Zpacks Altaplex vs SMD Deschutes CF ?

Minor edit (and I can’t edit the original post):  Second sentence of second paragraph should be “I use trekking poles. . . (present tense)”

Both the Deschutes CF and Altaplex are great options for LW shaped tarps, each with pros and cons. What is your height? How thick is your sleeping pad? How far do your trekking poles extend?

The Altaplex has much more head and toe room, but it’s heavier, requires a pole extender for most trekking poles, and has a larger wind profile (not sure how big a deal that is). The Deschutes is lighter and lower, but has less head and toe room while sleeping. The Deschutes front guy line attaches to the top of the door rather than the apex of the tarp like the Altaplex does, but this has not been a problem so far with strength. The Serenity Net Tent was made for the Deschutes, so the fit should be ideal. Also, the stock door closure hook that comes with the Deschutes as of 2015 worked very poorly and insecurely, so I replaced it with the same hook used on the new Zpacks tarps and now the doors close securely enough – using the Zpacks D-rings instead of perlon loops would fit even better (see third image below).

After researching these two tarps extensively, I decided on the Deschutes as I’m only 5′ 8″ tall. If pitched 6 inches off the ground, the Deschutes provides enough toe room and head room for my needs. When pitched lower, I have to be really careful with toes touching the underside of the tarp while sleeping.

Below are two diagrams that I created to help see the difference between these two tarps: the first is a front view, the second is a side view. In both diagrams, the blue structure represents a 5’9″ person laying on a 3″ thick 20×72″ pad. There’s a third diagram showing the modified door closure for the Deschutes. I’ve used the Deschutes CF on the JMT and local trips in WA state but have never used or even seen an Altaplex, so the Altaplex diagram may not be accurate in places.

Front view above.

Side view above.

Deschutes CF tarp with Zpacks double door hook and two 6mm red chord loops tied to the doors to fit snugly into each hook. Replacing the chord loops with the Zpacks d-rings for their doors would work even better, with a nice snap into place when each door is closed.

Wow, thanks for the very detailed reply, Lester!  That is great information!  Your attention to detail is impressive.

To answer a couple of questions, I am 6’0″, and my sleeping pad is a Thermarest NeoAir Xlite (which is 2.5 inches thick and 72 inches long).

One of my hesitations with the Altaplex is that it requires a pole length that exceeds most poles, as you mention.  I have decided that I could use some new poles, anyway, so if I go with the Altaplex I will buy poles that have the necessary length.  I like Black Diamond poles, but I’m not sure if any of their poles extend to the length the Altaplex requires.  I DO NOT want to use a pole jack, as I perceive this compromises the stability of the tarp/tent in heavy winds.  I realize this limits my pole selection for the Altaplex.

I have a Altaplex (and a Triplex) but have not used the Deschutes. Great response by Lester, I agree with pretty much everything he said.

At 6’1″, I really like the Altaplex for solo sleeping when I don’t have my dog. A small dog might fit but mine is 55lbs and she likes to stretch out. I recently used it for a 4 night trip around Mt. Rainier on the Wonderland trail and really liked it in both wind and rain. For a solo shelter it feels very roomy and the way the bathtub floor comes up keep rain splatter out. I slept 2 nights in the rain with one side of the door open and did not get wet inside at all as the top overhangs the bug net. If you hike somewhere you might be stuck in the tent through long afternoon/evenings, the extra space is really nice. I also have a Triplex and while it’s super wide, it actually feels a bit more cramped as it’s not nearly so tall and the walls are at a much shallower angle than the Altaplex.

The pole extender was also my biggest concern. It is a carbon fiber rod that weighs about 22g and really is no big deal at all. It seems wobbly but I stuck a plug in the bottom end and wrapped a bit of electrical tape in the end the pole goes into making it a very tight connection. Probably wasn’t necessary as the pressure the lines pull down with stabilizes the connection really well. Granted, I pitch in protected locations but one night had what I’d guess to be 30mph gusts in a less protected spot and had no stability problems (though I’d imagine if it were dusty desert conditions I would have ended up with a lot of dust inside the tent). You definitely need the extender though as if you pitch too low you will have condensation issues.

My other observation is that setup takes a bit longer than I’d like as you have to get all the lines right. I average 3-5 minutes depending on how level the site is. Not bad but not as fast as a freestanding tent.

Dave – Colin makes some good points above. I you are 6’0″, then definitely consider the extra interior height and wall steepness of the Altaplex tarp.

I’ve never used a pole extender, but if you have concerns about the strength of the Zpacks carbon fiber extender, you may be able to make one easily with the correct gauge and diameter of aluminum rod stock. Also consider that the combined weight of extra long trekking poles plus a carbon fiber extender may be more than the weight of regular light weight trekking poles plus an aluminum extender rod. That way you can buy whichever trekking poles you like, get a stronger pole extender, and save some weight as well.

I probably should have mentioned that I use the cheap Amazon Cascade Mountain Tech CF poles and a 12″ extender.

I emailed Black Diamond Equipment to ask if any of their poles will extend to 152 cm (the max length recommended for the Altaplex pole).  I’ll let you know if/when I hear back from them.

I read this post https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/102107/#864093 in which Manfred said, at 6’1″, the Deschutes fit him fine.  That’s good to know!

I have a Solplex which I really like and like you used to worry about breaking a walking pole (I experienced this on a recent trip and made do with a found stick) and I also use the handle section of one pole as the handle for my Ruta Locura Clarkii tenkara rod.  My solution now is to carry just a short zpacks cf pole for weight penalty of 25g and so only needing one walking pole for the tent pitch.

I have a Solplex which I really like and like you used to worry about breaking a walking pole (I experienced this on a recent trip and made do with a found stick) and I also use the handle section of one pole as the handle for my Ruta Locura Clarkii tenkara rod.  My solution now is to carry just a short zpacks cf pole for weight penalty of 25g and so only needing one walking pole for the tent pitch. “

Thanks for the reply, Mark.  How do you find the interior space of the Solplex?  Is there anything you like about it better than the Altaplex design?

I like two pole tents (Solplex, Duplex, smd Haven etc) as they provide better usable head room at lower overall height. There is also a feeling of greater volume in the tent.  I say this after using a smd Gatewood Cape and Serentity Net inner for a couple of years.

I find the interior space in Solplex adequate (I am 5’11” and 190lb) but not capacious. I get all my gear inside apart from shoes which stay in the vestibule.

This is interesting as I find the exact opposite of what Mark said! lol To each their own!

As I said in my first response, the very high center of the Altaplex creates steeper walls and therefore greater volume and space for head and feet when laying down verses the shallower angle walls of the other ‘plex and two pole tents. To me, that height and steep walls create a more livable space than having a lower roof, shallow walls but more width. I have a Triplex and while it’s VERY wide, it feels confined in comparison especially when laying down as the walls are much closer to your feet and face. In the Triplex I have to use a stick on the ends to prop the sides up to give me some space whereas in the Altaplex that’s totally unnecessary. The other advantage of steeper walls is when it snows it more readily slides off.

One has to remember the Altaplex is really a pyramid shape so has the advantages of that taller, steeper design. I also like that if I break a pole I’m not totally out of luck as I only need 1.

Oh, and getting back to the OP’s question, I personally am not a fan of two part shelters (bug screens/floors and tarps). Of course I live in Oregon and backpack in the PNW mostly so bug season is about 95% of summer and you need that bathtub for the rest of the year! I really like how the Zpacks tents stay dry when setting them up in the rain though I have to admit using a bug net by itself in summer does have an appeal when rain isn’t a concern.

Can anyone share what poles they are using with the Altaplex, without needing a pole jack?

Dave- I bought Black Diamond carbon ski poles to use with my first Altaplex which were long enough. With my second Altaplex, I bought the pole extender. In my opinion, I didn’t notice any difference between using poles that were long enough versus the extender.