ZPacks Duplex Zip Tent Review

Introduction

The ZPacks Duplex Zip Tent is a 2-person, 2-door, 2-vestibule, side-entry trekking pole tent made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics. The ZPacks Duplex Zip weighs 20.4 ounces (577 g) and has an MSRP of $699.

Zpacks Duplex Zip Tent

The ZPacks Duplex Zip Tent is a 2-person, 2-door, 2-vestibule, side-entry trekking pole tent made with Dyneema Composite Fabrics.

WEIGHT: 20.4 ounces (577 g)

WHAT'S UNIQUE:

• zippered side doors
• peak vents
• magnetic door toggles

MAIN ISSUES:

• high perimeter promotes airflow but makes it less wind-resistant

See it at Zpacks

The Duplex Zip, unlike the iconic ZPacks Duplex, has zippered side doors instead of overlapping doors secured with clips. The Duplex Zip also includes peak vents and magnetic door toggles, features that are missing from the Duplex. The ZPacks Duplex, however, is about 2 ounces (56 g) lighter and $30 cheaper than the Duplex Zip.

The Duplex Zip embodies the popular category of shelters characterized as “2-person single-wall tents with canopies made from Dyneema Composite Fabrics that are pitched with two trekking poles, and have dual entrances, dual vestibules, and a side-entry design.” Other tents in this category include:

• ZPacks Duplex
• Gossamer Gear The Two DCF (currently unavailable)
• Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 2P
• Tarptent Dipole 2 Li
• Bonfus Duos 2P

The following table summarizes each of these shelters and compares their weight (not including stakes and storage bags) and cost.

* The Gosssamer Gear The Two DCF pricing was current as of fall 2022. However, that model is currently unavailable.

The ZPacks Duplex Zip is a so-called “six-panel” trekking pole tent. This design is characterized by two vestibules, each comprised of two panels of fabric (each one being a door), and two large fabric panels that make up the sloping roof ends of each side of the shelter.

The primary design feature of a six-panel tent is its ability to minimize the square footage (and weight) of fabric while providing a reasonable amount of sleeping and vestibule space. Consequently, most six-panel tents are differentiated by their dimensions rather than their structural components and stability. To learn more about this product category, see our Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent Review.

Watch the Video Review of the ZPacks Duplex Zip

The following video summarizes my review of the ZPacks Duplex Zip, and includes the following sections (clickable timecodes are available in the video description at YouTube.

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 0:36 – Differences between the ZPacks Duplex & Duplex Zip
• 0:40 – #3 YKK Aquaguard zipper, vestibule door guyline & clip
• 1:55 – Peak vent (mesh backing issue)
• 2:36 – Magnetic door closure straps
• 3:28 – ZPacks Duplex Zip setup / pitching
• 7:00 – ZPacks Duplex & Duplex Zip features (outside)
• 8:50 – Dimensions, fit with 2 wide sleeping pads, tall people, couples, pitch footprint
• 11:14 – Materials – canopy fabric
• 11:45 – Inside features – vestibule
• 12:50 – Rainbow zipper
• 13:42 – My favorite features of dual-door side-entry tents
• 14:23 – Bathtub floor, end vents, condensation drains
• 15:54 – Pockets, interior gear loops
• 16:28 – Bathtub floor material
• 16:55 – Interior gear storage, livability inside
• 17:24 – Performance in wind, stake holding power, additional guylines, stability issues
• 18:54 – Is this an above-the-treeline or 3/4-season tent?
• 19:16 – Snow loading
• 19:36 – Heavy rain performance
• 20:23 – Condensation resistance
• 21:08 – Recommendations for improvement (condensation drain/vent, peak vent design, cut-and-sew QA/QC)
• 22:25 – (6-panel tent design) – the Achilles’ heel of these designs
• 23:29 – Conclusion