WATCH THIS BEFORE BUYING! // Zpacks Plex Solo Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 เม.ย. 2022
- CHECK IT OUT HERE ➡️ geni.us/PlexSolo
👇 Gear from the Video 👇
Pillow: geni.us/TrekologyPillow
Sleeping Pad: geni.us/Q-CoreDeluxe
Quilt: geni.us/Flex22
Disclosure: This item was sent for free for review purposes. My conclusions in the video are my own and were not influenced by the company or external factors. You can read my full disclosure statement at gearpriority.com/disclosure/.
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I have the Duplex because I hike with my dog but I will definitely own this tent at some point. Going UL is addicting. The more weight I drop the easier is to hike big days, even for an older person. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I love this tent .... It's exactly what I wanted for a long time. I ordered it from Zpacks and received it in Ireland very quickly. And it arrived just in time as I prepared to cross Europe on foot Zpacks brand Is not well known in Europe, but I think what they do is a great job.
Thank you Justin for your honest and considered review. Most useful and appreciated.
Great video. I saw this one live!
These prices make me furious but I understand why the prices are the way they are. Just wish it wasn't so 😕
Yup, just got mine, and paying for it took some time to swallow. But …on the bright side, I’m not supporting a CCP slave labor system, and I am supporting American labor. Maybe I’ll sleep better on the trail.
If you're looking for a lightweight tent watch a few videos on the lanshan 1 or lanshan 2. They are under $200.
Just wait until chinaman gets his hands on definitely notdyneema. Then you'll be able to buy this for a hundred bucks. But until then, yeah....
Very nice presentation. Thanks.
I knew that was a Katabatic Quilt. Love the Flex 22
Any way you could make a comparison of the Zpacks Plex Solo and Durston 1 Pro at some point? So hard to find comparison videos of these two. Either way, solid video on the Plex
Excellent video! I am saving up for one of these because that weight is just unbeatable! You are the 3rd person I've heard mention issues with the seam taping recently. Are you aware of any liquid seam sealer that would work well on Dyneema? I wonder if that would be a better solution when fixing the bad taping.
Thanks as always!
Just pushing the tape down got it to stick back. I added a strip of repair tape that came with the tent to be sure, but it's holding fine now.
Nice review again Justin.
Great review! I’d be interested in hearing about your experience ordering and making the purchase from Canada. For example, lead time, shopping, duties, etc.
Great review, as always!
I don't find I ever need 10 stakes though.
Personally, I find the way to think about it is this: you only need 6 stakes for structure, the remaining 4 guy-outs are simply for space. In other words you only need to carry 6 stakes (plus a 7th for insurance!). The space guy-outs can be the secured with the "big rock/little rock" method - you can always find rocks or small logs - so I never carry 10-11 stakes any more for my Plex tent. I realised this having hiked in several areas where I had to use the "big rock/little rock" method for ALL of the guy-outs and, having got comfortable with that, I don't bother bringing extra stakes any more for extended hikes. For shorter hikes I for sure indulge the "luxury" of bringing 10-11 stakes still!
The BA scout carbon 2 is “fully enclosed” and lighter…and fits two people.
they dont sell that tent anymore, must not have sold well but youre right its actually lighter and way bigger
Thank you great video
Can you do a quick video on how you rolled it up and wrapped the cord around it? Is that how you’d put it in your backpack or would you still put it in the stuff sack? Also I heard somewhere that it’s best to roll dyneema up vs stuffing it in the stuff sack? Can you comment on that?
Love this tent! Thanks for the review!
great information in less than 5 minutes
Great video - thank you Justin! Any thoughts on whether you will move to the Plex Solo from the Altaplex for missions like your GDT thru last summer where the Altaplex served you well? Is the 1.55 oz savings of the Plex Solo worth the slightly less room for missions like your GDT Thur? Also, I noticed you were combining the back three tie outs onto one stake on the Altaplex in various videos (great idea, I'm going to try that on my ZPacks Hexamid Pkt Tarp w Doors). Any reason you didn't do that for this review of the Plex Solo? Long term, with what you know now, would you take 8 or 10 stakes with you for the Plex Solo if you used it for on a GDT thru like mission ? Thank you Justin!
Great question! I think it would be a wash for me between the two tents but will likely be using the plex solo more just for that little bit of weight savings. The cut/design of the plex solo makes it so you can't stake out the back guylines to one stake without getting a bunch of slack in the back wall. I haven't really considered the pocket tarp because I like a waterproof floor and have ran into a few people with it who said they'd use an altaplex or plex solo if they could easily trade. I'll be using 10 stakes with the plex solo every time because it just makes the inside so roomy.
You forgot to mention the Tarptent Aeon Li when talking about the best ultralight one person tent :)
I can't get behind #strutlife
I’m digging the light weight but I’m the kind of camper that has always had a two person tent for solo camping. I just like the extra space. Although this looks pretty roomy for a 1 person tent.
One of your reviews a while back had the ULA Circuit in the background. Are you gonna eventually do a review on that? I’d like to see what you think about that bag as well as the Ohm 2.0.
TBD on the circuit :)
Would you consider comparing the Zpacks Duplex to the Durston X-mid 2?
I think I'd have got duplex , it seems like you have to peg it out very accurately because can leak threw mesh, at back, if not really accurate, I would have bought camo one, because green is like this blue and very see threw, the material is absolutely crazy, you touch inside in rain and it feels dry and in morning bone dry, but yeah I've not used it much and will figure it out, from few days I tried it, what was noticable was how much oxygen there was in tent, because of design and it was also pretty roomy.
Thanks Justin, That is a crazy light tent, I think I will stick with my Lanshan 1 Pro. Another concern I see maybe is the door, Is it a half moon design, where when fully open it just flops on the floor? I can see it might get dirty or wet if it is raining.
It falls into the tent and, while I thought it might be an issue when I first got my Altaplex, it hasn't been a problem at all for me. Not something I notice.
Since you've owned both the Altaplex and this Plex Solo, which do you prefer?
Do you normally use a footprint with this tent or is the bottom durable enough without?
z packs has something similar to this, but could not get it set up, correctly......be a little radical use a gatewood poncho tarp....rain cover and pack cover, completely, and a shelter...11 ozs...
does the trekking pole go point towards down or does the handle go in the pocket??
I need a good solo tent that backpack and have a least room for 2 people
oh my!!!!!!
Justin!!😁✊️🔥
I want one of those 🤔
How do you fit your dog in there? i backpack with my doggo. im sticking with a heavier hubba hubba nx2. i eat the extra weight
I've put 3k on mine, I don't like it. My first hail storm put like 30 holes, zpacks just lol'd at me when I reached out to them..well that was the first week of the cdt last year and I'm 40 more holes deep, the dcf is basically peeling apart . Don't buy this tent if you are wanting protection from serious weather .
Justin, it would be great to see you review some tents in the future that more suitably address the European market, especially those of us in northern Europe like Scotland and Scandinavia, where the extreme windy and wet conditions mean many of the tents popular in many parts of Canada and the US are quite unsuitable. I know you're a Canadian TH-camr and your market is probably more focused on that area, but would be nice to see you review or address more European manufacturers.
The issue I see is that I don't see those conditions very often, so I'm not sure how valuable my reviews would be :(
@@GearPriority maybe when you eventuelly come over to Scotland or Scandinavia for a trip? 😁 Plenty of TH-camrs around here you could collaborate with
I used the soloplex for two months on the Croatian Long Distance Trail and had 13 straight days of windy, rainy storms in the tent. It was marvelous
Nice review. Been waiting awhile for this one.
I’m 6’1”… so torn altaplex or plex solo??
You'd fit in the plex solo. If you carry trekking poles that accommodate the Altaplex, then I'd probably go for the Altaplex though. Just a little roomier and easier to get into for taller people.
@@GearPriority you are the man!! Thanks!!!
Great question! I feel like the reviews are always talking about someone 6'4"+ or someone 5'10"-. They never seem to cover us that are right there in the middle.
@@cdhikes2906 Based on Justin's advice: I ended up going with the Altaplex, and don't regret it at all. I think the Plex solo would have been too small for me
The sealing tape coming off has also been noticed by other reviewers... It's probably the first thing that will fail in this tent over time, unfortunately.
No Camo Version?
I was able to get a lightly used solplex for $350 which while not being the best zpacks tent is still pretty good for the price
10 stakes, good luck in hard terrain or close quarters. Can you give a carry weight with all those stakes and lines? Since there are so many lines already… I hated the floating floor in my Duplex and used four Zpack’s sticky loops to run elastic chord from floor four corners to corner stakes. When I moved back out west I ditched tents that needed mor than six stakes. Look at the Tarptent Rainbow Li, semi free standing 1P with all the weights listed.
The weight is with the lines. The weight of the stakes will depend on the stakes you use. Some people will be able to get away with 5g titanium shepherd hooks while others will need 12g Y-stakes. I get your issues with the tent and it highlights that different tents and tent styles will work better for different people's priorities and needs!
Any recommendations on the lightest weight double wall tent? I’ve been looking at the notch by tarptent but I cannot make up my mind
I'd probably stick with the Durston X-Mid 2P
Hey Justin, wondering if the Plex Solo packs down smaller then the Altiplex, or would you say they pack down the same?
About the same
BA CS UL1 weight is not 3x but about 2.4x and Tigerwall is about 2.1x but yeah this is THE lightest full tent with floor.
It’s not the lightest. BA Scout carbon 2 is lighter.
I don't really understand why people are still referring to silnylon these days. I would really like to see a comparison video on DCF versus silpoly. Just throwing that out there lol
Pretty funny that some peoples cook kits weigh just as much as this tent
But does it come with a sticker 😉 In all seriousness though, 10 stakes seems insane for a 1 person tent.
6 minimum. And still faster.
What were the duties like shipping this tent to Canada? I'm interested in this and zpacks backpacks but don't want to get hit hard on-top of the price.
Not great. There are special duties for tents which can get you hit pretty hard.
@@GearPriority What were the duties like on this tent? I would love to purchase an altiplex but don't want to pay a bunch extra for duties.
I love the look and function of this tent. If only it wasn’t $650. My wife would break my leg if I bought this tent. Although it might be worth it.
Ask her, if you fore go all the Christmas, birthday, and anniversary gifts can you get this 😅
always stash some cash. :)
This isn’t about your wife. It’s about you and your comfort. Your wife probably spends money on her passions that add up overtime.
Just got mine last week. If my wife only knew what i paid for it .... 😬 lol
6'2 is probably too big, if youre over 5'10 its probably better to go with the altaplex.
I've heard this fabric is extremely noisy compared to a nylon tent.
Meh. OR bivvy weighs less, is better in serious conditions, is warmer meaning you can carry a lighter sleeping bag, can be used without pegs if on rock or sand, and no need for walking poles. Combine with an ultralight tarp and you have a super versatile setup that weighs less and costs all up about 1/5th of this thing.
Way too heavy for me Justin. My main go to shelter is the mountain laurel designs monk tarp in DCF - less than half the weight of this massive paperweight!
Does that weight include the stakes or not? If they're included how many do you get?
Does not include stakes.
@@markcummings6856 then the weight and cost are higher than advertised
At the point in someone's backpacking journey where they are buying a tent like this, they likely have dozens of stakes lying around already. I like to look at every tent without stakes involved as the types of stakes people use will vary depending on where they camp. Someone may get away with 6 titanium shepherd hooks while someone else might need 10 groundhogs.
@@GearPriority true but for that much money you would think that they'd be included
@@shawnr6117 I get that is cost more than the average tent, but let’s not forget it’s not made in China by some 12 year old chained to her sewing machine. I use mostly Zpacks gear and while it’s expensive, it’s truly been a game changer for me. I am in my 60s and hiking bigger miles than I did thirty years ago. It’s easy when your pack weighs next to nothing. Take care
Will it survice 40mph wind speed? So that you can use it in regions outside Arizona, or in coastal areas, mountains or as a shelter during thunderstorms? Otherwise it's crap or precisely expensive crap.😉
This tent has been used by hundreds if not thousands of thru-hikers, and weekend warriors - so yes - it can survive a thunderstorm…
And the tents that can survive 40+mph tents are not the tents you bring on backpacking trips.
@@rgmALC Ok, then it's a warm weather camping tent. Not what I'm looking for.
I haven't had it out in 40mph winds, but it is a really solid design and I've had similar tents out in really strong winds and they have been champs. I've had it out in the mountains and in snow, it did as well as expected for a 3-season tent. If you're looking for a 4-season tent, then you're going to be looking at something else that will be a lot heavier.
650+tax and the seam is already coming off, wow
Not ideal, but I chatted with Zpacks and they said they have looked at their processes and done additional training for their seam tapers so that this problem is addressed in the future.
What pants are these mang👀
MEC Mica
@@GearPrioritythanks. are they paper thin swish swish nylon pants?
How recyclable is dcf stuff? I feel this is a question that hadn't been covered and I believe the backpacking world, considering how much it relies on the natural world for it's enjoyment, hasn't done enough to address the sustainability of its industry
Keep an eye on Tarptent. They've been testing some prototypes with some EcoPak fabrics.
@@xyliiii people should really be avoiding dcf then. There's a lot of contradictions in outdoor community
Rich people are not hiking, they are yachting, that is the biggest problem of Zpacks company.
I posted this on another video claiming the tent to be the world's lightest tent: How can you claim this "tent" as a tent when it lacks a zippered entry/exit zipper and lacks a zippered, netted vent and hood? It is clearly an incomplete tent. Lacking an adjustable vent increases the issue of condensation. Rain, snow, wind and cold wind can enter the tent and has done so except for snow based on a TH-cam video recently presented. Regarding it being classified as the lightest tent in the world, I would like you to be aware that I've made a 4.03 ounce/114.24856 grams floorless Dyneema diamond shaped tent, 4.4375 feet wide x 8.48 feet long x 3.5 feet high. It is constructed with glue except for adhesive taped Dyneema reinforcements, no need for waterproofing with 1/4 inch bottom hem unlikely achievable with sewing. Glue is stronger than adhesive tape and provides a completely sealed bond not achievable with sewing. My tent has a 3 foot waterproofed entry/exit zipper and a waterproof zippered, netted vent with hood. It has a loop at the peak of the tent for supporting it by 8 or more methods from above vs trekking(s). My tent pole is a carbon fiber arrow shaft along with a partial fishing pole with dome topped cork. A floorless tent is obviously lighter and lower in packing volume than a floored tent. One uses a ground sheet or not and not having to worry about penetrating the floor by sharp rock or twig unseen when prepping the site. The majority of the so called ultralight tents out there are not ultralight.
By the time you add the pole and the pegs, for around another 100 grams you could have a Tarptent Rainbow Li. No brainer!
I get wanting to be lightweight but ten stakes... nah
Lol, you only need to use all 10 if its windy, or if you want a tad more headroom. I regular days, 6 work.
@@bukketkid2567 Not from what I've seen online if you're over 5'10" or so.
@@bukketkid2567 From what I’ve seen, the extra pegs are to pull out the walls and give you some space inside, not to guy it out for winds. I’m guessing most people will want all the pegs on this one.
I personally don't find the number of stakes to be an issue. The tent goes up super fast and the extra weight of 4 stakes still has it coming in super light.
@@GearPriority yeah it’s stupid light. But in a windstorm, fixing out all ten stakes…. I dunno I guess I’d just have to try it myself and see. I tend to gravitate towards the less hassle the better
Great review! Solid description. X-mid 1p pro beats the Plex Solo in about every category.....its just hard to get.
14oz WITHOUT the ten stakes that you need to create the proper room inside the tent. So, let's assume you're using MSR Groundhogs at .46oz, that's 4.6oz. So the tent really weighs 18.6 oz or 1lb 2.6oz. Still impressive but let's be realistic about weights. Ok maybe you get away with Mini groundhogs at .35oz each. Still adds 3.5oz for total weight of 17.5oz.
For $650.
The X-Mid Pro 1P was announced recently, it will weigh close to this, easier to pitch, less stakes, (hopefully less $$$) - supposed to come out a year from now though.
Get the nano’s. They are 5 grams apiece.
Also factor in ~8oz for a trekking pole and that brings it to 26 oz
I don’t know why you wouldn’t then just buy a Nemo Hornet 1P or BA Tigerwall UL1 for only ~6 oz more. Cheaper especially on discount, way easier to setup, more durable, more features. These dyneema trekking pole tents just don’t make sense to me
@@BigDawgCAM Go on a longish hike multi day, or thru hike…. then you’ll get it.
They are wicked light, compact, don’t absorb water, don’t sag.
- Factors that make a world of difference after several days or many of a long hike.
Even for the occasional backpacker it allows one to have a lighter, and smaller backpack.
Cheers
@@markcummings6856 You're assuming I haven't...
@@BigDawgCAM No, but I do know now that you don’t have a clue.
Have fun carrying your big ass, clumsy tent of choice.
any weight under 1 lb. won't make any difference, whether tent, sleeping bag/ pads, etc....
too many folks don't have common senses .... LOL !!!
is there an echo in here?
@@GearPriority
it's called reiteration
It's a crap tent, it's just a water holder with no room.
$650 😂😂 no thanks, I’d get a decent hotel room for that.
If you only backpack one night a year, sure.