I love love LOVE my Durston x-mid 2 pro! I used it for 29 days on the Oregon Coast Trail this year and it was just perfect. Super light, durable, tons of room, and dead easy to pitch. It's basically my dream tent. I love how engaged Dan Durston is with the community too; it's super easy to get a quick answer from him on tent issues or upcoming changes on social media.
I use the Alta Plex (I'm 5'8"). I'm an active sleeper, so the bigger tent helps. I never have to leave my tent to pee. I always carry an empty 20 oz. Gatorade bottle to pee into at night. Its the best hack I've learned from youtube. Happy trails
I recently purchased the Plex Solo as an alternative to my Tarptent Notch Li. As much as I love my Notch Li, the narrow floor space didn't work with the Nemo wide pad. I was super happy to see all the extra room in my Plex Solo and look forward to using it on the trail in 2024.
I dig the review. I *just* bought an Altaplex because I’m 6’ and want the ability to store my pack in the tent on those nights I so desire. I haven’t used it yet, but I’m hoping it will serve me well on my thru hike of the PCT.
Glad that you mentioned Alta Plex as an option, Jason. I have an extra foot on you and even think Alta might not be enough for me. I’m stuck with sleeping diagonal in a Duplex or just slinging up the 12 foot hammock.
So you are over 6 foot and sleeping on a diagonal in the duplex. Duplex has the same floor length as the Plex solo. The only other larger floored tent would be the new offset series. Which is about 4 inches bigger. The durston xmid 1p is the same as the Plex solo while the durston xmid 2p is 2 inches larger. Dude I'd just try a tarp and see if it works.
@FrozensAdventures I just don't like trekking pole tents. I've tried and just don't care for them. I thought the Altaplex would change my mind, but it didnt. Lol. I know they're much lighter but I'll sacrifice the weight penalty for semi or freestanding. It was also very hard to stay warm in it vs my smaller, double wall tents.
Nice review. This is my go to tent as well and I love it. The only downside I found is, that if you have to sleep on a slight slope and it rains a lot, water gets soaked trough the ribbon in the corners and lands inside the bathtub. But that's a problem my duplex also has. Zpacks seems not to know this problem, but im not sure if that's true. Since I have a lot of nights in both tents and it's a rare thing to happen, I can live with it and love both tents.
I'd like to see an ultralight version of the Coleman Sundome tent where you have two protective eves on the roof with windows for air flow and views of the outside, so you don't t feel so claustophobic in your tent.
Frozen, I am curious about the size of the pad you use. In the beginning there is a shot of a Nemo pad in the plex solo. Is that a 25" wide pad? If so, any issues with it being so close to the sides of the tent?
Yes it's a wide nemo tensor. Absolutely no problems with having a wide pad (25") in the Plex Solo. You still have plenty of room with the extra space opposite the vestibule.
Did you see that they came out with the Duplex Lite? It's 40 inches wide and weighs 15.9 oz. It's lighter than the Altaplex and only 1oz heavier than the Plex Solo. Plus you have 2 doors.
Plexamid Hack... remove the poles... and yeppp... works perfect. And actually I like it better bc the newer version it's a lower entrance into the tent.
I unfortunately do not like the transparency of the material. If you are wildcamping or other people are really far away from you I believe it should be fine. Here we are not allowed to wildcamp and we have to stay on campsites. They are sometimes so crowded in peak season that your neighbours are only 1.5 or 2m away. I have had it 3 nights in a row that people told me that they could literally see what I was doing in my tent. That didn't feel good and was my reason to sell my duplex.
Hey Frostbite, I'm keeping it quiet for now but I'm very close. Just waiting on the official PCTA approval. At the beginning of the year I'll be announcing everything
I've thought about ordering one of these but I'm 6ft 4in tall. What do you think? The 90" length sounds good, but once I'm on my mat I'm wondering if my head/feet will be rubbing against the walls.
Yes it's called the offset duo. Takes 2 trekking poles and a carbon rod but you get a lot of head room for just 4.5 more ounces. Still unlike the extra room of the floor of the Plex solo.
Hey, nice lawn; not a weed to be seen. Do you treat it yourself or hire a lawn service? Anyway off topic; my tent. I have a Duplex and love it. Have about 25 nights in it in various conditions with no issues except those I created myself. I was considering the Altaplex at first but realized I would be better off with a two person tent. The only thing I regret was ordering two months before the new models with zippers came out. Not really anybody’s at fault; if I knew that was in the works I would’ve waited. Either way ZPacks upgrades to their single person tents seems (I don’t own any) like a big improvement over the previous ones. Not counting many dry bags this is the third big ($) piece of gear I own from them. That should give everyone my opinion of the company.
Actually my parents yard on this one. My main area of filming these kinds of things got a ton of deadfall from a past winter storm that I just don't have the time to clean up yet I can't see zpacks not offering a stick on zipper at some point or at least a $50 upgrade to see it on for you. Maybe I recommend that to them this time around.
@@FrozensAdventures I’m happy with what I’ve got. Countless through hikers have used haves used the Duplex over the years for hundreds thousands of combined miles. I’ve been eyeballing a Triplex for a while. If I ever pull the trigger on that it will have a zipper. Make sure to let your dad know he got a complement on his lawn👍 I worked summers for a landscaper back in the day and notice these things. Happy Thanksgiving; I’ve got to start cooking now. 🍗
The ceiling at the head and foot ends are too low for a single wall tent. Wet foot box and head in the morning - no thanks. Durston X-Mid or even better, a hammock, are my choices
Free 600 dollar tent? I need a TH-cam channel LOL Just an idea for a video, I would like to see a comparison between DCF and silpoly. I have yet to see one of those. If you get more than 400 likes, I get the old tent :) Seriously, they say silpoly doesn't hold a lot of water but I haven't really seen that tested.
Man my silpoly tarp held a lot of water and sagged a lot. The past 5 years have been focused on saving money for another thru hike. I've had to cut ties with 2 vendors the past 2 years because I found they were paying off other TH-camrs. Kinda sad and disgusting. I work with LiteAF and zpacks because they can take constructive criticism. I like that. When I get back next year I'll be in a better position financially. I'll try and make a silpoly tent comparison happen for ya.
@@FrozensAdventures ok keep in touch with zpacks and let them know about many would like to see a dcf camo version .........even if it is against their Philosophy
@@hope2someday691 That would be great! It looks nicer and was apparently the least transparent. I'm just not in a position to buy one at this very moment. Well, I could but my wife would probably make me live in full time lol
Yeah Frozen, put some of at star power to use and help us loyal acolytes 😂😂 I already contacted zpacks and asked why they stopped using the camo about 6 months ago. They just said it was discontinued and didn't give a reason, which apparently, is all they said to everybody (I looked). Not sure why, people liked it. I doubt there's a problem with the material because everyone else is still using that exact print. They probably all became vegans and decided it was associated with hunting lol. That's my issue with DCF, most of the colors look synthetic and are just ugly as sin. You would probably have a lot more influence on them, as I should with you as a senior subscriber lol. I've been with you since you had a bit over 100 followers and reviewed that little MP3 player. I bought two of those freaken things and the rechargeable batteries wore out on both after 2 months at the gym! Don't even get me started on the Exos... I felt like that pack was wearing me! You owe me a win buddy. So, no pressure... lol Okay, to be fair, you just kept randomly popping up on my TH-cam searches. Plus yer from PA and you reminded me of an old Army buddy ;)
A very nice presentation. I've been using an Plex Solo for almost two years... It's the best tent I've had in my life.
I love love LOVE my Durston x-mid 2 pro! I used it for 29 days on the Oregon Coast Trail this year and it was just perfect. Super light, durable, tons of room, and dead easy to pitch. It's basically my dream tent. I love how engaged Dan Durston is with the community too; it's super easy to get a quick answer from him on tent issues or upcoming changes on social media.
I have the x mid 2 NOT pro. I probably should have went for the pro. They are great tents.
Ya, but the footprint is huge
@@flutingaround that has never been a problem for me.
I use the Alta Plex (I'm 5'8"). I'm an active sleeper, so the bigger tent helps. I never have to leave my tent to pee. I always carry an empty 20 oz. Gatorade bottle to pee into at night. Its the best hack I've learned from youtube. Happy trails
Also doubles as a hot water bottle 👍 Smart
Better in a hammock. You just roll over on your side and go on the ground. 👍
Always use Wide Mouth yes
I recently purchased the Plex Solo as an alternative to my Tarptent Notch Li. As much as I love my Notch Li, the narrow floor space didn't work with the Nemo wide pad. I was super happy to see all the extra room in my Plex Solo and look forward to using it on the trail in 2024.
More than enough space . I like the net inside door. The tent is perfect Rain or shine
I added the magnet toggles and love them
Thank you for your Video, Jason. I hope you and your family enjoy a very Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
I dig the review. I *just* bought an Altaplex because I’m 6’ and want the ability to store my pack in the tent on those nights I so desire. I haven’t used it yet, but I’m hoping it will serve me well on my thru hike of the PCT.
I can tell you I just got back from the PCT and the Plex Solo tent was my favorite piece of gear.
Glad that you mentioned Alta Plex as an option, Jason. I have an extra foot on you and even think Alta might not be enough for me. I’m stuck with sleeping diagonal in a Duplex or just slinging up the 12 foot hammock.
Durston X-Mid?
So you are over 6 foot and sleeping on a diagonal in the duplex. Duplex has the same floor length as the Plex solo. The only other larger floored tent would be the new offset series. Which is about 4 inches bigger. The durston xmid 1p is the same as the Plex solo while the durston xmid 2p is 2 inches larger.
Dude I'd just try a tarp and see if it works.
@@FrozensAdventures its been the bane of my existence.
@@jays7318 that’s a great recommendation. I bought one as a graduation gift for a friend’s daughter and might borrow it for a test run
Have you ever owned the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2? This tent seems to be popular within the thru-hike community as well
Hey Frozen. Glad to hear youre going on another thru. Will be watching! I dont like my Altaplex at all. Its being sold. Lol. Good luck with yours.
What didn't you like about yours?
@FrozensAdventures I just don't like trekking pole tents. I've tried and just don't care for them. I thought the Altaplex would change my mind, but it didnt. Lol. I know they're much lighter but I'll sacrifice the weight penalty for semi or freestanding. It was also very hard to stay warm in it vs my smaller, double wall tents.
Nice review. This is my go to tent as well and I love it. The only downside I found is, that if you have to sleep on a slight slope and it rains a lot, water gets soaked trough the ribbon in the corners and lands inside the bathtub. But that's a problem my duplex also has. Zpacks seems not to know this problem, but im not sure if that's true. Since I have a lot of nights in both tents and it's a rare thing to happen, I can live with it and love both tents.
As soon as I get prosthetic and I learned to walk with it maybe
I love my plex solo. Quick fast light.
Thanks Jason 👊👍Appreciate you my friend 🙏 Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Same to you!
I'd like to see an ultralight version of the Coleman Sundome tent where you have two protective eves on the roof with windows for air flow and views of the outside, so you don't t feel so claustophobic in your tent.
Nice review, love my duplex, but those seam taps just keep coming off...
Did them switch to the hot bond seam yet?
Frozen, I am curious about the size of the pad you use. In the beginning there is a shot of a Nemo pad in the plex solo. Is that a 25" wide pad? If so, any issues with it being so close to the sides of the tent?
Yes it's a wide nemo tensor. Absolutely no problems with having a wide pad (25") in the Plex Solo. You still have plenty of room with the extra space opposite the vestibule.
If you stay in a hotel say 3 times you pay the same. I don't get why people won't spend some money upfront.
Did you see that they came out with the Duplex Lite? It's 40 inches wide and weighs 15.9 oz. It's lighter than the Altaplex and only 1oz heavier than the Plex Solo. Plus you have 2 doors.
I did! However I'm more about the small footprint than I am the weight of the tent.
Plexamid Hack... remove the poles... and yeppp... works perfect. And actually I like it better bc the newer version it's a lower entrance into the tent.
Do you know how much the magnet closures add in weight? Might be a wash when cutting off toggles.
It's only a few extra grams after cutting the original toggles off but makes things much more efficient.
I unfortunately do not like the transparency of the material. If you are wildcamping or other people are really far away from you I believe it should be fine.
Here we are not allowed to wildcamp and we have to stay on campsites. They are sometimes so crowded in peak season that your neighbours are only 1.5 or 2m away.
I have had it 3 nights in a row that people told me that they could literally see what I was doing in my tent. That didn't feel good and was my reason to sell my duplex.
Yes I guess I am just used to it coming from a hammock tarp. But for sure not for everyone.
Did you manage to pick up a PCT permit?
Hey Frostbite, I'm keeping it quiet for now but I'm very close. Just waiting on the official PCTA approval. At the beginning of the year I'll be announcing everything
I've thought about ordering one of these but I'm 6ft 4in tall. What do you think? The 90" length sounds good, but once I'm on my mat I'm wondering if my head/feet will be rubbing against the walls.
I'd look at the Altaplex at your hight.
Thought I saw where Z pacs has a version with offset pole..?
Yes it's called the offset duo. Takes 2 trekking poles and a carbon rod but you get a lot of head room for just 4.5 more ounces. Still unlike the extra room of the floor of the Plex solo.
Hey, nice lawn; not a weed to be seen. Do you treat it yourself or hire a lawn service? Anyway off topic; my tent. I have a Duplex and love it. Have about 25 nights in it in various conditions with no issues except those I created myself. I was considering the Altaplex at first but realized I would be better off with a two person tent. The only thing I regret was ordering two months before the new models with zippers came out. Not really anybody’s at fault; if I knew that was in the works I would’ve waited. Either way ZPacks upgrades to their single person tents seems (I don’t own any) like a big improvement over the previous ones. Not counting many dry bags this is the third big ($) piece of gear I own from them. That should give everyone my opinion of the company.
Actually my parents yard on this one. My main area of filming these kinds of things got a ton of deadfall from a past winter storm that I just don't have the time to clean up yet
I can't see zpacks not offering a stick on zipper at some point or at least a $50 upgrade to see it on for you. Maybe I recommend that to them this time around.
@@FrozensAdventures I’m happy with what I’ve got. Countless through hikers have used haves used the Duplex over the years for hundreds thousands of combined miles. I’ve been eyeballing a Triplex for a while. If I ever pull the trigger on that it will have a zipper.
Make sure to let your dad know he got a complement on his lawn👍 I worked summers for a landscaper back in the day and notice these things. Happy Thanksgiving; I’ve got to start cooking now. 🍗
Happy Thanksgiving!
The ceiling at the head and foot ends are too low for a single wall tent. Wet foot box and head in the morning - no thanks.
Durston X-Mid or even better, a hammock, are my choices
I never had a problem but I am short so that's probably why. That's why I always tell people my height in these types of reviews.
Free 600 dollar tent? I need a TH-cam channel LOL Just an idea for a video, I would like to see a comparison between DCF and silpoly. I have yet to see one of those. If you get more than 400 likes, I get the old tent :) Seriously, they say silpoly doesn't hold a lot of water but I haven't really seen that tested.
Man my silpoly tarp held a lot of water and sagged a lot. The past 5 years have been focused on saving money for another thru hike. I've had to cut ties with 2 vendors the past 2 years because I found they were paying off other TH-camrs. Kinda sad and disgusting. I work with LiteAF and zpacks because they can take constructive criticism. I like that.
When I get back next year I'll be in a better position financially. I'll try and make a silpoly tent comparison happen for ya.
@@FrozensAdventures ok keep in touch with zpacks and let them know about many would like to see a dcf camo version .........even if it is against their Philosophy
Zpacks used to do special orders for a heavy gauge DCF Duplex. This was a couple years ago but you could check.
@@hope2someday691 That would be great! It looks nicer and was apparently the least transparent. I'm just not in a position to buy one at this very moment. Well, I could but my wife would probably make me live in full time lol
Yeah Frozen, put some of at star power to use and help us loyal acolytes 😂😂 I already contacted zpacks and asked why they stopped using the camo about 6 months ago. They just said it was discontinued and didn't give a reason, which apparently, is all they said to everybody (I looked). Not sure why, people liked it. I doubt there's a problem with the material because everyone else is still using that exact print. They probably all became vegans and decided it was associated with hunting lol. That's my issue with DCF, most of the colors look synthetic and are just ugly as sin. You would probably have a lot more influence on them, as I should with you as a senior subscriber lol. I've been with you since you had a bit over 100 followers and reviewed that little MP3 player. I bought two of those freaken things and the rechargeable batteries wore out on both after 2 months at the gym! Don't even get me started on the Exos... I felt like that pack was wearing me! You owe me a win buddy. So, no pressure... lol Okay, to be fair, you just kept randomly popping up on my TH-cam searches. Plus yer from PA and you reminded me of an old Army buddy ;)