ZPacks Solplex v Altaplex for me

A lot of the designated campsites in the Olympics are in heavily forested valleys, so a smaller footprint might be an advantage there (unless using the hammock in those sites). I suspect both shelters would handle the winds just fine for regular 3 season use if you staked them well and covered the stakes with heavy rocks whenever possible when camping at less sheltered sites (core Enchantments area in the Fall). It may boil down to how much internal space you prefer.

Have you considered the Hexamid Solo? Other than having a lower entry height (29″ under the beak) is has many of the benefits of the Solplex (smaller footprint, lower peak height, less weight) and the Altaplex (one pole and more internal space).

I really enjoy my Altaplex at 16.9oz and there is a lot of room for me and my pack.

I do almost all of my hiking in the North Cascades and Olympics and would be worried about any of the Zpacks shelters above the tree line, especially in shoulder season. I use my Hexamid Twin in the summer, but mostly in the trees. I think you should reconsider the Mid option, but size up. Consider the MLD DuoMid. Lots of folks use the solo inner-net from MLD, leaving a huge vestibule area. Just leave it behind when the bug pressure is gone. I use an MLD DuoMid when hiking solo, paired with a Zpacks poncho/ground sheet and a S2S bug net if I am worried about mosquitos.  With a single pole set-up off center, there is still a ton of room. It has a higher fiddle factor then using the inner-net, but it is lighter overall (dual use groundsheet/poncho) and very flexible. Even using a pole jack the set up will be bomb proof.

I have pretty much settled on the Duomid as my go-to shelter – the modular nature of it works really well.  But when it’s just me and I need the innernet, I just leave it attached inside and there is no fiddle factor at all.

I get to camp, set out the Duomid, stake out for corners then put the pole in the middle (yes I use a jack but it’s no big deal at all – just goes in the stake bag and I never notice it).  My friends on the CT (one used a duplex and one used a Big Agnes fly creek) used to laugh that I would be in my tent sound asleep by the time they would get their tents up – mine was just so fast and so simple…even in high winds it was just so darned easy to pitch – with the inner attached.  It’s about as close to a perfect shelter as you’re going to find (and I’m always right about everything – so there!)

Alright, alright. Heart says a plex, but brain says a mid. This purchase must be the exposed-spot shelter, otherwise I’d be in the hammock.  I’ll start a new thread about my pole length/jack hang ups!