Is it worth buying a Zpacks Hexamid tarp if I have a TT Notch? And what color if I do?

[chris arvin]

I've sold quite a bit of gear and have a few hundred dollars burning a hole in my paypal account. I need to buy something. :)

I've been eyeballing a Zpacks Hexamid for a few years now. I think I'd rather have the tarp than the tent.

I'd lack to get my pack size down to around a Murmur or at least to the point where I don't have to use a hipbelt. I'm using a Gorilla right now, plenty of room, and about 7-8 pounds base weight. I hope to get my volume down to use the Murmur.

I love my Notch. There's nothing wrong with it except that it is 27.5 ounces with 8" easton stakes and that I have to use my black diamond adjustable poles with it. I have non-adjustable LT3s that would work with a hexamid. That difference would save about a pound of weight right there and the LT3s are more comfortable. I guess I could get a pair of LT4s though for the Notch.

If I figure up everything for the Hexamid, it weighs about 17.5 ounces which includes using a Borah Bugbivy and a small tyvek sheet for gear. So the weight savings would be 10 ounces not including the difference in weight of the poles.

Does this sound worth it?

What color seems the best? I'm leaning towards the white.

Thanks for any advice.

[David Maxwell]

They now have a camo pattern for their tarps and tents.

[chris arvin]

I forgot to add that I'm mostly a weekend hiker with a week long trip a few times a year. I backpack in KY, TN, and the VA area.

[Ian]

This is just my opinion but I bought the Hexamid Twin as a tarp and sent it back to have the netting sewn in. What I found was for bug protection, my attempts to make this a modular system added unnecessary weight and made it more kludgy than it needed to be. The only downside is that it tripled the size of the shelter when packed as it was the size of a grapefruit when it was a tarp and football sized as a tent.

Don't own the bug bivy you've referenced so can't say how that would compare as far as pack volume goes.

With all that being said, I find much more often than not, the bugs tend to calm down at night and I could get by by zipping up my sleeping bag and putting my head net on so I just purchased a Grace Solo off of gear swap.

Color comes down to personal preference. I have the green one and it's fine.

[Franco Darioli]

What is the size of your LT3 ?

[chris arvin]

Hi Franco! Can't you get Mr. Shires to use some cuben?

Anyway, my LT3s are 125s.

[Franco Darioli]

I see…
At 125cm spreading the poles out a bit is doable but not ideal :

looks like this with the poles perpendicular to the ground :
high but I think still not as high as some.

[Myles Booth]

Just curious, ian, how much weight did adding the netting add to the tarp? I think the bivys are around 6oz.

[Ian]

Hi Myles,

A year ago I could have told you within a fraction of an oz as I weighed it before and after they added the net. Don't remember anymore but per Zpacks specs, adding the netting adds 5.8 oz (for the Twin) vs a Borah Gear bug bivy for example which is advertised at 6oz if you forgo the side zipper.

That 5.8 oz looks even better when it is protecting two people from bugs.

[K C]

Yes,

It's worth it, save a ton of weight and have the option of cowboy camping and leave the hex tarp in your pack in good weather. I have the first camo one ever produced and love it!

[Jennifer Mitol]

the white is cool because you can see stars and the moon through it :)

I have a green duomid now and frankly, when I splurge for the solplex I'll go ahead and do the drab green again I think. The white was AWFULLY transparent (but not sure how much the green would change that anyway….)

[Author]

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