ZPacks Altaplex – Experienced Users

[Derrick White]

There was much ado when this tent was introduced but little since, or at least I can only find little. Even on the wider web there is an absence of reviews from actual users.

Are there any users? Would love to hear your impressions or direction to a review link here if I have missed it.

Thanks
Derrick

[JCH]

I'm really interested in why you are favoring the Altaplex vs the Duplex?

The Duplex seems much more versatile at only 3oz and $30 more? By accepting that small penalty and the fact that it requires a slightly larger site, I see the Duplex as a palace for 1 or decent room for 2. Same length, same entry height, 11" more width, and 2 entries. To me the Altaplex is simply a Hexamid with the small improvement of a sewn-in floor and easier entry/exit.

The amount of Duplex discussion is quite robust…with some Triplex thrown in…while Solplex and Altaplex seem rarely mentioned. Honestly, I take that as indication that the Altaplex is not terribly popular. Granted I could be completely off base on that…

[Daniel Sweeney]

I have come very close to purchasing an altaplex tarp. I think there are plenty of reasons (in theory) to like it over a duplex. One pole instead of two, higher peak/steeper walls (better in snow and for dealing w condensation, theoretically not as good in wind), smaller footprint while still being spacious for one (even if tall), higher entry, simpler. I was on the fence between the hexamid solo plus and altaplex tarps, leaning heavily towards the altaplex. The lack of more real feedback and $ have kept me from purchasing though. I too would love to hear more about how this shelter is performing.

[Derrick White]

Thanks for your thoughts John. I really am just trying to find people who own and use this tent. To respond to your musings:

This tent would only ever be used solo. It has ample space for my needs. Adding more space and 3oz with zero benefit is illogical to me.

The sewn in floor is a great feature for me. I own a HMG Ultamid 2 which I use with 2 people and also solo, and have been looking to either make or buy an inner net tent. It more than doubles the weight of the complete package. Likewise with the MLD Doumid XL and inner – not as heavy as the Ultamid but still heavier than the Altaplex, and much more expensive. I have been using S2S nano net tents with a tyvek groundsheet to date and the nets are inadequate in size and durability for my needs, but are wonderfully light. To have bug protection included in a spacious one person set up for 16.9 ounces is a significant plus.

I don't use trekking poles, but do carry a custom carbon pole made by Rutalocura which triples as: 1. a sturdy staff for river fording, 2. the centre pole for my mid and 3. the handle for my Clarkii Tenkara rod (also made by Rutalocura). So a single pole tent is also a criteria high on my list, which the Duplex is not, and the Altaplex is.

I have considered all other cuben options and none meet my needs like this tent. Others are either too little or too much for what I need.

My concern with this tent is robustness in the wind, and along the lines of Dan Durston's critique in another thread here, I am unsure why it is designed requiring so many mid panel tie outs. I've begun ackrafting and camp locations ocassionally are limited to granite. The more lines I have to secure with rocks and logs, etc, the more of a pain in the ass it becomes. That is the only feature of this tent I don't like.

Thanks for your reply. Always enjoy other perspectives.

Derrick

[JCH]

Derrick and Daniel,

Great info and exactly what I hoped to find out. Just one more example of how my experiences, viewpoints, hiking locations, and requirements lead to conclusions that others do not necessarily share.

re: lack of feedback and $. If the Altaplex is anything like the other Zpacks shelters, and I think that is 99% certain, it is very well thought out, designed and constructed. If it appeals to you on paper, I bet you will love it.

re: number of guys. Yeah…that issue sort of goes with the territory on a lot of these types of shelters. On the plus side, I asked Joe about the mid-panel tieout strength and he said they have been constructing those tieouts the same way for years and have not had any reports of failures. He says since cuben is very ripstop by nature, the worst that would happen is maybe a small leak easily repaired with cuben tape, or that the tieout itself would rip. That he thinks the tieout loop would fail catastrophically before the cuben was eye opening.

[Derrick White]

John,

Re the guys: I don't doubt the reliability of the tie-outs. I am more curious about the actual need for them.

When pitching my Ultamid, I routinely peg the four corners and insert the pole. This has worked for me in 30mph winds. Quite impressive actually that 4 pegs, properly and securely placed, will hold a pyramid taut in that wind. I slept atop the Mealey Mountains in Labrador in June of this year and had a thunder and wind storm with zero cover. That was the first time I guyed on the mid panels, which I did out of precaution as much as need.

So, given that the Altaplex is merely a 12 mid with a beak, I don't understand why 2 mid guys are required on the back and 1 on each side. I think its good to have them there but based on watching Joe's video it seems he treats them as part of a standard set up, rather than backup guying as needed. Maybe its an approach he hasn't reconsidered but does as a matter of course from his years of working with hexamids and the other plexes, which do need those extra guy lines. Like Dan Durston, I don't understand why this tent does, if it does. Perhaps it doesn't

I would love to get my hands on one of these and try it with 4 corner pegs and the front guyline only and see how it handles.

Edit – Just had a close look. The back of the tarp is 2 panels, and the tie outs are located exactly where the bathtub floor is tied to the tent. Makes more sense now. I guess they are all necessary to a proper pitch and a properly support bathtub floor.

Derrick

[whalen e]

Well after four and half weeks, I just finished the CT today. A perfect trip, hard to believe it's completed. I can offer my experience while it's still fresh.

First I used a MLD Duomid with Solomid XL inner. Loved the combo, however after everyday use for two weeks, and with the CT being buggier than I thought it would be, I started thinking Zpacks.

Last year on the JMT I used a Duplex. All the rave reviews are well earned. But this year I thought about the Altaplex primarily for the single pole and higher peak. However, I had concerns about the Altaplex in wind simply because it was brought up in the few posts that mentioned the shelter.

Anyhow, two weeks into the hike I saw where another BPL member offered to sell his new Altaplex, so sitting on a trailside rock above Twin Lakes, I pulled the trigger and had it shipped to Salida. (Thanks Jeff!).

Ok: now to the meat of the issue- the Altaplex in wind. In short, I was very impressed. One night, after a day long rain above tree line, it cleared up in the evening and I set up the Altaplex at this small lake after Cuba Gulch BUT I set it up right on the edge, above the valley, so I could look straight across at the mnts. Astounding view: stupid camp site selection. That night rain poured and wind came howling up the mnt side. From 10pm to 4am it pummeled the shelter, violent enough for me to stay awake with headlamp on until midnight watching all the seams and netting corners and peering out at the stakes. Now it probably wasn't as bad for anyone who used a little intelligence that night, and set up away from the edge, but I wasn't one of them. The one saving grace was that the ground was like peat moss, soft and rock-free, and out of habit I angled and anchored the stakes down to their heads. They held like champs. And the Altaplex did not falter, to my relief. Now, I will say this: it was not as taut as a MLD Duomid. Those babies were born for strong winds. But the Altaplex held its own admirably. (Honestly, I think Joe's video did the shelter a disservice by setting it up so hastily, showing it a bit unstable in the breeze). Once the shelter was set up and snugged tight, all's well. I was happy enough with the Altaplex in the wind that a few nights later I deliberately set it up at Cascade Creek, which again funneled wind right up the valley and against the shelter.

Other thoughts:
I did like single pole set up. Not a huge advantage over the duplex but still preferable.

Maybe it's just me, but it actually felt roomier over the duplex. Not exactly sure why but it did, with those panel pull outs. I'm 6'4" and there is enough room for me to do my morning stretches (middle age demands a bit more care backpacking).

As far as the number of stakes required…I didn't notice the fiddle factor at all. 20 seconds more tops. It took more for me to arrange the MLD inner than it did to set the stakes and lines properly. It shouldn't be a concern.

At first I didn't understand the need for so many tie outs. And on a perfectly flat lawn they aren't needed that much. But they were very useful in establishing head room on uneven ground, when I had to stake the actual back corners instead of using guy lines in order to get it somewhat taut. In those circumstances the corners become unsymmetrical and you lose room inside. And the bathtub floor corners collapse when pitched on uneven ground. (Thx a lot Junction Creek!) IMO it's a common problem with all mids. However, even with reduced room in the corners, the mid panel pull outs give you that much needed space. You don't feel the effects of the uneven ground or awkward set up as much.

I hope I explained that clearly.

Overall, I loved the Altaplex. And I do prefer it over the Duplex–strictly speaking in terms of a summer long distance hike for solo hiker: a shelter that weighs a pound, sets up fast, saves you from damnable bugs, and offers sound protection from rain and wind. Yes, double doors are awesome but last year I rarely had them both open and so–to me–they were unnecessary. And I didn't need the extra vestibule. ((If you are looking for a netted shelter that offers more flexibility (sleeps two, double views, etc) then I would chose Duplex.))

Still more thoughts:
I was also impressed with the lighter cuben. All my shelters have been heavier weight but after this trip I agree with Joe that the lighter weight does fine.

I've never had a problem with cuben as a ground sheet. Not even the lighter weight of the MLD inner. And if I did, I'd much much rather repair cuben than silnylon.

Over the last four years I've had nearly every cuben shelter out there. I still prefer using a tarp for bugless shoulder seasons but for summer hiking, I'm sticking with the Altaplex.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts and I'm sure you could find a user with exact opposite views. Regardless, I hope they've helped.

Would be happy to answer any specific questions but I'll be bouncing around a bit before I reach home so it may take a day or two to respond.

Cheers.

[Greg M]

Fascinating report whalen, thank you. I'm currently in the process of choosing between the Duomid/Altaplex/Duplex.

Why do you say the Duomid+Innernet is not as good as the zpack tents where it is buggy? (As someone who hasn't hiked much around bugs, I don't quite picture the problems)

[Derrick White]

@Whalen – Thank you so much for taking the time. Nothing trumps the credibility of a real user's opinion for me.

Of course its not the tent for everyone, but it just may be the one for me. What you shared will inform my decision.

Thanks again,
Derrick

[whalen e]

Greg, yeah I should have clarified a bit about the Duomid combo. There was nothing wrong with it, and if your top priority is versatility, then I'd go with the combo over a zpacks netted tarp (which is why I sold my Duplex last year). However, what I discovered this year is, on a long distance trail where I'm spending weeks in a shelter, my priority became Living Space. Each day I hiked from roughly 6 am to 4pm. Because of the wet season (and my total annoyance with mosquitoes & flies) I basically crawled in my shelter and stayed there until morning. After two weeks the Duomid inner felt cramped for me. I'm a big guy so that was part of it. On rainy days, trying to change clothes, the inner net clung to me. If it had been a short trip, then no worries. Great combo, great versatility. Or if I had gone later in the season I probably would have just taken the Duomid.

As everyone points out, no shelter is perfect for all occasions. And what I learned on this trip is that I prefer the room & ease of set up of the Altaplex over the versatility of the Duomid combo. (In order to fit in the back pocket of my backpack, I had to keep the Duomid and inner net seperate, so it took longer to set up each night. Not a huge hassle but definitely not as easy as setting up Altaplex).

The shelters in this discussion–duplex, Altaplex, Duomid–are all excellent. Can't go wrong with either. The hardest part (for me) and what has taken the longest to nail down is my own priority for a particular trip. For July trips, when bugs are dominant, I want an all enclosed shelter.

Hope that helps.

Derrick

Glad to have helped. You're right, the Altaplex isn't the shelter for everyone or all occasions. I tried to stress (perhaps too much) that I love the Altaplex for a solo hiker in these particular circumstances. Normally I like one shelter, think I've found 'the one' and sell off the other/s. But I'll bite the bullet and keep a three shelter quiver and give the search a rest. There are worse problems to have.

Good luck gentlemen in your own quest.

Cheers

[Derrick White]

Hi Whalen,

I tried to PM you re the sale of the Altaplex but you don't have you email set up. I am interested.

You can PM me.

[Yoyo]

I've been in love with my Hexamid Solo (a 2013 variant), but I bought it right before the Altaplex and Solplex shelters came out (2014?). Originally, when I bought the Hexamid Solo, I wanted Joe to put in a cuben floor. He said 'no'. And then he came out with the Solplex -> Altaplex (that's the order, right?).

Do you think there's any reason to switch to either of these shelters? Would I get more headroom over my Hexamid Solo. It isn't large, but it works fine for me, and at $360 was a bit cheaper than some of the other options.

I too am in favor of a single-pole setup:
(i) stronger
(ii) if you break one pole, you can still set up your shelter

Duplex for two hikers = 4 poles (in case one or two breaks)

[Andrew Priest]

Sorry for bumping up a oldish thread but I am not at the point where I need to make a decision on going with a Altaplex or a Duplex mainly for bikepacking and probably some bushwalking as well.  All solo.  I am coming from a Tarptent Scarp 1 (earlier version) which I found was great for my needs space wise particularly on long tours where I had to load up and use six panniers (remote touring carrying days of water and food).

There is a possibility that I will be doing more of this remote touring in the future so need to consider that.

Anyway this thread is has been helpful and I wondered if anyone had some updated thoughts on which way to jump.

Thanks.

[A W T]

Zpack’s upcoming tent should add new life to this debate.  From what Redbeard has posted and shown in his videos, it appears to be an Altaplex with a bit of the wider headroom and lower height of the Duplex, at the weight of a Hexamid.  With specs like that, it may be “the one” for me.  Can’t wait to check it out!!

Note: Many have said they want a narrower version of the Duplex, but apparently that did not reduce the weight by much in the prototype they tried.

 

[jscott]

I really liked the single pole set up of my old style Hexamid, but like others wanted a sewn in floor. also, I wanted the entrance ‘beak’ to come down lower to the ground for better wind protection. (Although this last was never an issue). The Altaplex etc. and the new tent do all of this.

I’ve never used a two pole set up tent but I can’t see the advantage. More room I guess. Coming from a BA fly creek solo, the Hex seemed palatial to me for one person.

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