Duplex vs Echo II vs LBO (base+tarp+vestuble)

I’ve never heard of a cuben LBO.

I think you have picked three shelters that are very different. It seems hard to compare them.

What kinds of conditions are you trying to prepare for?

A couple general comments: modularity is nice. I’m feeling pretty good about my new Duomid and how it works with a bivy. I’ve got a Solomid XL inner for it as well but haven’t spent a night in that yet. I like being able to chose components depending on the trip (Am I sharing the shelter with my son or dog? Is rain expected? Are we going to hike long days or will this involve more time in camp? Bug pressure? etc.)

I can’t say a whole lot about comparison. But, I did own an echo II for a short time. I did not like it at all because of the lack of head room. I could sit up in it but only at the very head end, with my back against the door, and my head was still against the net. I’m not tall, only 5’10” so that’s not the issue. My conclusion is that it’s more like a bivy with a little more space. It’s not a shelter you will want to hang out in if the bugs or weather are bad. For that reason, I moved on quickly.

Since you are new to backpacking, I think you would be well off keeping your shelter easy to pitch, and pretty weather proof regardless of where you pitch it. Modular systems require more thought in terms of pitch and location. Also you need to decide on your preference of end or side entry.

The cuben fiber LBO was sold for a short time many years ago, SO hasn’t sold a cuben product for probably going on 3 years now.

I saw a few mentions of people selling used cuben LBO’s from a few years back and I just assumed SO was still making them… Thanks for the heads up!

I chose a TT Rainbow for my first tent. I intend to use it for conditions that don’t involve snow/serious winter stuff. I want much more experience with the Rainbow to better figure what I do and don’t like (only used it a few times in nice weather), but I’m also hoping to gain a better understanding of the different types of tents and options available. Before this summer I didn’t know anything other than double-walled geodesic dome tents existed and I assumed they would be stronger and lighter than older tent designs. Roger Caffin’s series on tunnel tents is very enlightening. A-frame tents come in many different setups though. On the forums tents with similar  features are often compared but I want to know more about style. I guess I’m trying to ask how well does cuben fiber work in A-frame tents? How do different A-frame tent designs compare in structure, comfort, etc? Are there some aspects of these designs which can help indicate how they will perform (like the distance between poles and tension along the main axis in tunnel tents) ?

I own the Echo II but we bought it with camping with my wife in mind. Now I take the tarp and leave the mesh at home for weight savings (1lb for the inner!) when I’m solo. So as someone else has mentioned, the modularity is a great factor. If I was going solo though I’d probably have ended up with the Duplex.

That being said there are a lot of happy UL people out there with the Echo II. Everyone has their own needs and opinions. Unfortunately no matter what shelter you buy you’ll always covet something else because there is no 1 single “greatest shelter type”.

For the Echo: Are you ok with no headroom? Are you ok with a little extra weight to get a really efficient space-wise package that will shield you from everything in a 3 season environment while still not collecting condensation and working out to about 2lbs packed for a shelter? Do you not mind paying a little premium to get the HMG label?

For the Duplex: Are you ok with condensation build up if you gotta close it all up? Do you care that you’re losing pitch options that you’d get with a straight up tarp? Are you ok with the shelter “as-is” in all camping situations?

This is one of the hardest items you’re going to have to purchase because there’ll never be a “perfect” answer for anyone. You gotta look at what other people have done, why and match it against your personal preferences. You’re going to get more people here probably who like the Duplex but still others who respect or even own the Echo II and use it is the bottom line. They’re both quality shelters.

Focusing only on those two cause they’re the ones I know anything about.