MLD Duomid

Yes, I used the entire tube….. Still.. shouldn't make a 5 oz difference. Not a big deal to me, I'll just pack 1 less Clif bar or something.. ;-)

LOL. Just surprised a bit by the weight.

I own the Hexamid Twin. I don't own the Duo Mid but I do have the BD Mega Light so I'm somewhat familiar with the pros and cons of owning a mid.

The mid is the easiest shelter I own to pitch but it's not that big of a deal to pitch a Hexamid. I suspect my Hexamid may take an extra minute to set up and I only use fixed guy lines with it. Practice a few times in your yard and it'll become muscle memory.

My Hexamid has served me well in the rain; the only exception was a result of egregious user error from being stupid and lazy. Even then, I was fine although the midnight dash to adjust a couple stakes was unpleasant in the rain. As far as it's wind worthiness goes, it's untested for me and probably remain so. I've used it in windstorm but I don't pitch any shelter where it will take the full force of the wind; site selection is key.

As far as the companies go, I own a couple MLD products and I think they're great. I haven't had to return anything so I can't speak to their customer service from that angle but I'd certainly recommend them based on the quality of the tarp and pack I own.

I had my Twin Tarp converted to a tent by Zpacks. A pretty painless process. Any time I place an order, I get an email at the time the order is placed and along the way.

"It's the Duomid with *exactly* one tube of Silnet that came with it"

A whole tube….Ouch.

I bought a used sil DuoMid off of BPL gear swap 2 years ago and was disappointed to see it was slathered in sealant and weighed 21oz. Thinning the sealant with mineral spirits is not only lighter, but it also does a much better job as it penetrates the thread/seams better.

I'm not sure why everyone is comparing the cuben SOLO Hexamid to a silnylon DuoMid. These shelters are mismatched in both capacity and fabric.

Fair comparison:
Hexamid DuoPlex Tarp: 9.3oz, $375
MLD cuben DuoMid: 12oz, $425

OR
Hexamid SolPlex Tarp: 6.6oz, $260
MLD cuben SoloMid: 10.5oz, $365

This comparison illuminates the key difference: The Hexamid is cheaper and lighter because it's not full coverage like the DuoMid. Whether you want full coverage is up to you.

I'll agree that thinning with mineral spirits is lighter and does a better job (it is the technique I use), but it can only save maybe 0.5 – 1.0 oz max over SilNet. A tube of SilNet lists a net weight of 1.5 oz. Assuming that literally every drop of the tube is used and that no weight is lost due to evaporation, the max weight added from one tube shouldn't be more than 1.5 oz

Has the weight of the DuoMid crept up a tad over the years (I seem to remember Duomid weights from a couple years ago frequently being in the 18-20 oz range, but maybe my memory is wrong)? I assume part of that is due to additional features, but it may also be the weight of the silnylon fabric itself. Didn't TarpTent mention that most of their silnylon is now coming in over 1.5 oz/sq yd?

I think DuoMid weight did creep up a little over the past few years, but Ron said recently they're a bit lighter again.

"A whole tube….Ouch."

For the record, a tube of Silnet was barely enough to get the job done – it's definitely not enough to 'slather' it. I've always used mineral spirits and GE silicone caulk to seamseal my shelters – the Duomid is the first time I've ever used Silnet.

I used less than a quarter tube of Permatex to do my Solomid XL. Less than .3oz increase. That Silnet is too thick.

It's thick for sure. I ran out of Silnet just as I got to the end of the last seam – it was just enough.

It's done now, looks fine, not sloppy and I'm guessing I'll stay plenty dry when it rains.

It's always a mystery, trying to fathom why different folks have such different feelings about the same tents.

One clue came from the comment about,"serious bugs (think stinging/biting things like scorpions or ticks), heavy wind, heavy rain, heavy snow … ." At least one or more of the above is standard for me when backpacking a week or more in northern New England or Colorado, pretty much any time of the year.

So from reading threads like this one, I have to wonder if there are places to backpack that are not like the above. Did the JMT once, and only remember it being much colder in midsummer; but no serious bugs, wind, rain etc.

Another possibility is that: "I suppose that's why [the] dealers do so well; we boast about the bargains for ever and the swindles are conveniently forgotten." – Len Deighton, in "Faith"

Another clue: Some of Dan's comments in his initial post were based not only on experience with his own purchases; but also from observation of others with theirs over a substantial period of time.

Until a better explanation arises, the above will have to suffice. It's all good though, because I can ponder about designs that will address the issues raised by all, regardless of the tent/tarp. There may be the perfect shelter somewhere in the mix.

"Fair comparison:
Hexamid DuoPlex Tarp: 9.3oz, $375
MLD cuben DuoMid: 12oz, $425

OR
Hexamid SolPlex Tarp: 6.6oz, $260
MLD cuben SoloMid: 10.5oz, $365

This comparison illuminates the key difference: The Hexamid is cheaper and lighter because it's not full coverage like the DuoMid."
Dan, in what way do you mean the Hexamid is not full coverage? Do you mean the small gap between the bottom of the fly and the ground when it is in the normal set-up?

Incidentally, I think comparing the Duomid and Hexamids is somewhat pointless; they have different design aims and which is best for one person's use won't be for another's. (This last comment is aimed at the thread in general, not Dan's post in particular.)

My mistake. I was referring to the original Hexamid design and I didn't realize the SolPlex design added coverage.

I ordered the Duomid last Saturday and it arrived in the mail this afternoon.

I've got a serious date with some Silnet soon, lol!!

And a quick little overnight trip to give it its shakedown cruise.

Nice, cool and dry day yesterday with hardly a breeze so I pitched the Duomid on the deck and did the seam sealing.

I haven't sealed any seams in a long time and the process vividly refreshed my memory about how much tedious work is involved. No doubt somebody with more experience using Silnet thinned with a solvent could have done it a lot neater and much more quickly, but it's done and I'm pretty sure it isn't going to leak. Took exactly the one tube supplied… although a little difficult squeezing out those last few drops.

Very impressed with the quality of construction and the space inside. Very happy with how the edges come right down to the deck, seeing as how this is my winter tent. It will take some time to consider the pole options. It's just me and the dog, so the offset pole might work okay. Nice to have the apex loop option as well.

.

Well, I certainly see a range of silnylon Duomid weights. I just bought one recently off the swap, and in the sack, with guylines that seem rather burly to me, AND netting skirt, but not seam sealed, mine is 19.55 oz. Anybody weigh theirs before and after sealing?

Anyone successfully use a SMD serenity net tent in a MLD Duomid??

I didn't weigh mine before seam sealing, but I will weigh it tomorrow (want to let the sealer cure thoroughly before rolling/stuffing) in the stuff sack with guy lines (corner and side) and pole jack.

The supplied cord did seem a little more robust than necessary, so I used some 1.8mm Z-line on the corners and some 1.2mm Z-line (with mini linelocs) on the side pullouts. I haven't decided whether to use the mid-panel tensioners, except for the one on the door side so that only 1/2 of it can be opened.

I no longer have a Duomid, but when I did it weighed about 1/1.5 ozs over website spec unsealed. Thinner guylines may not hold properly under stress with the MLD line locs.

Duomid seam sealed with guylines = 23.940 oz, pole jack = 0.724 oz, stuff sack = 0.782 oz

And I'm going to need stakes and ground sheet of some sort. Probably Ground hogs for the corners and Ti skewers, or deadman sticks (no weight) when snow cover is assured.

As I mentioned, this is my winter tent, and that's not a horrible weight for a solid shelter. The Duplex (21.8 oz including stakes, stuff sack, guylines, no ground sheet needed) will remain my 3-season go-to. That thing is just a pleasure to use.

the reason MLD supplies lines like that is because as Jason says, thinner types can slip. Without a securing slipperry hitch (which sort of defeats the object of linelocs!), 1.8mm will not rliably stay tight.
I have tested various lines (after the Tarptent supplied line (2.2mm?) repeatedly slipped in wind n rain). All under 3mm slipped somewhat (or a lot) when wet and jerked hard. I stick with 3mm on crucial tie outs.

Jason and Mole,

Duly noted. I will use the fat cord!

To Dan and others who have had experience with the Cuben Duomid and solo inner net in cuben, would this shelter be appropriate (durable enough) for a thru hike across the Alaskan bush for 30-40 days. I presently have the duomid in sil nylon but I am looking for ways to lighten my load.

Thanks

Tarps/Mids are a good application for cuben. It's extremely strong stuff, so it can handle serious winds if it's properly built like the DuoMid. A cuben DuoMid should easily handle a 30-40 day trek like you're planning.

The issues with cuben arise from abrasion and torque. Abrasion is simple enough – avoid walking on your mid as it lays on the ground, don't use it as a ground sheet etc. By torque, I mean avoid rolling it up really aggressively and/or twisting the fabric, as the layers can start to separate in these situations. For example, a roll top dry bag made of cuben will eventually start to delaminate in the top inch or two where it gets a lot of rolling/twisting strain.

So properly treated, a cuben mid should last a very long time.

@Bob_M – Our Duomids, after sealing, weigh practically the same. I also used exactly 1 tube of Silnet and it was a bit of a race to see if I'd run out of Silnet before I ran out of seams to seal.

I used the supplied cord on the corners and 2.3mm Dyneema Reflective Glowire for the mid panel tieouts. Makes it easier to locate the corners quickly too…..

I'm not going to lose any sleep over an extra ounce of seam sealer on my tent. I've got about 3600 trail miles in the past 12 calendar months – hiking is what matters most to me – not having the lightest Duomid. ;-))

Edited to add: I'd never used Silnet before but it came with the mid – I don't think I'd use it again and if I had it to do over I would have used mineral spirtis and silicone to seal the Duomid.