ZPacks Duplex real floor width, are the specs wrong?

How old is your Duplex?  Wondering if they have changed over time.

Late 2016. I checked web.archive.org and the measurements did not seem to change since.

https://web.archive.org/web/20161121122033/http://zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

This tent has a solid, sewn in 8 inch (20 cm) tall bathtub floor rather than a detachable groundsheet like our other tents. The bathtub floor is a rectangle 45 inches wide by 7.5 feet long (114cm x 2.3m).

If I measure my floor bug net to bug net, it comes out 55” (vs 8” height + 45” width + 8” height = 61” if I understand the website correctly). The length along the edge with bug net is less than 220 cm (vs 230 stated).

The stated weight is now lower. 595 grams for 0.51 cuben then vs 539 now, probably due to some design improvements.

I could be wrong but I think the main change that affected the weight was the switch from zippers to clips.

We have a very early Duplex, from the first month they were available, and as far as I know, they’ve never had zippers, except on the inner. They did have a different clip system to close but I don’t think it made much difference to the weight.

Incidentally, we’ve had two Klymit Insulated Static Vs (23″ wide)  in it without a problem. We do set it up with the pole lower than recommended though.

Like @williamc3, my Duplex is very early…Nov 2013…and there were never any zippers except for the inner netting doors.  It is a .74 canopy and while I haven’t weighed it recently :) it was right on the published specs when new.  I will try to get it out tonight and measure it up.

I stand corrected re. the zips.

The 2018 weight savings were due to a switch to lighter weight bug netting, I believe.

2019 may see a further weight reduction (maybe another 30-40g?) if the new, lighter “V” linelocs with 1.2mm cord prove effective on the Plexamid V Beta.

I’ve been doing some testing on the LineLoc V’s. They are not a good design. The V shaped grove wears into a U shape with as little as 2 feet of cord slippage, and holding power is reduced by over 80% subsequently. Also, at high loads the V shape cuts the cord much below its breaking strength.

When I did controlled testing, I could load up a LineLoc V to about 90 lbs and then it would either cut the cord (some trials) or slip (other trials). If it slipped so the load dropped 2-3 feet then the V shaped groove was entirely worn into a U shape and holding power was dramatically reduced from 90 lbs to about 10-15 lbs. It’s basically shot.

The problem is partly the V design that places the load on the plastic rather than back on the cord (like a LineLoc3 partly does) but also because the plastic being used it too soft and it wears at much higher rates than the plastic used in LineLoc3’s.

So they work when new and many folks could use them for a long time and not have a problem, but if you get slippage for any reason (e.g. someone tripping over the cord) then that LineLoc V is likely toast. Even under normal use, I wouldn’t be surprised if the wear of adjusting them substantially degrades the holding power over time because the plastic is so soft and the force is so focused. What I expect will happen is that they are fine for a while but wearing slowly with use. Then after moderate use they will have worn enough that they start to slip slightly under strain (e.g. wind) and then they’ll rapidly degrade from there.

I’ve been testing other options too. As far as I can tell, the only options for enabling lighter cord are using taut line hitches or cam cleats. You can also use a LineLoc3 which is only 0.1 grams heaver, and then use 12″ of thicker cord with that before connecting that to thinner stuff.

Dan.

( Thread drift – sorry – maybe another thread is needed)

In my experience, the groove in the mini clamcleats can also wear to a U with thin line after a while. I’ve had 2mm line wear mine out. During a particularly windy 2 week trip kept slipping, ( guys on the hoop pole on the Scarp) and realised that was the problem once examined and swapped for new once home.

The Slidelock type adjuster appears to work with thin line ok so far. But slightly heavier than lineloc3s and quite an agressive action on the line.

Good point on the cam cleats – I haven’t tested them to failure yet. The reason I was more optimistic on them is because at least they’re easily replaced when they wear out, whereas most of these other tensioners are permanently sewn to the tent so the stakes are higher.

That Slidelock looks interesting but RSBTR in the comments says it’s more for secondary guyouts and seemingly not strong enough for a ridgeline.

@williamc3, could you take some width measurements of your Duplex? Particularly, the total floor width from bug mesh to bug mesh without setting up the tent. Mine came out 55″.

And what pole height did you usually use with 2×23″ pads?

It’s late evening here, but I’ll try to remember to measure the floor width tomorrow.

As to pole height, we normally pitch with the poles set at a little under 115cm (ca 45 inches), so quite a bit less than Zpacks recommended height. It does make the groundsheet wider.

Thank you, William. It would be very interesting to compare the measurements.

We usually pitch with 110cm poles and that seems to not outstretch the mesh with our 2×20″ pads. Not sure though that we have as much as 6″ extra width for wider pads there. I’m going to pitch it in my living room and try stuffing the pads and 6″ of some rolled fabric between them to see how that goes.

Ok, I measured the width at the seam across the centre and it was a smidgeon over 143cm, so an inch and a half or so wider than yours. I also measured across the top of the groundsheet at each end (because I misunderstood what you wanted until I reread your post), from the seams in the netting, and got 108cm.

Also, not a big difference but I misremembered the pole height we use – it’s 112cm, not 115.

@John W  Are you still using your Duplex for two people? I am considering a Duplex for me and my wife and we also have 25″ and 20″ wide pads. Wondering if this will be an issue.

The Tarptent SS Li has a 45″ floor.

It does fit 1x 25″ plus 1x 20″ mat , as seen in the product photos

@Franco-Thanks.