Could you please share your experiences using either of these two tents (I am looking at the Duplex) in winter weather, strong winds, storms, sideways rain, pitching in the snow, etc?
I realise these are not winter tents, but at lot of my time will not be spent in the mountains. I am going to kick around SE Asia for the next 6 months or so, and in the spring go trekking in northern India and Nepal. I like to get off the beaten track and camp often instead of staying in hotels, hostels, or (in the case of Nepal trekking) teahouses.
A few questions that come to mind:
– How do you adjust your setup for these conditions? Can the edges of the tarp be lowered closer to the ground (I think the Altaplex has this ability)? Can additional tie-down points be added?
– Do you find the trekking/ski pole setup adequate in snow, especially soft/wet snow — presumably you are using baskets, but is it enough? Do you bury the baskets in snow and pack it down?
– Have you dug a snow wall with these tents in high winds and how did you fare
– Have you used the freestanding Flex poles for added strength in high winds or snow load?
– Have you torn/shredded your ‘plex in high winds? (independently of how well you anchored it down)
– Are the door clips really sufficient? I can imagine a howling gale tear that apart… but I could be wrong. Or maybe I misunderstand how the tarp doors fasten. If the winds aren’t call over the place, what’s the best way to orient a Solo/Duplex?
– Do you manage condensation any differently vs other tents in low temps where using the normally great ventilation of the Solo/Duplex is not such a good option? Do you find the non-absorbent property of cuben advantageous/disadvantageous for frozen condensation? Does having no separable inner make it harder to shake off frost when packing up?
– Anything else..?
Thanks a bunch!
