Nylon has a couple of things going for it and it’s not only supply, abrasion resistance is high and it has a better strength to weight ratio than polyester. For a fair comparison those qualities should be mentioned.
Great to see you showcase the Lunar Solo. It's probably the best tent I have ever owned. It's super light and roomy enough for me at 6'3". One word about materials. Nylon is actually a bit more durable than polyester, but to my mind it does not outweigh the negatives of absorbing water and stretching.
Love my Lanshan 1 Pro. It’s held up to rain, snow and hail. I’m 6’3” and it has a ton of room, width and head room even on a Nemo Tensor long/wide is really good. I got mine when it first came out and paid like $120 USD for it.
Great video Justin and those are three nice tents. Just want to add that the DCF indeed has be best tear strength but actually has worse abrasion and puncture resistance, which can be an issue with heavy hail. The 20d silnylon of the lanshan is actually ~50% stronger than the 20d silpoly of the lunar solo. (when the silnylon gets wet the gap closes slightly)
At $240 and 28oz the X-Mid 1 is cheaper than the Lunar Solo, almost as light, and a more versatile double wall tent. Yes, it requires two trekking poles but I've actually snapped a pole on a trip once and I was still able to jerry rig it well enough for a good pitch.
Thanks for the video! Did you mention the weight of the non Zpacks tents? The general explanation of SilNylon is a bit surface level. It is the most reliable material and the stretch has some benefits in certain tent designs. There is a reason why Mountain Laurel Designs, one of the most experienced and adored UL cottage company uses it for all their shelters. Though there's rumors they'll switch to SilPoly since they found a stronger product.
I've got the Gossamers Gear 1 and use the Sea to Summit Telos hangout tent poles for bike packing and it all stores down super small and lightweight. It's a pretty penny but I think the extra dollars for quality control seam seal is worth it.
check your pole position in the lunar solo setup - the setup video on their channel shows the pole is inverted and the bottom is angled slightly out and away from the mesh entrance. the eyelet at the bottom of the tent is just a tieout and it's not for the pole tip. yeah, it's counterintuitive for sure.
How does the xmid pro 1 person tent compare to the Plex Solo? I’m seriously considering one of those two options to lighten my pack weight for my next trip.
@@petercornetet8267 the tents presented in the video require one trekking pole, most people who use poles bring two of them and not only one, so it should not be a problem.
Finally ! a review with a real great view from the top of the tent looking INTO the inside the tent !!! good work Justin :-) i have the Duplex and the Lanshan pro 2 ... and i am still loving my Lanshan more. i dont like the fact thatthe vestibules doors on the duplex dont have zippers, i have my eye on the Durston now ;-)
I'm new to the scene of trekking pole tents, looking at the Lunar Solo to be my first. After owning about a dozen freestanding tents it's wild to think that some of these don't come seam sealed. Is there a seam sealer that anyone experienced could recommend to someone who's never seam sealed anything? I've seen ones with applicator foam tips or brushes, or even tape sealers. Which ones are better? Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some tips and/or suggestions.
Hi Justin, I am wondering if you have tried the Gossamer Gear the one tent. If you have, can you tell us how does it compare to the ones on this video? Thanks and best wishes!
@@durstongear I’m definitely going to be buying the DCF xmid 2p when I can afford it. Thanks for designing such a dope tent! I have a question for you. I was on your website looking for a footprint and I noticed there are two versions of the xmid 2p in sil poly. What are the differences between the early model and the newest one and how can I tell which one I bought? Is it just the solid inner or are there other differences?
I bought the Lunar Solo last year and I'm really liking it so far. Probably my biggest complaint is how high off the ground the door is even when you have it fully extended. I might be alone in this, but I don't want to be able to see out of my tent from my sleeping position.
You have to mess with how you stake it out. If you shorten the length of the trek pole and angle it back it will give you more room and more coverage but the floor is not all the way up so if it rains it may get inside if it starts puddling. I’ve never had it in the rain yet so I don’t know.
Worth pointing out, here in the UK the Luna solo is cinsiderably cheaper than the x-mid, as the have no outlets here. SMD also seem to have decent coverage in the EU.
Yeah, I had heard that too and it would be helpful to get some clarification on that. I packraft a bunch and one of the trade-offs I consider is the packdown size, so much so that I actually throw the body of the tent compression sack. I suppose, one day I might ruin a zipper or something (oooh potential video topic - tossing tents in a compression sack???).
One of the problems you're having with setting up the Lunar Solo is that you have the front guy line run incorrectly. That guy line is supposed to run under the vestibule doors, which keeps the proper tension on the entire rest of the tent. Also, all of these tents, but especially the Lunar Solo, rely on setting up the front (door panel) correctly, and to do this, you have to set that trekking pole vertically for-and-aft as well as left-to-right, and the easiest way to do that is to set the front 'triangle' up first instead of how the directions state. Another helpful tip is to use the pole 'right side up' instead of upside down. This will allow the bathtub to be fixed to a point, making setup much easier. You can flip it over later if you want, but there's no need.
The Clip Flashlight 2 from Sierra Designs is another great option. Even though it's marketed as 2 people, it's like 1 person and a dog. It's not heavy and It won't break the bank either!
I can't believe how heavy the tents were in the 1970's with all of their poles! Mine were bare aluminum and left my fingers and hands black and smelly.
I think the features are so varied in those that you'd really have to narrow it down to a certain type, size, etc. There is a lot of value in that category, depending on whether you're splitting the weight with another person, car camping, etc. I know that after going through 3-4 tents in the last decade I've learned that what I need from a tent is definitely different than what I THOUGHT I needed when I lugged a 5# tent up Mount Whitney years ago. :)
I am really interested in tents for high humidity and very intense rain (hundreds of mm daily) such as rainforests. For those situations, I can only rely in my ultra heavy, double wall, 15000mm water column, freestanding tent made of polyester. I believe that some company out there might have decided to take this market with dcf, carbon fiber tents. It could be crazy expensive, but for this kind of tent it might go down from 3.7kg to maybe 1.5kg... anyway, keep up with the vids, great content!
SilPoly material last longer than DCF. The Zpacks tent has the pole right in front of the door. Zpacks door unzips and then gets dirty and stepped on because it goes straight to the ground once unzipped. The Six Moon designs tent has better airflow than the Zpacks.
Actually none of this is really true. Lasts longer? huh? Its hilarious how people at least in comments just can't seem to work the door. Every video shows the door falling INTO the tent and not outside - where apparently everyone without this tent seems to set up in the mud for some reason. The pole in front of the door....the half inch pole blocks you from getting through the 48" doorway....do you try to get thru the mesh wall on your solo? Why? because its not a doorway - you go thru the door and not thru the pole. Not too unlike the door jam and door. at home. But above ALL else - it keeps me dry right out of the box. The solo tent keeps you dry only if your a good enough waterproofer to make it keep you dry - otherwise its a very expensive Walmart tent with no protection from rain. It's the price and only the price. It should be stated that way to be fair. As my friend at work says when shes yelled at by the boss...."daddy beats me because he loves me" all kidding rage of course - peace everyone. At least we're not living in Mammouth
Hi Justin! very useful video! What do you think about the Gossamer Gear the One (normal or in dcf), apart from requiring 2 trekking poles? it's much cheaper than the Plex solo, but not so heavier thanks in advance!
I'm a big fan of GG. I have two packs. The design of the One is great, the fabric....eventually everyone regrets it once you get into rain and wind. Buy once cry once - the duplex rains supreme. Crazy easy set up - naturally waterproof zero sag. THIS is the tent we've all been looking for.
Watched this once or 2x before. Now considering all 3 for light weight hikes w my dog. Sounds like the SMD Lunar may be it for room alone. The gear nerd in me wants the Plex Solo though. 🙄😬
@@NikhilShahi That’s not factual at all. I have the Tarptent. The tent doesn’t block the door and it has far more headroom than the Xmid. Lookup Ryan Jordan’s review on BackpackingLight. He is the owner of BackpackingLight Magazine and is an expert reviewer. He agrees with me.
@@JustinOutdoors Good to know! I do have a small DCF ditty bag and it does seem very durable. Strongly considering it.. lol Thanks for all you do! Love my trek 100 down jackets! 😉
Sorry, but these recommendations seem to be as if they were either sponsored or the reviewer doesn't have much experience with different brands. The Durston X-Mid (either Pro or regular) knocks the pants off any of these. The Zpack specifically is egregious with the slanting walls, tent pole in the way of the door and worst of all, the door flap opening down - so the flap now gets dirty each time you open and is especially bad when the ground is muddy and dirty. I am not interesting in babying the flap to ensure it doesn't hit the ground. Really bad design. Zpacks has had its day and is not a good choice anymore.
Ultra light yes. But so is a sheet of plastic from Home Depot. Do these so called tents ⛺️ stop rain?? Your description says "absorbs the least amount" ... failure. Screen for bug protection....nope. Flooring....doesn't seem like it. Use your trekking pole...."I still have one if one breaks". How much extra did you pay for your carbon fiber trekking poles? And one breaks. Not trying to bash your video but sounds like a waste of money to me.
They stop rain. But materials like nylon will absorb some water (tents like the Hubba Hubba and Copper Spur use nylon). All have mesh for bug protection and floors. I usually use $40 trekking poles from Costco. Haven't had one break on me, but you never know.
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Another benefit of silnylon and silpoly is packability. They pack down much smaller than DCF tents.
Nylon has a couple of things going for it and it’s not only supply, abrasion resistance is high and it has a better strength to weight ratio than polyester. For a fair comparison those qualities should be mentioned.
Valuable comments not mentioned by other youtubers. Thanks!
Great to see you showcase the Lunar Solo. It's probably the best tent I have ever owned. It's super light and roomy enough for me at 6'3". One word about materials. Nylon is actually a bit more durable than polyester, but to my mind it does not outweigh the negatives of absorbing water and stretching.
Love my Lanshan 1 Pro. It’s held up to rain, snow and hail. I’m 6’3” and it has a ton of room, width and head room even on a Nemo Tensor long/wide is really good. I got mine when it first came out and paid like $120 USD for it.
the extra width is what has me intrigued with the lunar solo. Wanda likes to stretch out, and I want to stay with a single pole tent.
Great video Justin and those are three nice tents. Just want to add that the DCF indeed has be best tear strength but actually has worse abrasion and puncture resistance, which can be an issue with heavy hail. The 20d silnylon of the lanshan is actually ~50% stronger than the 20d silpoly of the lunar solo. (when the silnylon gets wet the gap closes slightly)
What about durston x-mid? I believe a fellow Canadian... I'm currently waiting on a x-mid pro 2. For a me n my wife
At $240 and 28oz the X-Mid 1 is cheaper than the Lunar Solo, almost as light, and a more versatile double wall tent. Yes, it requires two trekking poles but I've actually snapped a pole on a trip once and I was still able to jerry rig it well enough for a good pitch.
Not to mention it only requires 4 stakes. All of these require 8-10 jeeezus.
And a reduced footprint
Super versatile too as you can pitch it as a tarp first in just a few minutes
It’s been pretty easy to find a stick to substitute the trekking pole in a pinch if your backpacking in a forested region.
I have also been able to setup xmid 2 with one pole. Xmid 1 should be even easier. Plus. Normally even a broken pole can be extended partially.
Thanks for the video! Did you mention the weight of the non Zpacks tents? The general explanation of SilNylon is a bit surface level. It is the most reliable material and the stretch has some benefits in certain tent designs. There is a reason why Mountain Laurel Designs, one of the most experienced and adored UL cottage company uses it for all their shelters. Though there's rumors they'll switch to SilPoly since they found a stronger product.
I've got the Gossamers Gear 1 and use the Sea to Summit Telos hangout tent poles for bike packing and it all stores down super small and lightweight. It's a pretty penny but I think the extra dollars for quality control seam seal is worth it.
check your pole position in the lunar solo setup - the setup video on their channel shows the pole is inverted and the bottom is angled slightly out and away from the mesh entrance. the eyelet at the bottom of the tent is just a tieout and it's not for the pole tip.
yeah, it's counterintuitive for sure.
How does the xmid pro 1 person tent compare to the Plex Solo? I’m seriously considering one of those two options to lighten my pack weight for my next trip.
WHAT ABOUT THE XMID?!?!?!?
Durston X mid Pro 1 and regular X mid: more roomy and only 4 stakes required, so much easier to set up!
I get it too and is the best for me
Requires 2 trekking poles tough
@@petercornetet8267 the tents presented in the video require one trekking pole, most people who use poles bring two of them and not only one, so it should not be a problem.
Thanks Justin great video! Will you review and compare with x mid and ov fortius tent for ultimate showdown
I LOVE my SMD lunar solo ❤
Finally ! a review with a real great view from the top of the tent looking INTO the inside the tent !!! good work Justin :-)
i have the Duplex and the Lanshan pro 2 ... and i am still loving my Lanshan more. i dont like the fact thatthe vestibules doors on the duplex dont have zippers, i have my eye on the Durston now ;-)
you talk about the lanshan 1 pro, what about the non pro? its listed as 15D silicone/PU Nylon?
I'm new to the scene of trekking pole tents, looking at the Lunar Solo to be my first. After owning about a dozen freestanding tents it's wild to think that some of these don't come seam sealed.
Is there a seam sealer that anyone experienced could recommend to someone who's never seam sealed anything? I've seen ones with applicator foam tips or brushes, or even tape sealers. Which ones are better? Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some tips and/or suggestions.
Hi Justin, I am wondering if you have tried the Gossamer Gear the one tent. If you have, can you tell us how does it compare to the ones on this video? Thanks and best wishes!
Still stoked on my xmid 2p but I’m really thinking about biting the bullet and getting a DCF tent.
DCF versions of the X-Mid are out now :)
@@durstongear I’m definitely going to be buying the DCF xmid 2p when I can afford it. Thanks for designing such a dope tent! I have a question for you. I was on your website looking for a footprint and I noticed there are two versions of the xmid 2p in sil poly. What are the differences between the early model and the newest one and how can I tell which one I bought? Is it just the solid inner or are there other differences?
I bought the Lunar Solo last year and I'm really liking it so far. Probably my biggest complaint is how high off the ground the door is even when you have it fully extended. I might be alone in this, but I don't want to be able to see out of my tent from my sleeping position.
You have to mess with how you stake it out. If you shorten the length of the trek pole and angle it back it will give you more room and more coverage but the floor is not all the way up so if it rains it may get inside if it starts puddling. I’ve never had it in the rain yet so I don’t know.
Worth pointing out, here in the UK the Luna solo is cinsiderably cheaper than the x-mid, as the have no outlets here. SMD also seem to have decent coverage in the EU.
What about packability? Isn’t DCF a little bulky vs nylon?
Nope, it is very thin and light, it packs/shoves down very easily, more so than silnylon.
Yeah, I had heard that too and it would be helpful to get some clarification on that.
I packraft a bunch and one of the trade-offs I consider is the packdown size, so much so that I actually throw the body of the tent compression sack. I suppose, one day I might ruin a zipper or something (oooh potential video topic - tossing tents in a compression sack???).
Ive got the Lunar Solo and it packs down very small. Videos I’ve seen of the plex solo look like they’re shoving a basketball into their pack.
@@tomj1404 Exactly! that is what I am picturing with a dyneema tent. Paging Justin!
Good analysis same shape tents.
Right by my area! I recognize that mountain anywhere!
West side of the Superstitions. I’m guessing around Peralta?
@@jbenn4379 Yep. Was just out there the other day
Looks like Lanshan 1 Pro is a smart choise
One of the problems you're having with setting up the Lunar Solo is that you have the front guy line run incorrectly. That guy line is supposed to run under the vestibule doors, which keeps the proper tension on the entire rest of the tent. Also, all of these tents, but especially the Lunar Solo, rely on setting up the front (door panel) correctly, and to do this, you have to set that trekking pole vertically for-and-aft as well as left-to-right, and the easiest way to do that is to set the front 'triangle' up first instead of how the directions state. Another helpful tip is to use the pole 'right side up' instead of upside down. This will allow the bathtub to be fixed to a point, making setup much easier. You can flip it over later if you want, but there's no need.
The Clip Flashlight 2 from Sierra Designs is another great option. Even though it's marketed as 2 people, it's like 1 person and a dog. It's not heavy and It won't break the bank either!
I can't believe how heavy the tents were in the 1970's with all of their poles! Mine were bare aluminum and left my fingers and hands black and smelly.
Would love to see a video like this but for free standing tents.
I think the features are so varied in those that you'd really have to narrow it down to a certain type, size, etc.
There is a lot of value in that category, depending on whether you're splitting the weight with another person, car camping, etc. I know that after going through 3-4 tents in the last decade I've learned that what I need from a tent is definitely different than what I THOUGHT I needed when I lugged a 5# tent up Mount Whitney years ago. :)
I am really interested in tents for high humidity and very intense rain (hundreds of mm daily) such as rainforests. For those situations, I can only rely in my ultra heavy, double wall, 15000mm water column, freestanding tent made of polyester. I believe that some company out there might have decided to take this market with dcf, carbon fiber tents. It could be crazy expensive, but for this kind of tent it might go down from 3.7kg to maybe 1.5kg... anyway, keep up with the vids, great content!
SilPoly material last longer than DCF.
The Zpacks tent has the pole right in front of the door.
Zpacks door unzips and then gets dirty and stepped on because it goes straight to the ground once unzipped.
The Six Moon designs tent has better airflow than the Zpacks.
Actually none of this is really true. Lasts longer? huh? Its hilarious how people at least in comments just can't seem to work the door. Every video shows the door falling INTO the tent and not outside - where apparently everyone without this tent seems to set up in the mud for some reason. The pole in front of the door....the half inch pole blocks you from getting through the 48" doorway....do you try to get thru the mesh wall on your solo? Why? because its not a doorway - you go thru the door and not thru the pole. Not too unlike the door jam and door. at home.
But above ALL else - it keeps me dry right out of the box. The solo tent keeps you dry only if your a good enough waterproofer to make it keep you dry - otherwise its a very expensive Walmart tent with no protection from rain.
It's the price and only the price. It should be stated that way to be fair.
As my friend at work says when shes yelled at by the boss...."daddy beats me because he loves me"
all kidding rage of course - peace everyone. At least we're not living in Mammouth
Kinda wish you threw the MLD Duomid in there as a 2p shelter and similar weight COME ON best out there IMO!!🙃✌️💚✊️🔥
The video edits has extremely improved, there's always new addition to it, keep it up!!
silpoly lunar solo is fantastic, avoids the water absorption and sag of silnylon
Nice comparison!
Hi Justin! very useful video!
What do you think about the Gossamer Gear the One (normal or in dcf), apart from requiring 2 trekking poles?
it's much cheaper than the Plex solo, but not so heavier
thanks in advance!
I'm a big fan of GG. I have two packs. The design of the One is great, the fabric....eventually everyone regrets it once you get into rain and wind. Buy once cry once - the duplex rains supreme. Crazy easy set up - naturally waterproof zero sag. THIS is the tent we've all been looking for.
@@nedanother9382 thanks!
Super informative, as always. Nice job J Money Gangster.
@Justin Outdoors Forgive my directness, Justin, but are you sponsored by any of the companies whose products you review and present?
Nope. Never received sponsorship money from a gear company. Only GGG, LMNT, and Nikwax. I always disclose, as per the law, when a video is sponsored.
So whatever happened to all that REI gear you were gonna review?
I'm testing it
Watched this once or 2x before. Now considering all 3 for light weight hikes w my dog. Sounds like the SMD Lunar may be it for room alone. The gear nerd in me wants the Plex Solo though. 🙄😬
The Lunar Solo is so solid. Probably the right choice for 90% of people! As someone who gets out for 50 nights year, the Plex Solo is worth it for me.
How did the Durston X-Mid Pro not make this list? It's DCF, way better design than the Zpack.
2 trekking poles
The Tarptent Dipole Li is even better than that. Check it out.
@@MoeBergOSS nah. Don't think I like it. The trekking poles block the door and the ceiling has less headroom.
@@NikhilShahi That’s not factual at all. I have the Tarptent. The tent doesn’t block the door and it has far more headroom than the Xmid. Lookup Ryan Jordan’s review on BackpackingLight. He is the owner of BackpackingLight Magazine and is an expert reviewer. He agrees with me.
@@markcummings6856 exactly - the walls slant. Not sure what Moe is drinkin'. Guess he mad he spent money on an inferior tent.
Hope you get well soon.
Thanks for the video
You can buy a Lanshan 1 plus with a 4 season inner 100 dollars.
Thank you for the vid. 👍
Good video. Well done
I get so excited for a new Justin video, but Justin... switch back the fonts :)
Love the videos!!
Man, I want a Zpacks tent so bad, but I’m terrified of spending all that money and ripping it. Lol
I've had two DCF tents so far with lots of nights on them with no durability issues. One really nice thing about DCF is it is super easy to repair.
@@JustinOutdoors Good to know! I do have a small DCF ditty bag and it does seem very durable. Strongly considering it.. lol Thanks for all you do! Love my trek 100 down jackets! 😉
Look at getting a used one. I saved $200 buying used. It was practically new.
@@wolfeadventures Good call! I’ll look into that. Thank you! 🤙🏼
DCF Fabric = Dyneema Composite Fabric-Fabric. Yo dawg. I heard you like fabric. So I frabriced your fabric so you could fabric-fabric.
Sorry, but these recommendations seem to be as if they were either sponsored or the reviewer doesn't have much experience with different brands. The Durston X-Mid (either Pro or regular) knocks the pants off any of these. The Zpack specifically is egregious with the slanting walls, tent pole in the way of the door and worst of all, the door flap opening down - so the flap now gets dirty each time you open and is especially bad when the ground is muddy and dirty. I am not interesting in babying the flap to ensure it doesn't hit the ground. Really bad design. Zpacks has had its day and is not a good choice anymore.
Ultra light yes. But so is a sheet of plastic from Home Depot. Do these so called tents ⛺️ stop rain?? Your description says "absorbs the least amount" ... failure. Screen for bug protection....nope. Flooring....doesn't seem like it. Use your trekking pole...."I still have one if one breaks". How much extra did you pay for your carbon fiber trekking poles? And one breaks. Not trying to bash your video but sounds like a waste of money to me.
They stop rain. But materials like nylon will absorb some water (tents like the Hubba Hubba and Copper Spur use nylon). All have mesh for bug protection and floors. I usually use $40 trekking poles from Costco. Haven't had one break on me, but you never know.
The new Durston X mid pro 1..
The Tarptent Dipole Li is even better than that.
Dipole a lot heavier too