The Zpacks Duplex has been the go-to tent for ultralight hikers – together with us – for years. However over that point, there was one frequent criticism: the zipperless vestibules. In response, Zpacks launched the Duplex Zip to cater to those that have been involved about splashback and sideways rain getting inside.
We put the Duplex Zip to the check to see how this new model compares to the commonplace Duplex, and to seek out out if it’s definitely worth the added price. Learn on to see what we discovered throughout our 500-mile check hike on the Arizona Path.
Fast Specs
Zpacks Duplex Zip
Worth: $699
Listed Weight: 20.4 oz.
Measured Weight: 20.5 oz.
Dimensions (LxWxH): 90 x 45 x 48 in.
Be aware: Weights don’t embrace poles or stakes
Execs
- Ultralight
- Sturdy materials
- Packs small
- Glorious climate safety
- Nice air flow
- Spacious
- Simple to pitch
- Easy zippers
- Giant doorways & vestibules
Cons
- Costly
- Inside condensation
- Non-freestanding design
- Deal with with care
- Tough to shake out
- Pockets solely okay
Execs
Ultralight
Similar to the usual Duplex, the Duplex Zip is extraordinarily gentle. At simply 1 lb. 4.4 oz., it’s the second lightest two-person tent on our lists of the Greatest Backpacking Tents and Greatest Ultralight Tents (crushed out solely by the usual Duplex).
This low weight is much more spectacular when you think about that Zpacks doesn’t pass over any of the purposeful particulars included on comparable tents. It has totally waterproof zippers on each vestibules, peak vents, and magnetic door closures.
So how does the Duplex Zip obtain such a low weight? The primary motive it’s so gentle is as a result of it’s non-freestanding. This implies there aren’t any tent poles – it depends on trekking poles or separate carbon fiber poles for the construction. However the Duplex Zip can be lighter than different very comparable non-freestanding tents.
How does it do this? With some good materials decisions. Let’s take a look at the almost equivalent Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2 which is listed on the identical inside space because the Duplex Zip (28 sq. ft.) however weighs about 4 oz. extra. The Unbound flooring is definitely made with a lighter materials (0.8 oz./sq. yd. DCF) than the Duplex flooring (1 oz./sq. yd. DCF), however the Duplex makes use of a lighter mesh and lighter guylines. These small weight variations add up when unfold out over an entire tent, and that’s how the Duplex Zip stays one of many all-time lightest tents in the marketplace.
Sturdy materials
The Duplex Zip is constructed with .55 oz./sq. yd. Dyneema Composite Cloth (DCF) on the cover and 1 oz./sq. yd. DCF on the ground. These extremely gentle materials have a excessive tensile energy that makes them way more sturdy than their weight would counsel.
We’ve used a regular Duplex (made with the very same materials) for hundreds of miles with no main tears or strains on the material, and it’s nonetheless going sturdy. We examined the Duplex Zip over 500 miles of mountaineering by way of the unforgiving Sonoran Desert, and the consequence was the identical.
Typically the primary issues on a tent to go are the zippers. Zpacks deliberate forward for this and included two alternative zipper sliders with the Duplex Zip, and so they designed the doorways in a manner that makes area restore straightforward.
Additionally included with the Duplex Zip is a size of restore tape for patching minor punctures and tears.
Packs small/stuff sack included
DCF tents typically don’t pack down fairly as small as equally designed nylon or polyester tents, however the Duplex Zip rolls up right into a manageable measurement.
The actual professional right here, although, is the superb stuff sack included with the tent. It comes with a Medium-Plus DCF Drawstring Sack (included on our listing of the Greatest Stuff Sacks), which might run you $29 if you happen to had to purchase it individually. Many tentmakers attempt to lower a couple of grams by making the stuff sack simply barely large enough to retailer the tent. However with the minimal effort the Duplex Zip suits proper into the stuff sack with out a fuss.
Glorious climate safety
The Duplex Zip readily sheds wind and rain due to the additional wall guyouts, factory-taped seams, inherently waterproof cloth, and the addition of waterproof vestibule zippers. And within the off-chance that rain does discover its manner below the vestibule, an 8 in. DCF bathtub flooring retains you well-protected from splashback.
One constant criticism of the usual Duplex is that the hook closures on the ends of the vestibules depart a small hole the place blowing rain may creep into the dwelling area. We’ve weathered some fairly intense downpours in that tent and by no means discovered the vestibule closure to be a lot of a problem, however the Duplex Zip eliminates that potential downside fully.
As if we hadn’t sung the praises of the DCF cloth sufficient, one other large profit is that it doesn’t stretch and sag when moist. A decent pitch eliminates flat spots close to the height the place water may pool up, supplies further construction to guard in opposition to wind, and helps shed inside condensation. With this tent, if you happen to fall asleep with a taut pitch, you’ll get up with a taut pitch.
Nice air flow
When you’ve used a single-wall tent earlier than, you’re acquainted with the fixed battle in opposition to inside condensation. To keep away from the dreaded drippy inside, a tent must be very effectively ventilated. The Duplex Zip is designed with a number of efficient air flow options, so you will get some good airflow in virtually any circumstances.
First, Zpacks added peak vents on the apex of every vestibule that are held open by a guyline. Although these aren’t the best defenses in opposition to condensation buildup, many UL tents – like the usual Duplex and Gossamer Gear The Two – fully omit peak vents. Others, just like the HMG Unbound 2, embrace vestibule vents however don’t present any manner to make sure they keep open. By comparability, the Duplex Zip peak vents are an actual perk.
The Duplex Zip is designed with a floating cover. Which means the DCF cover tarp is totally separated from the DCF flooring by mesh across the whole perimeter. This large space of mesh can enable for some very nice airflow, however it additionally serves a extremely ingenious objective. On the head and foot, the mesh slopes downward away from the tent inside to offer an escape for condensation because it runs down the partitions.
The largest air flow profit lies throughout the vestibule design although. Mesh partitions let surprisingly little air by way of, and their profit is drastically diminished with a stable swath of DCF cloth in entrance of them. The excellent news is that each side of the Duplex vestibules may be rolled again and secured with handy magnetic closures. Rolling again each doorways will present the utmost quantity of airflow, or you possibly can roll again one aspect at a time to steadiness inside consolation with what the climate is doing.
The Duplex Zip is designed with a number of efficient air flow options, so you will get good airflow in virtually any circumstances.
Spacious
Typically within the tent world, ultralight can imply cramped quarters. However the Duplex Zip inside has loads of area for 2 hikers and two units of compact UL gear. Although there’s not sufficient flooring area for 2 large pads to suit with out severely impeding the tub flooring, you possibly can fairly match one large and one common pad.
Headroom is the place the Duplex Zip actually shines. Whether or not you’re sitting up or mendacity down, there’s loads of area to maneuver round with out sporting the DCF partitions as a hat. The symmetrical design and parallel peaks guarantee each occupants have loads of room whereas sitting side-by-side. We desire this symmetrical design over tents with offset peaks, just like the Durston X-Mid Professional 2, the place one individual will get the quick finish of the headroom stick if two hikers are occupying the identical aspect.
The Duplex Zip is loads large enough for 2 hikers simply needing a spot to sleep each evening, however pairs wanting a little bit extra wiggle room for enjoying playing cards or ready out rain will love the extra area within the barely heavier Triplex Zip.
Simple to pitch
Setup is fairly simple on the Duplex Zip, and the symmetrical design makes it fairly forgiving on uneven terrain or if the stakes aren’t at precisely 45° from the corners.
That mentioned, this level comes with a slight asterisk – the Duplex Zip is sort of fast and simple to arrange if you’ve gotten expertise with non-freestanding tents. However even if you happen to’ve by no means arrange a non-freestanding tent earlier than, Zpacks supplies an easy-to-follow tutorial video on the product web page that may have you ever pitching your tent like a professional very quickly.
One other factor that makes the Duplex straightforward to pitch is the scale and form of the footprint. Most individuals could be happy to have a extra spacious tent. However as UL tents get larger and larger, we’ve observed that there’s some extent of diminishing returns. A tent just like the Durston X-Mid Professional 2 – which has a fairly large footprint – is usually a bit limiting relating to campsite choice.
Most backcountry campsites are located in such a manner that they make the least affect potential on the surroundings, which implies they are usually small. On this case, it pays to have a tent with a smaller footprint – just like the Duplex Zip – to open up extra campsite prospects. And needless to say – as we outlined within the level above – a smaller footprint doesn’t need to imply a decent inside.
The Duplex Zip is sort of fast and simple to arrange in case you have expertise with non-freestanding tents.
Easy zippers
This one is fairly simple, however it’s a very good level of comparability with the very comparable Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2 tent. Throughout testing, we discovered the waterproof zipper on the Unbound 2 vestibule a little bit powerful to function. Even after a number of hundred miles of use, we by no means acquired that zipper to some extent the place we may open it with one hand, and infrequently we wanted to loosen the vestibule guyout to get it zipped all the best way.
In distinction, the Duplex Zip zipper was clean and simple to make use of from the primary time we arrange this tent. It may be operated with one hand – even when the pitch is basically tight. And it simply feels clean going up or down.
Two giant doorways & vestibules
Most two-person shelters embrace two doorways and vestibules these days, and the Duplex Zip isn’t any exception. The vestibules have loads of room to retailer your gear exterior if that’s your factor, and the rainbow doorways open up large so it’s straightforward to get out and in of the tent.
Some hikers don’t love the rainbow door as a result of it may possibly fall onto the bottom and cling to filth and particles when opened up all the best way. However we’ve by no means been bothered by that, and we discover that the door is extra inclined to fall inward than outward.
Cons
Costly
The Duplex Zip is dearer than all of the two-person tents on our Greatest Backpacking Tents listing and the second costliest on our listing of the Greatest Ultralight Tents.
Taking a look at comparable tents, the usual Duplex prices $30 much less and comparable tents constructed from sil-nylon/sil-poly – just like the Gossamer Gear The Two – will run you many hundred {dollars} much less. We predict the Duplex Zip is certainly definitely worth the added price over sil-nylon/sil-poly tents if you happen to can swing it as a result of it’s lighter, doesn’t sag when moist, and the material itself is waterproof as a substitute of counting on coatings or tape for waterproofing.
However is it price the additional $30 over the usual Duplex? Since we’ve by no means discovered the usual Duplex vestibule flaps to be a problem, we’d save the cash and purchase that model. However for hikers who typically backpack in areas with constant nasty climate the place blowing rain is an enormous problem, the Duplex Zip could also be a worthwhile funding. You actually can’t go fallacious with both model.
Condensation may be a problem with single-wall tents
We’ve by no means examined a single-wall tent that was fully proof against inside condensation. However the Duplex Zip has lots of good options that assist handle moisture as we highlighted in our level above about air flow.
Nonetheless, with the fitting (or ought to we are saying fallacious) set of circumstances you’ll probably get up to a humid Duplex inside within the morning. Sleep with the vestibule doorways open every time potential to chop down on the quantity of condensation you expertise inside.
Don’t let this scare you off from single-wall tents, just like the Duplex Zip, although. Inside condensation is a minor inconvenience, and we often simply carry a small Packtowl to wipe down the partitions within the mornings.
Non-freestanding design could make campsite choice troublesome
We love non-freestanding tents for journeys the place we need to hold weight as little as potential, however they arrive with potential pitching challenges in some environments. The construction of the Duplex Zip depends on the flexibility to drag the nook guyouts taut, however hard-packed floor and rocky terrain could make it fairly troublesome to get tent stakes secured.
With a little bit creativity, we’ve by no means discovered ourselves able the place we couldn’t get the tent pitched effectively sufficient to get sheltered sleep. We’ve needed to tie the nook guylines to rocks, logs, or shrubs on a number of events, however there’s virtually all the time a solution to get the tent pitched utilizing issues within the surrounding surroundings.
Nonetheless, it may be a trouble to pitch this manner, so that you’ll need to determine if that’s one thing you need to take care of earlier than buying the Duplex Zip or another non-freestanding tent for that matter.
Ultralight supplies have to be dealt with with care
We talked about in our professional about sturdiness above that we’ve used the Duplex for hundreds of miles with none actual sturdiness considerations. However that is nonetheless a bit of ultralight gear, and as such it actually pays to take some further care when choosing your campsite. Taking time to ensure your web site is free from sharp rocks or sticks will go a protracted solution to lengthen the lifetime of your Duplex.
Tough to shake out filth & particles
Irrespective of how cautious you might be, you’re sure to trace some particles into the tent. If you roll it up, small twigs and pebbles left inside can injury the Noseeum mesh, so that you’ll need to shake the tent out periodically to mitigate the chance.
It is a fairly minor gripe – as a result of it’s actually extra of an inconvenience than something – however the non-freestanding design of the Duplex makes it troublesome and awkward to shake out. As a result of the tent may have no construction to carry the doorways open while you decide it up, filth and particles are inclined to get caught within the corners. This activity is certainly simpler in case you have two folks working at it – one individual to carry the door and peak aside and one individual to shake the tent – however solo hikers can simply flip the entire tent inside out and shake it to get stuff out.
Pockets aren’t probably the most helpful
That is certainly not a dealbreaker, however the dinky little pockets within the Duplex Zip are subsequent to ineffective. If you’re sleeping two contained in the tent, the pockets tend to get misplaced below sleeping pad baffles, and something within the pockets is susceptible to getting squished.
We wouldn’t put something tremendous essential in there, like glasses or a digicam, however it’s advantageous sufficient to retailer your headlamp in an easy-to-reach place for nighttime lavatory breaks.
Backside Line
General, we actually love the Zpacks Duplex Zip. It’s ultralight, very sturdy for the load, and it supplies good safety from the weather. Although it’s actually costly, we predict it’s price the associated fee if conserving weight to an absolute minimal is your precedence. And because the DCF cloth is quite a bit harder than you’d assume primarily based on the load, the Duplex Zip is an funding that may final for hundreds of path miles.
When you’re caught deciding between the usual Duplex and the Duplex Zip, we suggest actually interested by the varieties of environments and circumstances you prefer to backpack in. Are you heading out into the Rockies throughout summer time monsoons or are you hitting the Sierra within the delicate early fall? Hikers who head to the mountains it doesn’t matter what the climate is doing might profit from the extra safety offered by the Duplex Zip, however those that anticipate fairer climate will probably desire to avoid wasting a bit of cash and go along with the usual Duplex.
Irrespective of which choice you select, you’ll be getting one of many lightest, most spacious, and hardest ultralight tents in the marketplace. Study extra about how the Duplex Zip stacks up in opposition to the competitors on our lists of the Greatest Backpacking Tents and Greatest Ultralight Tents.
Extra Data
We hope this assessment helps you establish if the Zpacks Duplex Zip is best for you. As all the time, please depart a remark under in case you have any suggestions, questions, or strategies or go to our Fb web page and Instagram to affix the neighborhood dialog. When you discovered this assessment useful, please share on social media and click on the little coronary heart button under to provide us a digital excessive 5!
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