Zpacks Duplex Lite Tent: Your Ultimate Alternative 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 Basic Duplex tent, with a 40″ extensive ground that’s spacious for one particular person or two good buddies with standard-width 20″ sleeping pads. Along with 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. Whereas Zpacks claims you don’t want a footprint with the Duplex Lite, it’d be one thing to contemplate when you camp on extremely abrasive soil and can solely add a number of ounces when you use one thing like window wrap. Dyneema DCF flooring do develop pinholes finally 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
• Sort: Single wall tent
• Structural: Non-freestanding, trekking pole tent
• Capability: 2 individuals
• Doorways/vestibules: 2/2
• Exterior Dimensions w/ vestibules: 88″ (w) x 100″ (l) x 48″ (h)
• Inside Dimensions: 40″ (w) x 90″ (l) x 48″ (h)
• Packed Dimensions: 5″ diameter by 11″ tall (3.5L)
• Cover Materials: 0.55 oz/sqyd Dyneema Composite Material
• Flooring materials: 0.75 oz/sq-yd Dyneema Composite Material
• Pockets: 0
• Seam-taped: Sure
• Tent Stakes: Not Included
• Execs: Weights lower than a pound, doesn’t sag when moist,
• Cons: Translucent materials is much less personal, single wall building is susceptible 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 route the ends are dealing with. 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 ideas 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 of the guylines are precut and related with line loc adjusters, making it straightforward to pressure the traces with out knots or extra {hardware}. Two extra guy-out factors on the roof panels may be optionally staked out to create extra shoulder room contained in the tent. That is finest carried out 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.

Every vestibule has two doorways that may be rolled again collectively or independently, held open by dowels. The doorways overlap to dam climate moderately than being joined by a zipper, eliminating a possible level of failure. An exterior dowel can also be accessible 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 extensive, however you may normally hold your backpack beneath cowl.

The internal mesh tent doorways are vertical moderately than slanted and have doorways with rainbow zippers, which is good 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 superb and protects towards bugs of all sizes.

The tub ground is 6.75″ deep, which helps forestall operating water from getting into the tent. It’s hooked up to the aspect partitions and door with mesh, so it may well “float” over uneven surfaces whereas offering air flow alongside the tent’s sides and ends. The peak of the tub will range, although, relying on the peak you set your poles, for the reason that mesh sidewalls and doorways hold from the ceiling. The really useful pole peak of 48″ creates a big air hole beneath the vestibules and sides of the roof for air flow. Whereas there’s 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 way of the tent.

With 40″ of inner width, there’s sufficient room to carry two 20″ extensive inflatable sleeping pads, even untapered ones, for the reason that tent ground is a real rectangle. With 90″ of inner size, there’s 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 fully within the middle of the tent beneath the tent ridgeline.

Sadly, there aren’t any pockets on the tent’s inside. Granted, the middle pockets (hooked up to the perimeters of the tub ground beneath the doorways) on the opposite Zpacks Duplex variants are poor for safely securing glasses or telephones, so that is no nice loss. However you have to be VERY cautious to not crush delicate eyewear or electronics when utilizing any of the Zpacks Duplex tents. Within the Duplex Lite, as within the different Duplex Fashions, one of the best place to hold a pair of glasses is from the cords hooked up to the door zipper when positioned vertically. This additionally makes it straightforward to search out them at evening.

Duplex Comparability

The Duplex Lite is a superb possibility if you wish to personal one ultralight tent for solo use that can be used with a companion. 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 Basic, making it straightforward to erect in smaller tent websites, though it’s incompatible with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Package. The Duplex Lite can also be a superb possibility when you frequently camp with a companion, with as a lot width (40″) as many typical two-person tents.

The Duplex Basic is a greater possibility when you frequently camp with a companion and/or want a tent with extra width (45″), particularly when utilizing a two-person sleeping pad. The Basic has barely bigger vestibules for exterior gear storage, a deeper bathtub ground, and mesh pockets, one on both sides, beneath the door. The Basic can also be accessible with heavier cover supplies (relying on the colour chosen) that are much less translucent and extra personal. As well as, it’s appropriate with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Package.

The Duplex Zip is just about an identical to the Duplex Basic however is extra weather-worthy. It has magnetic door toggles, vestibule door zippers, and peak vents, which can assist cut back inner condensation even when the vestibule doorways are closed. It, too, is obtainable with heavier cover supplies (relying on the colour chosen) which can be much less translucent and extra personal. It is usually appropriate with the Duplex Freestanding Flex Package.

Suggestion

The Zpacks Duplex Lite is a 14.9 oz single wall trekking pole tent made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Materials). Massive sufficient for 2 individuals and a palace for one, it’s a superb backpacking tent for tenting in well-protected places with mushy floor cowl, though simply augmented with an ultralight footprint to guard the ground when pitched on extra abrasive surfaces. {Couples} requiring extra space, privateness, or weatherworthiness ought to choose the Duplex Basic or Duplex Zip, with slightly weight penalty.

Store the Duplex Lite

Disclosure: Zpacks donated a tent for overview.

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