How to Pitch the Zpacks Duplex for Strong Winds
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2019
- After spending some time wild camping in the UK, I put together this video, in which I share a few tips on what I found worked well for me in the Duplex. This technique made my time in the tent a lot more pleasant when the weather turned rough and the winds picked up...
Top tips dude! Nobody ever mentions the correct orientation and the logos. At lest from all the vids I’ve seen. Can’t wait to get out in mine now ✌️ Ben.
Wilderness Ways cheers Ben! You’ll find the orientation being a lifesaver in high winds. I learned the hard way!Haha
Alex on the Mountain definitely glad I know before it’s too late now 🤙
Yes a number of great tips I have not seen elsewhere. Hard learned experience. Thank you for sharing!
Good tips. I have learned a lot of good tips and tricks for using my Duplex. Thanks
Glad it it helped!
ATB
Great video! The 6 inch mini Groundhog tent stakes are great. The longer 7.5 inch regular Groundhog tent stakes give extra strength for pitching the door guylines. I like to pack six 6 inch mini Groundhogs and two 7.5 inch Groundhogs for the doors. The cammo Duplex blends in with the environment and is great for stealth camping. I found that the Duplex handles wind very well, even better than many freestanding tents. Thanks again for the great video. I absolutely did not know about the label trick.
Big Apple Backpacking Glad you found it helpful. As a note I found out that some of the older Zpacks models place their labels randomly so you just have to check on your tent which way the upwind doors are oriented.
Once I figured those tricks out the Duplex handles 50mph + winds like a champ!
Thanks for the input in the stakes. Makes sense!
All the best, Alex
Just ordered the same tent, thanks for the setup advice 👍
You’ll enjoy the Duplex. For a 2p tent, I haven’t been able to find a lighter one till yet. I saw in your last video that you were using the Hilleberg Anan. I just picked up a Tarptent Moment DW, for cold weather camping, which is very similar to the Anan. Cheers👍
Wow, well made video. You're clear, to the point and overall great production value. You've got one new subscriber and I imagine you'll have many more soon. Great work man. Thanks for the tips.
R. Whorehay Thank you, I really appreciate it! Glad you found the video helpful 👍
Welcome to the channel and stay safe!
Great video. Have both the duplex and triplex. Great tents. Your advice was top notch!
Dave Somers Thanks Dave! You’ll find it makes a big difference 👍
Cheers!
thank you for these tips!!!!
Great video! Thanks!
Really good info. Thanks!
RonKris Glad you found it helpful! 😎👍
Love it mate thanks a lot, will be super helpful for my clifftop camps. Hi from Australia.
Glad you found it helpful Kate! Have fun at the clifftops! Cheers
Great video - like your attention to details 😊🇩🇰
Hans Kirk - Hiking Glad you found it helpful 😃👍
Love this. Thank you.
Glad you found it helpful 😎👍
Going to take our Triplex to the Patagonia next week and this is so helpful!
Glad it helped! Have a blast in Patagonia👍
Useful information presented succinctly. Duplex is a different animal to set up properly.
Very well put! The Duplex is so simplistic but it can get a bit technical to pitch in certain situations.
Cheers 👍
I’ve got the duplex as well, thanks this will really help. I feel like my floor will lift off like Aladin’s rug whenever a strong wind blows through, lol
The camping guy Lol, yup just make sure you pitch it low and labels into the wind and you’ll be dandy!
Great explanation. I suspected this was the case and luckily never faced such strong winds, but now I’m sure what to do if faced with that situation.
Yup you should be good! Cheers
I had no idea about the Zpacks tag placement. Thanks!
Happy it helped! Throughout the years I found out that quite a few tent manufactures do it that way as well. Hilleberg also places their labels on the side of the tent that they recommend being in the wind.
Cheers 👍
Nice video. I am looking to purchase the Duplex soon. This video is very helpful. Thanks for the review and information. Nice channel, subscribed. ✌️
AS THE CROW FLIES HIKING Thanks I really appreciate it! I’ve subscribed to yours and will be watching your LBL North South videos when I get back in from of my TV. Cheers buddy!
Appreciate it. You will see my cheap version of the Duplex (Flame’s Creed), which is double the weight. I like the tent, but, half the weight is worth it with great Duplex. So, I’m going to pull the trigger and get one. Thanks for the sub. ✌️
The Duplex is a great tent, and so is the Flame’s Creed. I have the pyramid version Flames Creed with inner. Great tents for the price I think.
BTW, Zpacks is having $50 off their tents today so good timing! You won’t regret it, but at the end if you don’t like it, they retain their value very well and you can sell really easily without loosing much.
Thank you SO much!
Cheers!
Nicely explained! I’ve got the Plexamid from Zpacks, which is so so in the wind as well so for that reason I much prefer the Aeon Li. It’s smaller than the Duplex or your Dirigo but Uber light and bomb proof. Your Dirigo should be outstanding as well.
I was eying the Aeon as well. Maybe next year to add to the collection 😎
Thanks for the comments especially about the way the flaps overlap. I find that when I am encountering high winds I make heavy use of big rocks and trees or whatever is available in addition to tent stakes and have when needed made the side that faces the wind flush with the ground though I imagine some would worry about damage to the tent. I didnt give it a second thought with the lanshan 2 but now that I have a way way more expensive tent....
Glad it helped! Yeah I hear you, DCF isn’t as abrasion resistant as nylon…
I’ve been in quite a few storms in the Duplex since this video and if properly pitched it’s an absolute beast.
Cheers Harry 🍻👍
Correct orientation, labels into the wind, set lower to the ground, guidelines closer to the tent, appropriate staking, adjust the tub…or don’t use the Duplex. I own a Duplex just like the display. Everything you demonstrated was good. I have also set up safely and comfortably under a tarp, in high winds and rain. IMO, tent and tarp have their place. If you’re looking for comfort and convenience…home is a good place.
Very true! Interestingly enough, ai find the Duplex to be one of my most bomber tents when pitched correctly. Even more than my Hillebergs or Scarp 1. With that being said, it can still get very breezy inside… I haven’t tried the new zip version which might help with that.
Just ordered this tent, so thanks a bunch for the tips! Hopefully the winds will only blow in one direction, LOL! Probably best to set up camp in the woods on days with a lot of wind. Luckily we have a LOT of forests here in Norway (not on the west coast), and i generally dont camp out in the open anyways...
Espen Haug Congrats! It’s an amazing tent... It takes a few pitches before getting the hang of it and smooth sailing from there 👍👍
@@alexonthemountain8343 Awesome! Have been wanting to take a trip to a place above the treeline (link to a video below) - and with all the people who use it when through-hiking the "tripple crown" trails, i have had the impression it was a safe bet.
th-cam.com/video/-iI-pRBkJgw/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the tips, I have just ordered the duplex and I live in Snowdonia.
They will definitely come in handy there. I had a blast camping there and quite miss it! What color did you end up getting Dale?
@@alexonthemountain8343 went for olive drab I'm the end as I wanted to blend as best as I can and find the spruce a little to artificial if you know what I mean. Yeah I live in Bethesda so I have a lot of hills near me but want a lowland multi day tent.
@@dalefalgate2716 Yup I know exactly what you mean... The drab is my favorite color. Depending on the light it will either look bluish or silver. It’s definitely plenty capable and if pitched correctly should easily withstand winds up to 55 mph or more. Cheers bud and congratulations on the purchase!
Cheers buddy and that defiantly reduces a lot of my concerns. I am going to buy 4 msr carbon, 6 mini ground hogs and 2 ground hogs so I can use the right stakes for the right condition but without weighing a ton.
@@dalefalgate2716 That should work nicely👍
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about the tent after receive it. ATB 🍻
I’ve been quite interested in this tent but cannot imagine using it in the mountainous and windy locations I go to. It seems like an okay tent for trekking where extreme bad weather isn’t expected, but man Snowdonia or the Cairngorms in this would most likely fill me with regret in buying it.
Views by drone I completely agree; while you can do adjustments to improve your comfort in strong winds in the Duplex, it’s still a very breezy and loud tent due to how high the doors are designed and the dyneema. A better choice for the conditions you talk about would be the HMG Dirigo 2 or an MLD Duomid or Solomid. That’s if you want to go Dyneema. A sil nylon tent with a full flysheet like the Hilleberg Soulo would probably be the most comfortable, but as you know I’m sure, you’ve got the weight to deal with. Cheers! I miss UK wild camping and can’t wait for this period to be over to be able to head back there👍
Edit: and I forgot to mention the Tarptent Stratospire Li 2p: a very bomber shelter...
Pemandangan yg luarbiasa 🤩👍
We have the same duplex as yours with tge additions for tge flex pole kit. Above your pull out loop there is another and little rings by the peaks of the ridge. I bought some 1.5mm nylon covered dyneema and joined the upper loops on both sides and the rings to make a closed 4 sided diamond shape and snugged up the tension. I then took off the short guy to the bottom pull out and added about 5 foot of thin dyneema from one pull out to the other, making 2 short interconnected pull out guys, the same both sides. Now I added a 5 foot guy with a loose sliding knot to the inter connected guys both sides, this leads away to a peg to tension the 2 guys. The upper pull out has a low angle but the diamond takes the strain and if the lengths are right the upper pull outs are lifted by the 3 cords running to them. This can be helped with your light stick technique but works without. As the dyneema cord is very light the whole lot weighs about 8 grams more than without. You have to be careful to hank the cords when putting the duplex away to avoid a tangle. You can also attach guys to the 4 loops provided to roll up the doors. They are surpringly strongly fixed
Good to know. I need to give this a try...
Cheers
@@alexonthemountain8343
If you try using the door loops for 4 more guys. I saw a picture of someone doing that in a wind in Iceland. It worked, the edge from the loop to the pole top was taut but at the expense of the edge below from loop to corner stake. You could solve this with another thin dyneema line from loop to the ring by the pole top, knotted and on to the loop on the other side. Then the tension would be off the tent fabric but the loop would be lifted and stabilised.
Our duplex (camo) is fine in the Alps , but due to Covid we may as UK citizens be able to go to Scotland before the Alps, fastpacking. Normally we take a heavier tent to Scotland but I would like to carry the duplex and fastpack there too so I am investigating duplex improvements.
I have some .51 cuben and was thinking of controlling the mesh ventilation on the up wind side and within the rainbow doors by removeable bits of that. The duplex can have too much ventilation on cold windy, snowy nights.
@@elizabethtaylor2231 Absolutely... even pitched low you will still get spindrift unfortunately. That’s why I purchased the HMG Dirigo 2 (now discontinued) but it’s main flaw is the lack of ventilation at the top so that makes it unusable in heavier snow. I think if Zpacks made a version with the doors extending to the floor and eliminating the mesh at the foot/head ends it might sell well in Europe.
The mid tents work great in Scotland, the Lake District and Snowdonia weather, but personally I prefer a shelter with the inner and outer in one piece.
Thanks for the advice on making the Duplex even more wind worthy. To this days it’s the tent I always go back to due it’s weight, size and how small it packs down.
I can’t wait to be back in the UK after this whole pandemic ends!
Cheers
I suppose a cuben/dyneema snow valence could be added (sewn) to the upwind doors to be weighted by rocks etc unless there was snow of course. I cant work out an easy way to make that removable (and strong enough for strong winds) for low wind trips though.
@@elizabethtaylor2231 that could be done, you could sew in extra fabric to the upwind doors and then tape the seams. The only issue I see with that is if you weigh down the cuben fiber with rocks and the wind picks up it, might easily make a hole in the fabric since cuben fiber doesn’t do well with abrasion. That’s one of the reasons why Sil nylon tents usually outlast Cuban fiber tents. It’s quite the puzzle to solve, ha ha
Cheers!
good tips there -- just bought mine and can't wait to get out. One question: anyone had experience in snow? I know it's not a four season tent but how will it go in a light snow storm?
Glad you found the video informative Andrew.
When it comes to snow, an issue with DCF is that it is sticky. It doesn’t shed as well as a nylon fly would. The biggest problem though when it comes to the Duplex, is that the fly is cut high to save on weight. For harsh winter conditions you really want a tent with a "full coverage" fly (that extends to the ground) to block wind and snow, and prevent spindrift.
That being said, the Duplex will handle mild to moderate snowfall without any issues. It’s if you plan on spending nights above the tree line that can make it dicey…
Cheers and congrats on your new tent. It’s still my go to/favorite shelter to this day.
@@alexonthemountain8343 thanks Alex, walking in Tasmania; there are cabins so tent is for safety/more private sleeping so think I should be fine
So I could use this tent with the techniques you suggest instead of buying one of the other tents you mention if I only run into occasional windy conditions--cool know.
Mike Robinson Absolutely! No need to spend the extra cash unless you’re constantly camping in strong winds...
Your production quality is great. At 6:35 how did you get that slider shot? Was it just a smooth drone? Keep em coming
Thabks Kevin! Glad you liked it 👍 Good eye! It was indeed a slider shot.
Cheers!
Nice video and very helpful. How did you find pitching it at 110cm affect condensation? Thank you
Glad you found it useful:)
The only reason to pitch it with the poles st 110cm is for when the winds kick up, so with that in mind, you shouldn’t have any condensation issues with the wind blowing. Should the wind stop blowing however, then you would probably be prone to a bit more condensation then with it pitched at about 122 cm... Hope that helps!
@@alexonthemountain8343 Yes that is true. With so much wind no matter how low you pitch it there will still be air flow inside. Ideally you would want to pitch it low into the wind ( foot end sleeping ). The only problem I see is if the wind changes 90 ° during the night and goes directly into the vestibule doors. Here in Tasmania the wind is reliably from SW to NW so pitching the tent in a westerly direction should be ok for the night. Otherwise try Tarptent Stratospire Li where lower ground coverage is easier and the vestibule doors are zippered , so change in wind direction doesn't matter , nor condensation as it's a double wall. But it's 250g heavier.
Magpie Collingwood Great point about raising the back of the Duplex, it’s biggest weakness for bad weather is how high the vestibule doors are designed, if you’re on really tall grass then it’s fine but otherwise, wind will get under. I’ve eying the Stratospire Li and will probably get one eventually:) I just got the HMG Dirigo 2 on a decent sale and am curious to see how it will perform. I put up a short little video of my initial thoughts on it if you’re curious about it. I think as a solo tent the Dirigo is good if you like extra room for gear but I would imagine the Stratospire being better for two people due to more interior volume.
@@alexonthemountain8343 My wife and I fit well in the SS Li . Even if we pitch low and zipper close both vestibules all the condensation is inside the fly and nothing on the inner. I was considering the Dirigo ( sale ends soon ) but it's really expensive ( our Aussie Dollar sucks ) But for 3 season use I love my duplex as a single. I'm taking it on The Overland Track in Jan when it could still snow in our summer. Look fwd to your videos Will subscribe
Magpie Collingwood Thanks for your input on the SS Li!
And thank you for the follow, I appreciate it! Have a great time on the trail! You’re so lucky to be getting into Summer on that side of the world👍
Good suggestions. Did you experience any trouble in the rain? And off the topic question, I noticed your are using Salewa wildfire edge, which are not waterproof, I am about to buy their new model wildfire gore-tex, but some people believe gore-tex dry out much slower, and often go for something light that gets dry real fast. I was wondering if you have any specific reason for buying wildfire edge? How many miles do u have on them, and would you change or recommend..thx
No trouble in the rain after I made those adjustments:)
As far as the Salewa’s, I got this particular pair for hiking in the desert and I find them very comfortable (I have average width feet). I do a lot of scrambling and they are outstanding for that. I personally prefer goretex for wet conditions and I have the AKU Superalps for when I’m backpacking in rainy areas such as Wales or the Lake District. GTX works great but, it is a bit warmer, so not great for hot places and you have to watch not to puncture it (with sharp rocks and such that might enter your shoe). When I hike in wet conditions, the places I do that in are cold as well so I personally prefer to stay dry and warm with GTX. Hope that helps!
Try Delta pegs mate
Darren Coombs Country K9s Just looked them up. I’ll pick up a set when I’m back in the UK. Thanks for the recommendation!
@@alexonthemountain8343 you wont go wrong with them I use them eith my trail star and my vango
The Christian Slater that decided to get into hiking instead of acting
Zumioz 🤣🤣🤣👍
Didn’t find this very helpful except for the part about the label orientation; 10 seconds out of 7 minutes but thanks for that anyway. The setup advice given is pretty much the same as the manufacturer ones. I’ve set up my Duplex in the wind as directed in the wind and the stakes ripped right out. Tips NOT shown in this video: 1: Put heavy rocks atop the stakes; especially in loose or sandy soil. Caveat! Make sure the guy lines will not possibly rub across abrasive rocks and get cut thusly. 2: Use (bury) snow anchors in sand or put big rocks in them on slabby terrain. If you don’t have snow anchors, attach the guy lines to a stick or oblong rock and bury it under the ground. 3: bring at least a few bigger heavier duty stakes for the windward direction. 4: Set up behind(downwind) a bush or tree (be sure no widomaker limbs above you!) and tie off a guy line to the foliage. 5: See other videos showing how to retrofit this tent with additional guy line tie offs that are sold by Zpacks.
Can I suggest that in order not to waste another six minutes and 50 seconds of your very valuable time, you get your tent, hike out into the wild, pitch it, record it and edit it, so everyone will be the beneficiary of your thoughts on placing boulders on top of stakes. Then you would not need to cruise TH-cam like a Karen posting your negative replies to those who do go through the effort.
@@alexonthemountain8343 If my time was valuable I wouldn’t be reading this let alone replying to your highly defensive reply. You’re posting on social media and can’t handle a little mild criticism?? Your in the wrong place my friend. And incidentally, how does this apply to you? Wikipedia defines “Karen”
Karen is a pejorative term used as slang typically for a middle-class white woman who is perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is normal.[1] The term is often portrayed in memes depicting middle-class white women who "use their white and class privilege to demand their own way".[1][2] Depictions include demanding to "speak to the manager", being racist, or wearing a particular bob cut hairstyle.[3] It was popularized in the aftermath of the Central Park birdwatching incident in 2020.[2]
The term has been considered pejorative by those who believe it is racist, sexist, ageist, classist, and controlling women's behavior.[3] The term has occasionally been applied to male behavior.[3][4]
During 2020, the term increasingly appeared in media and social media, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and George Floyd protests.[1] The Guardian called 2020 "the year of Karen".[5]
@@EastBayE I asked for responses from others how they might pitch their tents in high winds. I’m always interested in camping techniques used by other campers.
And you chose to respond with a very negative, rude, and quite frankly, haughty tone, which was intended to be disrespectful.
If you’re unable to interact with others in a positive, friendly and helpful manner, I’d suggest you refrain from posting comments at all. I don’t put up with such behavior on my platform.