Zpacks Duplex Lite Tent: Your Ideal Choice for Ultralight Adventures

The Zpacks Duplex Lite is a 2-person single-wall trekking pole made with Dyneema (DCF) that weighs 14.9 oz (423g). It’s a slimmed-down model of the Zpacks Classic Duplex tent, with a 40″ large ground that’s spacious for one particular person or two good pals with standard-width 20″ sleeping pads. In addition to smaller dimensions, the Duplex Lite makes use of a lighter-weight grade of Dyneema materials for its ground, so that you’ll lose some sturdiness in trade for much less weight and barely higher packability. While Zpacks claims you don’t want a footprint with the Duplex Lite, it’d be one thing to think about if you happen to camp on extremely abrasive soil and can solely add a couple of ounces if you happen to use one thing like window wrap. Dyneema DCF flooring do develop pinholes ultimately and leak, and whereas they are often patched with Dyneema restore tape, discovering the holes is a little bit of a manufacturing.

• Weight: 14.9 oz /  423g
• Type: Single wall tent
• Structural: Non-freestanding, trekking pole tent
• Capacity: 2 individuals
• Doors/vestibules: 2/2
• Exterior Dimensions w/ vestibules: 88″ (w) x 100″ (l) x 48″ (h)
• Interior Dimensions: 40″ (w) x 90″ (l) x 48″ (h)
• Packed Dimensions: 5″ diameter by 11″ tall (3.5L)
• Canopy Material: 0.55 oz/sqyd Dyneema Composite Fabric
• Floor materials: 0.75 oz/sq-yd Dyneema Composite Fabric
• Pockets: 0
• Seam-taped: Yes
• Tent Stakes: Not Included
• Pros: Weights lower than a pound, doesn’t sag when moist,
• Cons: Translucent materials is much less non-public, single wall building is vulnerable to inner condensation

The Duplex Lite has a traditional A-frame design with an oblong footprint, two doorways, and two vestibules, making it straightforward to pitch with out worrying about which course the ends are going through. It requires two trekking poles to pitch, with the handles pointing up since there isn’t a grommet or further materials within the peaks to stop the poles’ carbide suggestions from puncturing the fabric.

The Duplex Lite requires a minimal of six guylines and stakes to pitch, 4 on the corners and two for the peaks. All the guylines are precut and linked with line loc adjusters, making it straightforward to stress the strains with out knots or extra {hardware}. Two extra guy-out factors on the roof panels will be optionally staked out to create extra shoulder room contained in the tent. This is greatest achieved by tying them to a pair of extra trekking poles or sticks to drag the panels out horizontally as an alternative of staking them on to the bottom at an angle.

Each vestibule has two doorways that may be rolled again collectively or independently, held open by dowels. The doorways overlap to dam climate slightly than being joined by a zipper, eliminating a possible level of failure. An exterior dowel can be obtainable to carry them closed, however it isn’t reachable from contained in the tent. The vestibule doorways are staked out utilizing the identical guyline because the peaks, utilizing a particular trident-shaped piece of {hardware} that hooks onto rings on the base of the doorways. The vestibules aren’t terribly large, however you may often preserve your backpack below cowl.

The internal mesh tent doorways are vertical slightly than slanted and have doorways with rainbow zippers, which is sweet as a result of they allow you to exit by both aspect of the vestibule. Many tents have display doorways that solely open on one aspect of the vestibule, affecting pitch orientation. The mesh may be very advantageous and protects in opposition to bugs of all sizes.

The bathtub ground is 6.75″ deep, which helps forestall working water from coming into the tent. It is connected to the aspect partitions and door with mesh, so it will possibly “float” over uneven surfaces whereas offering air flow alongside the tent’s sides and ends. The top of the bath will range, although, relying on the peak you set your poles, because the mesh sidewalls and doorways dangle from the ceiling. The really helpful pole top of 48″ creates a big air hole below the vestibules and sides of the roof for air flow. While there may be sufficient overhang between the roof and the ground to stop rain from splashing again contained in the tent, you may decrease the poles in stormy climate to cut back airflow by means of the tent.

With 40″ of inner width, there may be sufficient room to carry two 20″ large inflatable sleeping pads, even untapered ones, because the tent ground is a real rectangle. With 90″ of inner size, there may be further storage on the head/and or foot finish of the tent to carry incidentals or footwear. The overhead area is equally good when mendacity down, and you may sit up utterly within the heart of the tent below the tent ridgeline.

Unfortunately, there are not any pockets on the tent’s inside. Granted, the middle pockets (connected to the perimeters of the bath ground beneath the doorways) on the opposite Zpacks Duplex variants are poor for safely securing glasses or telephones, so that is no nice loss. But you should be VERY cautious to not crush delicate eyewear or electronics when utilizing any of the Zpacks Duplex tents. In the Duplex Lite, as within the different Duplex Models, the very best place to hold a pair of glasses is from the cords connected to the door zipper when positioned vertically. This additionally makes it straightforward to search out them at night time.

Duplex Comparison

The Duplex Lite is a superb choice if you wish to personal one ultralight tent for solo use that may also be used with a accomplice. At 14.9 oz, it’s a palace for one that permits you to retailer all of your gear contained in the tent. It additionally has a smaller pitching footprint than the unique Duplex Classic, making it straightforward to erect in smaller tent websites, though it’s incompatible with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Kit. The Duplex Lite can be a advantageous choice if you happen to often camp with a accomplice, with as a lot width (40″) as many typical two-person tents.

The Duplex Classic is a greater choice if you happen to often camp with a accomplice and/or desire a tent with extra width (45″), particularly when utilizing a two-person sleeping pad. The Classic has barely bigger vestibules for exterior gear storage, a deeper bathtub ground, and mesh pockets, one on either side, beneath the door. The Classic can be obtainable with heavier cover supplies (relying on the colour chosen) that are much less translucent and extra non-public. In addition, it’s suitable with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Kit.

The Duplex Zip is nearly equivalent to the Duplex Classic however is extra weather-worthy. It has magnetic door toggles, vestibule door zippers, and peak vents, which will help scale back inner condensation even when the vestibule doorways are closed. It, too, is offered with heavier cover supplies (relying on the colour chosen) which can be much less translucent and extra non-public. It can be suitable with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Kit.

Recommendation

The Zpacks Duplex Lite is a 14.9 oz single wall trekking pole tent made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabrics). Large sufficient for 2 individuals and a palace for one, it’s a very good backpacking tent for tenting in well-protected places with comfortable floor cowl, though simply augmented with an ultralight footprint to guard the ground when pitched on extra abrasive surfaces. Couples requiring more room, privateness, or weatherworthiness ought to choose the Duplex Classic or Duplex Zip, with a little bit weight penalty.

Shop the Duplex Lite

Disclosure: Zpacks donated a tent for evaluate.

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