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Calling All ZPacks Duplex Users


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Viewing 23 posts - 76 through 98 (of 98 total)
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  • #3494948
    Bob Moulder
    BPL Member

    @bobmny10562

    Locale: Westchester County, NY

    Maybe the server is now in China.  :-/

    #3494950
    Brad P
    Spectator

    @brawndo

    The software is using Greenwich Mean Time.

    #3494951
    Gunnar H
    BPL Member

    @qy

    Nice being ahead for once. But in Sweden it looks normal.

    #3494952
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    The software is using Greenwich Mean Time.

    Ah…Thanks Brad.  That’s all well and good…but it is a change.  It used to display MST/MDT.

    Just sayin’

    #3494953
    Brad P
    Spectator

    @brawndo

    Ideally, it would be stored in the database as GMT, but a user’s profile would indicate the user’s own time zone and the software would do the math when the time is displayed.

    #3495027
    USA Duane Hall
    BPL Member

    @hikerduane

    Locale: Extreme northern Sierra Nevada

    Is there a icon of someone beating a dead horse?

    Duane

    #3495031
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    #3495065
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Love that one. So Happy Anniversary wishes to this thread and hopes that someday something

    There is a Bug Report on the time issue thing.

    #3495070
    Bob Moulder
    BPL Member

    @bobmny10562

    Locale: Westchester County, NY

    Wow, whoa, it’s been a year already?

    Yep, I’m downright giddy about the prospects of a thorough review!

    #3495077
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    To quote Morrissey…

    ”Please, please, please let me get what I want this time!”

    #3495167
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    Lots of info in this thread to distill Bob. Might take awhile, lol.

    #3496913
    Brad P
    Spectator

    @brawndo

    My Duplex arrived last week.  I set it up in the yard once and then used it at a Boy Scout Camporee this weekend.

    First impression is quite good.  I used the “new” Zpacks setup method and loosely staked the 4 corners.  Then I did the poles and finally the sides.  This worked well. I fiddled a little with the stakes to get it looking good.

    I’m 6’3″ and average build.  I fit well with adequate headroom.  Since we were car camping, I had more stuff than usual, but had room for everything inside the tent.

    We arrived in a light mist, which ended a couple of hours later.  I left 1 door open and wondered if I should leave an opposing door open.  In the morning, everything was damp outside, even stuff put out after the rain stopped.  The walls of the tent had condensation, but nothing dripped on the floor or even rolled down the walls.

    I got the camo version since I’m an assistant scoutmaster and wanted the greater privacy.

    #3500398
    Ugo 7
    BPL Member

    @7030-ugo

    Greetings to you all.

    I wasn’t sure if it’s ok posting on a thread started one year ago, but given the recent activity and that the thread I’ve started didn’t get me the clarity I need, I’ll ask here :)

     

    I really like the duplex Camo.

    But I’m a cold sleeper and I’m kind of worried for the draught which the all Mesh doors can mean in cold weather.

    I am improving my sleeping gear and maybe that’s enough to have no problem with the draught, but given the economical effort of buying this tent I still would like to hear your thoughts before opening the wallet.

    It may be useful for the review too, as I didn’t find much about it in these 4 pages.

    Could you please give some feedback about your experience with the draught in the duplex in cold weather, how problematic you’ve found it, what do you do to resist the cold wind entering, etc?

     

    Thanks!

    #3500400
    Bob Moulder
    BPL Member

    @bobmny10562

    Locale: Westchester County, NY

    I’ve used it at 7°F and windy, 20-30 mph.

    I had it pitched very low but still it was darn nippy and breezy inside. Brrrr…. glad I had my dog to warm me up.

    #3500402
    JCH
    BPL Member

    @pastyj-2-2

    Since you say you are a cold sleeper, regardless of how it is pitched, I think there is a good chance would not be particularly happy in the the Duplex in cold windy conditions. As others have said, clever campsite selection is key to extending the operating range of the Duplex.

    Personally, I have no problems with it.  I have been down to about 10F with a 5 mph wind w/occasional gusts.  10F quilt, Cap4 top and bottom, down socks, down puffy draped over my torso under the quilt with a cap4 balaclava over a MH Windstopper microfleece beanie…no dog :)

    Hope any of that helps.

    #3500743
    Cameron M
    BPL Member

    @cameronm-aka-backstroke

    Locale: Los Angeles

    I met two different groups of people this summer who opted for a triplex as the additional weight is only 3 oz. for an increase of 15″ in width. They spoke enthusiastically about the tent.

    #3524328
    David Wiese
    BPL Member

    @dtothewiese

    Does this still need to be stickied?

    #3525446
    Josh
    BPL Member

    @gudmond

    Love this thread and I guess I want to piggyback off the end because I have been debating using this tent over my atko for mid September thru hike in Sweden kungsleden then Mont Blanc.

    Would you say this isn’t the tent for cold windy if you are a novice with this tent?

     

    ive only ever used the atko and that I’m assuming you can kinda set up anywhere and be fine.

    #3525616
    Gunnar H
    BPL Member

    @qy

    Hello Josh

    This will be some ifs and buts, but hopefully useful anyway.

    I used my Duplex in the area August last year (https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/europe-above-the-polar-circle-sweden).

    You will find it breezy compared to your Akto. Having slept in Hilleberg tent previously I could put it as I didn´t really know how windy it was in the mountains a night that is not really windy. (Hope that make sence.) I will use it there again but first I will do some modifications to be able to reduce ventilation further. The main “problem” is that the doors doesn´t reach the ground even if you pich it low.

    Mid-september is approaching shoulder season, but for most part (but not for the whole Kungsleden) you can sleep in cabins. I think the cabins are still open but you should check that. So:

    – If you want to pitch your tent anywere without much site selection and have a good sleep -> Akto.(Thats what Hillebergs are for…)

    – If low weight is the top priority, you have a sleeping bag that is slightly warmer than needed and you are prepared to sleep in cabins if it is to windy -> Duplex.

    If I had the choice I think I would pick the Akto over the Duplex for an trip ending mid September. But I would not stick to a route along the cabins. However I don´t have the choise and would then not hesitate to use my modified Duplex with a slightly warmer sleeping bag.

    If you decide on the Duplex I recommend you bring extra tieouts for the loops for holding the doors. They are not made for tieouts, but I wrote to Zpacks asking about it. Joe replyed that there were well aware that peope use them for tieouts and they had never heard of any problems with it.

    This thread can also give you useful information about Kungsleden. I can aso help with other questions regarding Kungsleden, but then it is better you post them in this thread:

    https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/northern-sweden-kungsleden/

    Avoid Nikkaloukta – Abisko 17-24 August unless you want to hang out with the 2000 participants of Fjällräven Classic.

    http://classic.fjallraven.com/sweden/

    Nights are a bit colder, but he unstable weather gets a bit more stable late August and September, and the mountains never are more beautiful than during fall. A great time for the mountains.

    #3528051
    Myles S
    BPL Member

    @trees

    I used the Duplex in Swedish Lapland on and around the Kungsleden from Abisko to Nikkaluokta last summer in early July (at the beginnning of the hiking season). I used the extra (door) tieouts that Gunnar mentioned. I think they add some extra support, although it’s hard to get a very pretty pitch while using those tie-outs, as they interrupt the (cat) curve, as shown in the image below. Becuase of that, the seam below the tie out tends to slack. However, maybe adjusting the pitch can help minimize that problem. Curious if you experienced this issue as well Gunnar, and if you think it is mostly just aesthetic, or if there are functional consequences.

     

    Generally, I tried to find relatively protected campsites. The Duplex is certainly breezy, but I don’t think there’s any real danger of it failing in the winds there, just being uncomfortable/cold. Ultimately, I think it’s a trade off of comfort for weight.

     

    Gunnar, what are the modifications to the Duplex that you mentioned? Are you thinking of some sort of beak to prevent ventilation? Very interested in what you come up with.

     

    #3528507
    Gunnar H
    BPL Member

    @qy

    Hi Myles, good to hear from you.

    I only attach and use the extra tieouts nights I expect a little more wind. I then do them last. It does´t look good for me either but feels stable. (The duplex isn´t the most beautiful tent to start with either…)

    I am waiting for the winter to let go of southern Sweden to finalize my modifications and take some photos. It will be much easier to understand the mods from the photos. But it is about being able to reduce ventilation much more without any significant reduction of the exellent ventilation the tent has to start with. I will post the the modifications in this thread when they are ready.

    #3528515
    Myles S
    BPL Member

    @trees

    Interesting Gunnar, excited to see what you’ve designed.

    #3541302
    Gunnar H
    BPL Member

    @qy

    Mods for Duplex I a windy environment
    The shape of the Duplex is very similar to a classic Swedish mountain tent from the 60-ies or the 70-ies, and they could handle a 30-40 m/s winter storm. so given weight and interior space it attracted my attention. So the general shape can handle a storm, but can a Duplex do it?
    I bought my Duplex after a large number of google searches for failures in high wind, since the primary intended use is above the tree line in Scandinavia i summer. There are a few well-known spectacular failures but I didn’t really find many failures given how popular the tent is. In the other hand it is also difficult to find conclusive evidence that it can handle high winds well, there are stories when it handles wind well, but you don’t get to much details and it doesn’t seem to blow more than about 20 m/s or something like that, so they are were not conclusive evidence. I decided to go for it, mainly based on the low number of known failures.
    I haven’t experienced any winds much above 10 m/s with it so far, but it feels stable and solid in the wind so I still feels it will stand well in a storm. I do however think you then need extra guy lines on almost any tent in strong and I use the extra lines for the door holders as Manfred on his Iceland trip. The door holders are not really intended as guy line holders so I sent a question about it to Z-packs. I got this answer from Joe:
    “I know some people do that, and so far I haven’t heard any reports of it causing damage. They probably won’t hold as much stress as the regular tie outs but the force would be distributed more too. Worst case, any damage would be repairable. If you try it and have any issues please let us know.”

    After buying the tent I, the first time i pitched it I noticed I had missed an important detail. The Duplex doors don’t go as low as the rest of the tent – I had taken that for granted (the doors on the classic mountain tents did…). Pitching low would not stop draught through the doors.

    After the hike last summer I could confirm that draught was a bit of a problem. Having used Hilleberg tents previous years, I learned that it blows much more even on a calm night than I had realised.

    However, I like a lot of things about the Duplex so decided to go for modifications to reduce draught instead of trying some other tent.

    I had two goals with my mods:
    – To be able to cut out draught without (significantly) reducing the maximum ventilation and without having to pitch the tent all the way to the ground when windy
    – To increase the storm worthiness.

    All the modifications are simple things.

    I made two mods for reducing draught. The main source for draught are the doors even when they are fully closed so I started to deal with that. I fastened an elastic cord by the bath tub and the wall in each corner (see photos). I can then put a thin cord with mitten hooks from the existing loops on the inside at the poles to the corners (this also helps the bath tub integrity when pitching low). On the thin cord I attach things to create a partial inner tent. I use poncho and always carry a Tyvek map so together with rain pants I do already bring what I need for covering the doors, but it could also be done with 2 bits of tyvek cut to size or something similar.
    The lower part of the “partial inner tent” is secured with food packages etc. It should be enough i hope, the doors are still breaking the wind. It leaves a gap above the cord, but it is a good place to let some air in so I really don’t mind that.

    I tried some makeshift solutions for partial inner last summer and seemed to work better than I had actually hoped even though it is not turning a Duplex into a Hilleberg black label. It maybe will take further fine-tuning such as attachment to the bath tub but I am confident from the tests I made last summer that can work. The added weight depends on what you use for attachment and if you already bring something that can be used as cover. My configuration is probably less than 0.5 Oz added weight. It does not reduce the maximum possible ventilation.

     

    The elastic cord is attached to both the wall and the bath tub with DCF repair tape:

     

    The second modification to reduce draught was to use a piece of 0.51 Oz/sq-yd DCF to cover the gap to the ground on the wind-side of the tent. I taped the full upper edge to the tent and secured the lower edge to the bathtub at each end and in the middle, so condensation from the inside of the tent still can find its way out. This should reduce draught and hopefully also allow me to pitch the tent higher when it’s windy. When it is pitched all the way to the ground it gets to low inside for me. This mod actually reduces the maximum possible ventilation, but it should be of minor significance I hope. Added weight must be much less than 0.5 Oz.

    It is taped partly on top of the Z-packs labels:

    Taped at the corners of the bathtub:

    And in the middle:

    For storm worthiness, my concerns are not about shape or build quality, but rather staking. The guy lines from the poles and sides are extremely short, giving unnecessary stress on the stakes. The ones on the sides is easy to just make longer, but longer guy lines at the poles will pull the doors slightly high and more importantly, tend to put unnecessary stress om the guy line attachment at the handle. On the top, above the poles, there is another loop that I think is for the freestanding solution. I could just use that to attach extra guy lines, but that would mean two extra stakes and adding stakes will quickly add weight (I already have for extra for the door holders). I decided instead to move the guy line to the upper loop so I could make it longer. That may however increase the risk that the pole is moving out of position, even though initial tests indicated it should work OK. I decided to try it but the jury is very much still out on that one.

    I also attached a loop for a stake low on the wind-side to be able to keep the tent away from the bathtub in wind. This cost a stake but I can’t believe this will not be a problem in hard wind, so I guess it is the weight of a stake for peace in mind.

    It is difficult to see on the photo, but it made quite a difference:

    So far, only the “inner tent” part has had any testing, but I don’t really have time to do anything really testing this summer, so I thought I could just as well put out the ideas now, without any real life experience of using them. After next summer I should have some experience unless the weather in the mountains is uncharacteristically calm then.

Viewing 23 posts - 76 through 98 (of 98 total)
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