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Joe Valesko of Zpack’s new 9oz tent

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Brett Peugh BPL Member
PostedDec 17, 2009 at 9:23 am

He is not taking orders until next month but here is the info. Green will be an option then. I am going to pull the link because he doesn't want people to order. But I will copy the information here. Just don't know how to do pics though.

ZPacksâ„¢ "Hexamid" Solo Tent

Description:

The "Hexamid" is a six sided pyramid style tent for a solo hiker. The tent is available in .6 oz/sqyd cuben fiber, or 1.3 oz/sqyd sil-nylon, with or without screen.

* Sets up with just one trekking pole and a minimum of six stakes. Eight stakes are recommended.

* Ample space for one person plus gear. The tent is long enough to fully stretch out your arms and legs, and tall enough to sit upright.

* Great ventilation, and a great view through the large nanoseeum screen entryway. 5" of screen around the perimeter allows air flow.

*

This tent is unique in that it has a fully enclosed nanoseeum screen floor. Why a screen floor?
o It keeps 100% of insects, spiders, ticks, etc OUT!
o The screen floor is lighter than a sewn in floor would be. Use a small, lightweight ground sheet on the inside on top of the screen, just like sleeping under a tarp. Tyvek, or a Gossamer Gear Polycryo ground sheets work great.
o Your separate ground sheet can also be used for sleeping under the stars or in shelters.
o Rain spray or condensation runs right out through the screen floor. You can adjust the position of your ground sheet, or fold up the edges if the wind changes to the wrong direction.

Dimensions: 9 feet long by 4.5 feet wide by 45 inches tall.

Weight:

* Total weight is 8.9 ounces / 252 grams including the tent, seam sealing tape, guy lines, and a stuff sack.
* 100lb Z-Line spectra guy-lines are included. Bright yellow for visibility.
* Cuben shelters come with waterproof seam tape applied to all seams.
* Sil-Nylon shelters include a free tube of SilNet for you to apply.
* A small-plus size stuff sack is included.
* A ground sheet and 8 stakes are not included in the price or weight.

Cuben Fiber Hexamid w/ screen
8.9 oz / $259

Sil-Nylon Hexamid w/ screen
12.1 oz / $209

Cuben Tarp Only (no screen)
3.3 oz / $139

Sil-Nylon Tarp Only (no screen)
6.5 oz / $89

Optional Doorway:
This triangular doorway clips to the tent or tarp at the peak and front corners to block rain spray. To get in or out just unclip the top clip and the door drops to the floor. Three mini-d carabiners (.1 oz each) are included. In my experience however, the door is not necessary- see the review below.
Cuben Doorway
1.4 oz / $49

Sil-Nylon Doorway
2.9 oz / $29

Joe's Review, and questions answered:
In 2009 I tested the cuben fiber hexamid on a full Continental Divide Trail thru-hike. The trip took 154 days traveling roughly 2,651 miles through the rocky mountains. Over the course of the trip the tent went through just about every type of weather, from gusting wind, to rain storms, snow storms, sub freezing temperatures, etc. I hiked the first half of the trip solo, the second half with my significant other, Sheryl. We used the same tent for the whole trip.

Won't I get wet if rain is blowing towards the screen door?
Probably not. Ideally the tent should be pitched with the back or sides into the wind. If rain does start blowing towards the door it is easy enough to just slide your groundsheet to the back. You can use your shoes and water bottles to prop up the edges of your ground sheet to give you even more protection. If you want to play it safe you can add the optional doorway. I carried the doorway on my trip but never needed to put it up while hiking solo.

How durable is the material?
The tent held up really well over my five month trip. I didn't get any punctures or tears, and didn't have to do any repairs. The cuben material feels paper thin and I was careful with it, but I think it is just as durable as silicone nylon would be. Cuben has the advantage that duct tape sticks really well to it so repairs in the field would be a breeze if needed. (Duct tape will not stick to sil-nylon). I would be comfortable using the same tent on a second thru-hike, I would just replace the seam tape since it is getting crispy after five months of sun, etc.

Won't the screen floor wear out quickly?
Surprisingly no! I was careful about picking up sticks and rocks and never got any holes in the floor. Sharp things like needles and thorns that can normally cause holes go right through the screen without doing any damage.

Will the tent fit two people?
The tent is meant for one person. Sheryl joined me for the second half of the thru-hike; with two people the tent was a snug fit, but it worked for us. Most people would want more space I think. You will need the optional doorway, as there is no extra room to avoid rain spray with two people. One nice thing though is we both had room to sit upright and cook outside the front. A twin version of the tent is in the works!

How does the tent do in strong wind?
Reasonably well, about the same as a typical tarp. Whenever possible choose a sheltered location such as under tree cover. If forced to camp in the open position the back or side into the wind and make sure it is staked out well. The cuben material is designed for making sails and can handle the stress of high winds.

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