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  1. #1
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    Default zpack altaplex vs river country trekker tent one

    high end / low end of practically the same design

    1+ person - half pyramid with single trekking pole pitch

    altaplex (now replaced by plexamid) - dyneema cuban fiber fabric, light guy lines, no stakes/ pole included - with heavier fabric option and carbon fiber stakes weighs 22oz (needs 1 trekking pole) - with the stakes it was 620$

    river country: old fashion sturdy coated nylon fabric, taped seems, thick guy lines, nice aluminum stakes - weight with stakes 42oz (needs 1 trekking pole)
    - this was 40$ delivered

    first impressions: for weatherproof, the river country edges out the zpack, zippered fly and a little more solid fabric

    with the zpack heavier material option they should both be durable but the river country still may have double the life

    for ventilation / breathability: the zpack looks better - hard to say, because like all single wall tents they will both have significant condensation

    ease of set up goes to zpack's adjustable stake out points

    wind stability looks adequete (but not great, these are not winter tents) for both


    so overall about equal performance

    weight is obvious with the river country being near double the zpack - but at 42 oz it would still make sense in a 13 lb base setup

    price: you can buy 15 river country tents for the price of 1 zpack - if the durability turns out to be double, so 40$ vs 1100$ then each ounce of saved pack weight would cost 55$

    so until the base weight is getting seriously below 10 lbs the weight savings is unlikely worth the money - spending the same $$$ on other gear could save more weight

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    Is THIS the River Country tent you're talking about?

    The only thing they have in common is that they are tents. The River Country is a pup tent with no vestibules, and a door on one end only according to specs... these are totally different designs. This is like comparing a Bugatti Veyron and a Yugo — pointless.

  3. #3
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    whatever gets you hiking. Would love to see a detailed review based on field use of the plexamid.

  4. #4

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    I think it’s going to be this one: https://rivercountryproducts.com/pro...kpacking-tent/

    I’m going to have to completely disagree about equal protection. Dyneema is 100% waterproof, vs silnylon which will wet out. The only condition that the nylon would be better in is hail. The Zpacks tent is extremely stable in wind, but as you said will not be good fo winter use, but they never intended for it to be.

    The zpacks design also holds up well in heavy rain. The fly overhangs the tent far enough to prevent water entry unless it is blowing rain from that side, then the flaps can be shut to block it out. I can leave doors open on mine in all but heavy blowing rain, and then only on the side it’s blowing from.

    The solplex single entry tent is less breathable than say the duplex with its double doors, but it is not bad for a single wall. I wouldn’t call it significant though, unless you pick a poor campsite.

    If if you are looking for a more budget friendly UL tent, check out TarpTent. Quality silnylon tents at a good price. I have both a TarpTent Notch and a Zpacks Duplex and love and use them both.

  5. #5
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    Sorry for my pup-tent mis-ID but it'd sure be nice if the OP included a link.

    Indeed, buy one and go out and do a trip with it. If it doesn't work out you can always sell it on gear swap.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Is THIS the River Country tent you're talking about?

    The only thing they have in common is that they are tents. The River Country is a pup tent with no vestibules, and a door on one end only according to specs... these are totally different designs. This is like comparing a Bugatti Veyron and a Yugo — pointless.
    no this one:

    https://rivercountryproducts.com/pro...kpacking-tent/

    as per the post - practically the same design at the opposite ends of the price spectrum

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by soumodeler View Post
    I’m going to have to completely disagree about equal protection. Dyneema is 100% waterproof, vs silnylon which will wet out. .
    as per the first post - the river country top and bottom is old school coated nylon - not sil nylon ( I consider this to equal to DCF for waterproof)

    as per the first post - the slight edge on weather protection comes from the zippered fly and more solid vs mesh fabric

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by soumodeler View Post
    The solplex single entry tent is less breathable than say the duplex with its double doors, but it is not bad for a single wall. I wouldn’t call it significant though, unless you pick a poor campsite.

    .
    the review is not about the solplex/ duoplex

    it is the altaplex - (very similar to the new plexamid)

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by soumodeler View Post
    If if you are looking for a more budget friendly UL tent, check out TarpTent. Quality silnylon tents at a good price.
    that would be the middle ground for pricing, but not 40$

    also as you stated above, single layer silnylon gives up a lot of weather protection

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    If it doesn't work out you can always sell it on gear swap.
    unlikely to happen - I tend to get my kids to take my cast offs - after all, thats what gear weighed when I was their age

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maineiac64 View Post
    whatever gets you hiking. Would love to see a detailed review based on field use of the plexamid.
    from studying the picture/ description the only difference is the plexamid added a short sewn in rod at the ridge to give a wider area of head clearance from the altaplex

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by George View Post

    as per the post - practically the same design at the opposite ends of the price spectrum
    Altaplex has ventilation all around, the other one doesn't appear to. Maybe it can be raised for more ventilation but the way it is pinned to the ground seems to suggest otherwise. I'm betting there are many other differences.

    As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details.



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    Those River Country are made with polyester not silnylon.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Altaplex has ventilation all around, the other one doesn't appear to. Maybe it can be raised for more ventilation but the way it is pinned to the ground seems to suggest otherwise. [/IMG]
    exactly why the first post says the altaplex has better ventilation - the river country has a low vent and a top vent but the total area is less

    they both need a long trekking pole and a high pitch for decent ventilation - the pictures do show the river country pitched low

  15. #15

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    I did a review on the duplex and half of the video was my experience with their customer service.

    https://www.artemisonthetrail.com/zpacks/

  16. #16

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    There are more differences than currently assumed.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by George View Post
    that would be the middle ground for pricing, but not 40$

    also as you stated above, single layer silnylon gives up a lot of weather protection
    At Tarptent the silnylon we are using now is rated at 3000mm.
    I doubt very much that the polyester fabric used by River Country is more that 1200-1500mm, so it is most likely the other way around.

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    We didn't hear back from George so either he's out enjoying the River Country tent or it put him off backpacking forever.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    We didn't hear back from George so either he's out enjoying the River Country tent or it put him off backpacking forever.
    You had it right with the devil's comment.
    It happens in all fields when people have a bit of an idea on the subject but not a deep knowledge.
    Often, particularly males, get stuck comparing numbers when not knowing what they really mean.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Franco View Post
    At Tarptent the silnylon we are using now is rated at 3000mm.
    I doubt very much that the polyester fabric used by River Country is more that 1200-1500mm, so it is most likely the other way around.
    Interesting.do you know what the number is for cuben fiber? Gore text jackets are usually around 10000mm and non breathable jackets around 20000mm


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