterans, which I am a Vietnam vet. for Heal Warrior Heart a non-profit Foundation.
Hi Redbeard, I have a question. I do not use trekking poles, so if I got this tent I would have to buy some of the poles that ZPacks sells. But they are blunt at both ends. I am very skeptical of the sturdiness of the tent if I was just relying on the downward tension on top of the pole to hold it upright without any of it sticking into the ground. It seems like one nudge would make it crumble.
Hey Redbeard! do you think I could fit myself (5'2") and my 9&10 yr old kids in this tent? We are doing two section hikes this year preparing for an AT thru-hike next year. I'm trying to be as ultralight as I can afford so I can carry extra for my two kids.
This is a very valuable review. I'm not totally sure of difference in climate between the AT and the UK but over here we have to deal with high winds and a lot of rain. How well does this tent hold up in windy storms? I'm currently looking at getting the Scarp 1, it is sturdy but significantly heavier. Which would you choose?
I camped on top of many balds in some incredible wind storms and had no issues with the tent. As long as the stakes are firmly secured in the ground you should have no issues in strong winds.
Hey Will,Can you speak to the Trekking poles? Some on the market are compression twist adjusters for height verses a locking clamp to adjust the height. I see you used Black Diamond. Any suggestions or difficulty you had with using them to tent poles?
Many like the twist lock poles, I prefer the clamp style poles especially from Leki. I also go with aluminum poles instead of carbon as I use my poles with my tent so I don't want to risk breaking a pole. Leki has great customer service and have been solid poles for me. I had issues with my black diamond poles and they were not helpful with replacing. Customer service was 👎🏼
Hey friend, quick question. You mentioned the cuben fiber did wear a bit from use over those 7 months. Just curious how the cuben fiber tub looked after your thru hike? Wondering if getting a little thicker material on top like the tub is made out of, would make a difference with the wear usage over time? Thanks for the great videos you rock! Hugs, Capitan.
It did wear down a bit but not too bad. The bathtub floor is in perfect shape. I had no issues with the bathtub floor on the entire trip and I did not use a ground sheet at all. So you could go with a thicker cuben but I really don't think it is necessary. I mean I used the tent roughly 180+ nights on the AT and it held up wonderfully! Hope this helped! Happy Hiking!
180 nights is amazing but I want more nights for that kinda money:) You said you bought another tent so I was assuming it was because the cuben fiber did wear and you wanted to make sure you had a tent that lasted the whole way on the PCT? I was thinking if it did wear that much then maybe going with a thicker material on top would extend the life of the tent? What do you think of that theory??? :D Are you hiking this year? If so your first cinnabon at the Stehekin Bakery is on me for your words of expertise. Just ask for Stephanie. Hugs, Cap.
Completely understand wanting more life out of a tent. It really was a great tent and I was totally going to carry it on the PCT but ZPacks took care of me with a brand new one. 😀 the thicker cuben might help but honestly for me personally I wouldn't modify it much, Joe is a triple crowner and hiked the trail in New Zealand and raced across Scotland. His designs are specifically made for long distance hiking. Ok now you speaking my language with the Cinnabons! I can taste it already! Where is that located?
Hey Redbeard, I have a question about the condensation and the interior walls of the tent getting wet. Did you have any issues with this? Or could you elaborate on your experiences with wet weather and the cuben fiber material, thanks!
Well to give you an idea, I hiked with a guy Snorlax who was using a tarp tent made by six moon designs made out of your normal nylon materiel. He hiked with me for 3 months and his condensation was so bad that he decided to buy the Duplex because he saw how great it was with condensation. I usually sleep with all flaps closed so this doesn't allow for much air flow but keeps me warmer and it rarely has condensation. If you leave the flaps open or two open it would never have condensation. So to conclude it blows other tents out of the water when it comes to condensation or lack there of. At worst it had slight dampness rarely. Hope this was helpful!
On the AT I never regretted having a non free standing tent. There was never any issues finding places to pitch the tent. On the PCT it was a bit tougher due to how hard, rocky and/or sandy the ground was. However it still wasn't a problem really. I would rather have my 2 person tent weigh just over 1lbs then to carry around a 2-4 lbs tent with poles.
+Will “Red Beard” Wood Was there every any difficulty due to only tent pads available? I've never really thought about having anything other than a freestanding tent, but you've definitely started to convinced me to rethink that!
Hey Red, think this would stand the PCT it maybe a light snow time (end winter time frame)? Also what do you think about the need of a ground sheet? Think it might be needed (I remember you said there was no ripe, but)?
I think it will be perfect for the PCT, so perfect a have a camo version of the duplex coming to me. Yeah I believe the ground sheet isn't necessary and so does Joe the creator of ZPacks. But some want to be safe.
You could do without the groundsheet, just be a bit more mindful of where you pitch your tent; not saying it isn't durable but just taking further care of expensive gear. But, if you got the spare bucks and don't mind the extra few ounces, why not protect your investment with a groundsheet?
Hey Will - thanks to your very thorough (and very helpful) post thru hike review and a few other reviews, I'm about 99% sure I'll buy this tent. I have a couple of questions, though. With the large-ish footprint of this tent, did you have a hard time finding the right spot to set up in the more thickly forested areas? Also, as this tent is well ventilated (to cut down on condensation) - on the cold nights, did you find it cold at all compared to other tents? Thanks again for your review!!
I had no issues finding places to pitch the tent. It was very easy and after a while you will become a master at pitching the tent and making it perfect! So don't be discouraged the first few times you pitch it. You will get better 😉 As far as the warmth from this tent you will notice NO difference from this tent to any other normal backpacking tent. In fact my watch temperature gauge always registered the inside of my tent as much warmer then outside. No wind issues to speak of either. All around a wonderful tent. You can't go wrong. Happy Hiking!
Hey dude, just wondering how well this tent deals with storms and maybe a small amount of snow? Was considering getting a tarptent for their stormworthiness, but the weight of the duplex is hard to pass up.
+Matthew Maag it's incredible! I slept in it every night on the AT and PCT rain or shine. No issues with snow either. Just check out Zpacks Instagram to see more pics of it in the elements. Or RUclips search zpacks Duplex thunderstorm on RUclips.
condensation comes from inside..not outside..your breath causes condensation..but the way the bathtub floor is built on this ten there is a small mesh between the wall and bathtub..allowing condensation to run out the tent rather than on your floor..another thing that helps with this tent is the double doors..allowing more air to flow through.. cuben is waterproof..it doesnt leak unless you get a hole..and its easily taped with cuben tape , ductape or tenacious tape..
So is it the UV rays causing the degrading of the tent or just age? Could you treat it with a UV coating to help with the sun? I'm thinking about getting the camo version for myself.
Good question. Probably just the cuben slowly deteriorating over time and use. I just bought the duplex camo version for my PCT thru hike. Wanted to blend in better when stealth camping. Happy hiking!
Thanks for the response.. I am preparing for thru hike next Feb--helps me decide on the Duplex. appreciate your postings and how they have helped me get ready.
I never used a groundsheet and I had no issues at all with the groundsheet. I'm 100% confident that no groundsheet is required with this tent. I camped with it on all surfaces but I did make sure to clear any sharp objects before laying it down.
Never once had trouble. The way the tent pitches it automatically holds the poles in place. This tent really was great pitching. The only hard times are when you r required to camp on platforms and I just stealth camp somewhere when that is the situation. Happy Hiking!
Would I fit in the tent. I stand at 7 foot 3 inches tall. Im thinking of getting a MSR Elixer 2 person tent.Does your tent comes with poles,or do you have to use hiker poles.
I used trekking poles and sadly at 7'3" I would not recommend the Duplex atless if you sleep on your side with legs bent, it would fit someone up to 6'4" or 6'5".
The great thing about tents like this is that they're light weight. The bad thing is if you want to leave it set up at your camp site, and go on a hike, you can't take your polls.
Can you being 6 feet tall set up in this tent without touching you head? I like what is called a 2 person tent too. Lets face it as you said they are a 1 1/2 half person tent. The little bit more room is worth the small amount of weight.
Hey Will, love your videos -- this one too! I'm thinking about picking up one of these tents. This review backcountrypost.com/threads/zpacks-hexamid-duplex-shelter-tent.3012/ mentions that the mesh in the corners that holds the tarp to the bathtub floor is a potential weak point. Did you encounter any issues with this? Or take any special precautions to avoid issues? Can this be avoided by pitching technique? Thanks!
Great video. I just moved 17 miles away from the Appalachian trailhead on the Maine/NH border. My place is always open for a pit stop. Campfires, lake next door. Hit me up. Cheers.
Will Wood I think this was one of my first comments on your channel. But def next time. When I go to WalMart in Gorham NH me and my girlfriend are always stopping to pick up hitchhikers. We LOVE hearing the stories they have about their hikes.
Wow, dude, $500 for a nice tent, but heavy poles! Ouch. Gossamer gear full carbon is the way to go. Otherwise, nice review. You can't set this up inside a shelter, which I did a lot on the AT in section hikes, less than cool with lots of people of course, Rainbow, but losing 10 oz! Sweet.
Heavy poles? It doesn't require poles and only weighs around 24 ounces. Tough to beat that weight and ZPacks is an incredible company created by thru hikers. Can't beat it. But if you really want to pitch this tent in a shelter go for it..... www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex-flex.shtml
Your hiking poles are made of lead. Z packs is a great company. Yeah, I'd like to see something like the Tarptent Rainbow in Cuben, but Shires won't go for it. Beautiful tent, but sometimes it's nice to tent inside a shelter.
+Ross Nicholson Yeah I use heavy poles simply because they r used with my tent every night. Would hate to break my carbon pole and thus not be able to pitch my tent. But I would like to get some ultralight poles down the road.
I managed to break one trying to swat a fly with it, the fly was on a rock, and I hit the rock with all my strength. Missed the fly. Wow, thanks for dragging a video cam, those caves! Wow, much worse than anything I saw on the first half. I see you throwing your poles!
I find it odd that you had NO issues with condensate after 7 months of use on the AT! I have heard numerous complaints about Zpacks' condensation problems; some thru hikers even traded theirs in for a BA after only a few days on the AT; the Zpacks soaked everything in their tent and had to take a zero to dry all their gear out! It seems you are on a first name basis with Zpacks folks so maybe that has something to do with it; I have nothing against you; you have some great videos but I am calling BS on the fact you had NO condensation problems with Zpack's single wall tent
These are all fantastic videos Red. For a couple decades I've been doing day hikes and have finally found the courage to start my multi day solo hikes. Thank you for the wealth of info.
Redbeard, I love your videos! Good, honest, reliable info. I have seen so many videos and read so many guides where people complain about getting wet and being uncomfortable in their tents. It was refreshing to see your review and your perspective on this tent. A must buy for me now.
Glad to be of help for sure! Happy Hiking!
THANK YOU FOR GETTING BACK TO ME! BE SAFE! HAVE FUN! SMILE! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS! ENJOY!
I have this tent and also love it. The Zpacks guys rock at support and now you can even get a stand alone version. You can even get a retrofit on your tent to a stand alone. I have used it in various situations and rain was not an issue. Well worth the money especially with the service and warranty support available.
I love my duplex... Glad that you did the review, makes me even more happier with my choice to buy one.
Fantastic review. I love being able to see this both before and after your journey.
Hej Redbeard, great review. Saw the earlier one with reference to the Echo II. I was really torn between the two, as I was potentially looking at a tent, that could be used as a tarp or even a hammock shelter.
Due to the weight saving with the Duplex, I can also get a tarp, if I want to use my hammock.
I am just starting trekking again after a long break due to illness. I am British, living in Vietnam and will be ordering the duplex to do the Pennine Way back in the UK, in a month. Only 270miles, over 2-3 weeks but I can't wait to get started. Hope your friends at ZPacks, can get me the tent and Arc Zip Pack on time.
I really appreciate your reviews, very concise with great info and honest! Happy hiking:) Andrew.
Glad it held up for your thru-hike Will. Impressed that you were able to use the tent without a ground cloth. Did you find yourself taking extra care to avoid small twigs/rocks from poking through? Also I usually camp with my dog and get nervous about his claws on more delicate fabrics. Thanks!
I didn't do anything different with this tent than I did with tents I owned before this one. I would be nervous with a dog in the tent however. I would probably put a sleeping bag covering the entire floor before I let a dog inside.
Great vid Will! Loving my Triplex. Crispy, I use the same poles as will (Black Diamond Trailshock) with my Triplex, and set mine at 125cm, which seems fine and feel I could easily put it to 130 if needs be. One thing of note though, the higher the pole setting, the higher the bathtub walls resulting in less floor space to use ( fractionally) and you'll need to bring in the corner tieouts by an inch or so. Other than that it's by FAR the best Cuben shelter I've used having owned a Cuben MLD Duomid ( have a vid of it in 70+ mph and heavy snow/freezing temps on RUclips) and the HMG Echo II. All the best,
Dean Cooling
Wales, UK.
Have you any pictures of the Triplex in use in the UK. Thinking about getting either a Duplex or Triplex for me and the Mrs. Currently been using a Trailstar forever. Not sure what the Duplex would be like size wise for 2 people with 2 weeks of gear.
Thank you for this review. You've convinced me! I will be ordering mine soon and can't wait to use it!
Thanks for the great review! would like to see you in there to see how you fit, I'm 6'5" and considering one of these for motorcycle camping due to the weight and small pack size. I loved how well you covered the features of the tent, and especially how well it held up to what was clearly some pretty good thrashing over 7 months, with probably daily up/downs.
thanks again!
Thanks for all the reviews. Cant wait for one on the camera!
Great video, I'm using tarptent... But yet tempted to get that one.. Thanks for sharing
Nice pitch on the tent, looks perfect.
Nice Videos am glad your posting "post" gear reviews. Got a couple of questions
1) Looks like tent has large foot print with guy lines. How hard was it to find camping spot in ME?
2) Any chance of posting a complete "post" gear list?
3) How about video of what equipment you discarded and added and why?
I never had any toile finding spots to pitch the tent. By the time I got to Maine I was a master at pitching it and could squeeze it in anywhere. Obviously Maine was marshy in places so that made it difficult to pitch any tent!
Super great review. Nice work!
I think this tent might be good for adventure riding/camping trips in Canada. No winter camping needed but all other seasons. Hey any idea who might sell this tent to be able to ship to Canada or even better in Canada?
Hi Will,
Thank you for your review on the Duplex! I assume your Duplex is made out of the .51 oz cuben fiber. Did you have to do any repairs to it on the trail? How well did the floor hold up or do you use a ground sheet?
Looks good, glad you enjoyed it. However, I would have used the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo (not LE version). Is just about the same interior size, almost exactly, and is about $400 less and only about 3oz heavier.
I like six moon designs. I almost went with one of their tents and the guy I was hiking with used their tent. However I love this duplex tent. Trust me, if you ever buy a cuben tent, you'll never go back to anything else!
Will Wood
The only thing that is steering me away from a cuben tent is they appear to be disposable. Not against them, just seems crazy to spend $600 on a tent which has a limit amount of use. Perhaps I'm misguided in my understanding..
Will, how about the sound of the tent durning windy times or while moving around in it. I haven't had a chance to see the fabric in person. I know some of the newer ultralight fabrics can be 'crackly' sounding when they move around.
No sound what so ever. Literally this tent is so similar to a normal tent you will hardly notice a difference. After using it for 6 months on the trail I did notice the flaps not being as tight in STRONG wind therefore they flapped a bit more.
Hey man great review, lots of good info. thanks.
The bathtub floors will be lower when you are in the tent. They are much higher in this video than in actual use if you have gear against the sides. Other than that observation they do come up at a reasonable height to protect from ground water.
Santiago Draco I will have to disagree with you on this comment. With over 6,000 miles of backpacking with the Duplex I always sleep with it at that height except for the few occasions when I'm backpacking with my girlfriend and still have plenty of room for my gear.
Hello RB, love your video's! Are the corners (atop) the trek poles, tape reinforced that you have added or is that factory support? While I know your tent has seen a logo of continuous use, I'm just looking to see what those limits are. Thank you for you input and documenting all this stuff you've used!
Hey Red Beard, I've watched many of your videos but haven't heard too much explanation as to why you prefer your tent exclusively over the shelters. Do you prefer the solitude of a tent, or is there something you dislike about shelter camping? Thanks, and keep the videos coming!
I prefer tents to shelters for the privacy and controlled environment my tent provides. I like to stay up much later than other hikers reading and planning. Also the shelters are filled with mice and often times over crowded. I'm also an introvert so I like my alone time each night.
Will Wood
Sounds exactly like me. I was in Australia for 30 days in several hostels and hated them. I often paid for an upgrade of like an extra 4 bucks a night just to stay in a 4 person room. Most people never wanted to pay the extra money.. but the privacy and quietness was worth it. It's nice to see that other introverts do exist. I wholeheartedly agree, solitude, privacy, and freedom in a tent. I'm down. Personally I'm eyeing the SMD Trekker for the AT.
Thinking of ordering the blue .51 duplex tent. Will be using for sec tion hikes.
Have you had any experience with the .74 material?
Is it worth it in the long run going with a thicker (.74) material or would it be basically for peace of mind?
Thanks!
Al Lucas
Awesome review, super informative. Much appreciated.
No problem my friend, glad to be of help!
VVcwe
Did you see anyone with the lightheart duo? I don't see to many reviews on that one.
Nice set up....not sure if cuben is durable enough with a dog...thoughts
+Richard Moran More to the point is the dog tough enough! I wish I had a dog to bring and would happily have shared in my Zpacks tent. Perhaps worry a little about punctures if the dog has difficult claws.
Thanks for posting the post hike gear reviews. Very informative!
How small does that tent pack up?
It packs up pretty small. Probably around 15 inches by 6 inches. It is not to big at all. Check out my video below to see it packed up.
m.ruclips.net/video/eqnu-LAlH0A/видео.html
Thank you for the info, I plan to do a thru hike on the Ice Age Trail on May 20th this year! To raise funds for our veterans, which I am a Vietnam vet. for Heal Warrior Heart a non-profit Foundation.
Whoa! Hope you were all ready for the mosquitoes 🦟 on the Ice Age Trail. They really get insane in Wisconsin. Happy Trails ⛺👍
Hi Redbeard, I have a question. I do not use trekking poles, so if I got this tent I would have to buy some of the poles that ZPacks sells. But they are blunt at both ends. I am very skeptical of the sturdiness of the tent if I was just relying on the downward tension on top of the pole to hold it upright without any of it sticking into the ground. It seems like one nudge would make it crumble.
Great video Will. What height did you have you poles set at? Do you think I could use 130cm (51.2") fixed length poles with it? Cheers
What model do you have in this vid? Just wondering if it’s the olive drab or thicker spruce green
Hey Redbeard! do you think I could fit myself (5'2") and my 9&10 yr old kids in this tent? We are doing two section hikes this year preparing for an AT thru-hike next year. I'm trying to be as ultralight as I can afford so I can carry extra for my two kids.
Hey man does chair have a youtube? It would be cool to see his gear choices too.
This is a very valuable review. I'm not totally sure of difference in climate between the AT and the UK but over here we have to deal with high winds and a lot of rain. How well does this tent hold up in windy storms? I'm currently looking at getting the Scarp 1, it is sturdy but significantly heavier. Which would you choose?
I camped on top of many balds in some incredible wind storms and had no issues with the tent. As long as the stakes are firmly secured in the ground you should have no issues in strong winds.
There is a lot of wind and rain on the AT.
Looking at this tent pretty hard, especially for the weight. Just curious, it looks like it does not have apex vents?
Hey Will Do you know if Zpacks sends to europe/Norway? I really want the duplex tent as a 3 season option for me and my dog.
Great review
Hey Will,Can you speak to the Trekking poles? Some on the market are compression twist adjusters for height verses a locking clamp to adjust the height. I see you used Black Diamond. Any suggestions or difficulty you had with using them to tent poles?
Many like the twist lock poles, I prefer the clamp style poles especially from Leki. I also go with aluminum poles instead of carbon as I use my poles with my tent so I don't want to risk breaking a pole. Leki has great customer service and have been solid poles for me. I had issues with my black diamond poles and they were not helpful with replacing. Customer service was 👎🏼
Hey friend, quick question. You mentioned the cuben fiber did wear a bit from use over those 7 months. Just curious how the cuben fiber tub looked after your thru hike? Wondering if getting a little thicker material on top like the tub is made out of, would make a difference with the wear usage over time? Thanks for the great videos you rock! Hugs, Capitan.
It did wear down a bit but not too bad. The bathtub floor is in perfect shape. I had no issues with the bathtub floor on the entire trip and I did not use a ground sheet at all. So you could go with a thicker cuben but I really don't think it is necessary. I mean I used the tent roughly 180+ nights on the AT and it held up wonderfully! Hope this helped! Happy Hiking!
180 nights is amazing but I want more nights for that kinda money:) You said you bought another tent so I was assuming it was because the cuben fiber did wear and you wanted to make sure you had a tent that lasted the whole way on the PCT? I was thinking if it did wear that much then maybe going with a thicker material on top would extend the life of the tent? What do you think of that theory??? :D Are you hiking this year? If so your first cinnabon at the Stehekin Bakery is on me for your words of expertise. Just ask for Stephanie. Hugs, Cap.
Completely understand wanting more life out of a tent. It really was a great tent and I was totally going to carry it on the PCT but ZPacks took care of me with a brand new one. 😀 the thicker cuben might help but honestly for me personally I wouldn't modify it much, Joe is a triple crowner and hiked the trail in New Zealand and raced across Scotland. His designs are specifically made for long distance hiking. Ok now you speaking my language with the Cinnabons! I can taste it already! Where is that located?
STEHEKIN:) it will be your last stop on the PCT.
Thank you for all the great info. Happy trails!
I just bought this tent and I'm super excited to get it! what stakes did you use for yours?
The V Stakes on ZPacks website are the best.
Hey Redbeard, I have a question about the condensation and the interior walls of the tent getting wet. Did you have any issues with this? Or could you elaborate on your experiences with wet weather and the cuben fiber material, thanks!
Well to give you an idea, I hiked with a guy Snorlax who was using a tarp tent made by six moon designs made out of your normal nylon materiel. He hiked with me for 3 months and his condensation was so bad that he decided to buy the Duplex because he saw how great it was with condensation. I usually sleep with all flaps closed so this doesn't allow for much air flow but keeps me warmer and it rarely has condensation. If you leave the flaps open or two open it would never have condensation. So to conclude it blows other tents out of the water when it comes to condensation or lack there of. At worst it had slight dampness rarely. Hope this was helpful!
Redbeard, did you ever have a time on the AT where you wished you had a freestanding tent instead of a trekking pole/ guy line tent? thanks
On the AT I never regretted having a non free standing tent. There was never any issues finding places to pitch the tent. On the PCT it was a bit tougher due to how hard, rocky and/or sandy the ground was. However it still wasn't a problem really. I would rather have my 2 person tent weigh just over 1lbs then to carry around a 2-4 lbs tent with poles.
+Will “Red Beard” Wood Was there every any difficulty due to only tent pads available? I've never really thought about having anything other than a freestanding tent, but you've definitely started to convinced me to rethink that!
Hi Will,
I just bought this tent. Will this tent fit horizontally in a Zpacks arc blast/haul backpack? Looks like it might be possible.
Yes it does. I fit mine horizontally at all times in my pack.
Hey Red, think this would stand the PCT it maybe a light snow time (end winter time frame)?
Also what do you think about the need of a ground sheet? Think it might be needed (I remember you said there was no ripe, but)?
I think it will be perfect for the PCT, so perfect a have a camo version of the duplex coming to me. Yeah I believe the ground sheet isn't necessary and so does Joe the creator of ZPacks. But some want to be safe.
You could do without the groundsheet, just be a bit more mindful of where you pitch your tent; not saying it isn't durable but just taking further care of expensive gear. But, if you got the spare bucks and don't mind the extra few ounces, why not protect your investment with a groundsheet?
Hey Will - thanks to your very thorough (and very helpful) post thru hike review and a few other reviews, I'm about 99% sure I'll buy this tent. I have a couple of questions, though. With the large-ish footprint of this tent, did you have a hard time finding the right spot to set up in the more thickly forested areas? Also, as this tent is well ventilated (to cut down on condensation) - on the cold nights, did you find it cold at all compared to other tents? Thanks again for your review!!
I had no issues finding places to pitch the tent. It was very easy and after a while you will become a master at pitching the tent and making it perfect! So don't be discouraged the first few times you pitch it. You will get better 😉 As far as the warmth from this tent you will notice NO difference from this tent to any other normal backpacking tent. In fact my watch temperature gauge always registered the inside of my tent as much warmer then outside. No wind issues to speak of either. All around a wonderful tent. You can't go wrong. Happy Hiking!
Will Wood Thanks Will!
Will Wood a
Hey there Redbeard. I just have a quick question for you. Do you have the olive drab or white version of the duplex?
The tent in this video is the Olive Drab version.
Hey dude, just wondering how well this tent deals with storms and maybe a small amount of snow? Was considering getting a tarptent for their stormworthiness, but the weight of the duplex is hard to pass up.
+Matthew Maag it's incredible! I slept in it every night on the AT and PCT rain or shine. No issues with snow either. Just check out Zpacks Instagram to see more pics of it in the elements. Or RUclips search zpacks Duplex thunderstorm on RUclips.
When you say water can't penetrate cuben fiber, does that include condensation and morning dew?
condensation comes from inside..not outside..your breath causes condensation..but the way the bathtub floor is built on this ten there is a small mesh between the wall and bathtub..allowing condensation to run out the tent rather than on your floor..another thing that helps with this tent is the double doors..allowing more air to flow through.. cuben is waterproof..it doesnt leak unless you get a hole..and its easily taped with cuben tape , ductape or tenacious tape..
Did you get the tent in the standard 0.51Oz fabric or the 0.74Oz fabric? Thanks
Did you get a answer I was also wondering that
is this warmer than your HMG echo2?
So is it the UV rays causing the degrading of the tent or just age? Could you treat it with a UV coating to help with the sun? I'm thinking about getting the camo version for myself.
Good question. Probably just the cuben slowly deteriorating over time and use. I just bought the duplex camo version for my PCT thru hike. Wanted to blend in better when stealth camping. Happy hiking!
Happy hiking to you also...We need a good video on the camo version. There's just not much out there on the camo version.
It appears that although lite in weight it does not roll up very tight thus taking up a lot of space.. Any thoughts appreciated..
It rolls up very small. It's tough to find another 2-person tent that packs as small. Takes up a tiny fraction of the interior of my pack.
Thanks for the response.. I am preparing for thru hike next Feb--helps me decide on the Duplex. appreciate your postings and how they have helped me get ready.
Did you feel the need to use a ground sheet for the tent? How did the bathtub hold up?
I never used a groundsheet and I had no issues at all with the groundsheet. I'm 100% confident that no groundsheet is required with this tent. I camped with it on all surfaces but I did make sure to clear any sharp objects before laying it down.
hey red beard, do you ever have a hard time with your trekking poles not sticking in the ground, could you set it up on a rock.
Never once had trouble. The way the tent pitches it automatically holds the poles in place. This tent really was great pitching. The only hard times are when you r required to camp on platforms and I just stealth camp somewhere when that is the situation. Happy Hiking!
happy hiking
Would I fit in the tent. I stand at 7 foot 3 inches tall. Im thinking of getting a MSR Elixer 2 person tent.Does your tent comes with poles,or do you have to use hiker poles.
I used trekking poles and sadly at 7'3" I would not recommend the Duplex atless if you sleep on your side with legs bent, it would fit someone up to 6'4" or 6'5".
Thanks
MAY I ASK HOW MUCH YOU PAYED ? AWESOME VIDEOS. THANK YOU AGAIN .
$599
Thanks.
The great thing about tents like this is that they're light weight. The bad thing is if you want to leave it set up at your camp site, and go on a hike, you can't take your polls.
Zpacks.com sells ultralight tent poles for situations just like that.
Do you still recommend using a ground cloth?
Cisco8484 a groundsheet is not needed. I have never used one and never had a hole.
My usual complaint is the time it takes to get it back in the sack. Is this one simple?
Takes me about 5 seconds. Not an issue. Maybe if I only had one hand. Ha
Sweet!
Do you think that this tent is compatible with 120 cm fixed length trekking poles?
T
+Joel L. I own this tent. It recommends setting it to 120cm so yes your poles would be perfect height.
Can you being 6 feet tall set up in this tent without touching you head? I like what is called a 2 person tent too. Lets face it as you said they are a 1 1/2 half person tent. The little bit more room is worth the small amount of weight.
Did you ever use this tent in the snow?
Only very light snow. I have not tested it in hard snow. I have tested it in freeing conditions and it was great but never tested in heavy snow.
Will it fit a 6 foot 2 person comfortably?
U guys ever try it? Im 6'3" and 250 plus i hike with my gal who is rather tall as well
Hey Will, love your videos -- this one too! I'm thinking about picking up one of these tents. This review backcountrypost.com/threads/zpacks-hexamid-duplex-shelter-tent.3012/ mentions that the mesh in the corners that holds the tarp to the bathtub floor is a potential weak point. Did you encounter any issues with this? Or take any special precautions to avoid issues? Can this be avoided by pitching technique? Thanks!
what color cuben is that
Olive Drabe
It looks like a better version of the Lunar Duo by Six Moon Designs.
Great video. I just moved 17 miles away from the Appalachian trailhead on the Maine/NH border. My place is always open for a pit stop. Campfires, lake next door. Hit me up. Cheers.
Wow! Too bad i didn't know you when I was hiking the AT maybe next time!
Will Wood I think this was one of my first comments on your channel. But def next time. When I go to WalMart in Gorham NH me and my girlfriend are always stopping to pick up hitchhikers. We LOVE hearing the stories they have about their hikes.
If I wanted to save volume in my pack, would you suggest buying a separate compression sack for the tent?
Yes you could definitely buy a compression sack and shrink the size even more!
Do people even work these days? 7 months on the trail?
Louis Lee I work for a backpacking company
It is a very good tent but when I looked it up it is way too expensive
Wow, dude, $500 for a nice tent, but heavy poles! Ouch. Gossamer gear full carbon is the way to go. Otherwise, nice review.
You can't set this up inside a shelter, which I did a lot on the AT in section hikes, less than cool with lots of people of course, Rainbow, but losing 10 oz! Sweet.
Heavy poles? It doesn't require poles and only weighs around 24 ounces. Tough to beat that weight and ZPacks is an incredible company created by thru hikers. Can't beat it. But if you really want to pitch this tent in a shelter go for it.....
www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex-flex.shtml
Your hiking poles are made of lead. Z packs is a great company. Yeah, I'd like to see something like the Tarptent Rainbow in Cuben, but Shires won't go for it. Beautiful tent, but sometimes it's nice to tent inside a shelter.
+Ross Nicholson Yeah I use heavy poles simply because they r used with my tent every night. Would hate to break my carbon pole and thus not be able to pitch my tent. But I would like to get some ultralight poles down the road.
I managed to break one trying to swat a fly with it, the fly was on a rock, and I hit the rock with all my strength. Missed the fly. Wow, thanks for dragging a video cam, those caves! Wow, much worse than anything I saw on the first half.
I see you throwing your poles!
They don't know how to make a pack, but the poles they sell are terrific.
Did you ever wish you went with a hammock like other hikers?
I find it odd that you had NO issues with condensate after 7 months of use on the AT! I have heard numerous complaints about Zpacks' condensation problems; some thru hikers even traded theirs in for a BA after only a few days on the AT; the Zpacks soaked everything in their tent and had to take a zero to dry all their gear out! It seems you are on a first name basis with Zpacks folks so maybe that has something to do with it; I have nothing against you; you have some great videos but I am calling BS on the fact you had NO condensation problems with Zpack's single wall tent
Too loud
not for 600 bucks way to much money
+john smith oh if you only knew. You can stick to your 400 dollar tent made in China. Ha
lol
херня а не палатка