Just rolling my mouse over it’s pic on the REI website caused it to rip
I wonder if the dire warnings from BA about this tent are part of their marketing scheme. Its oh so special only the best can use it, with the glory reflected on their lesser offerings.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
Part of their marketing scheme or not, the fabric is insane. ZPacks only uses it on their emergency pocket tarps, and only because of an accidental production run from a few years ago that was well received. As I recall, MLD doesn't use .34 at all, and .51 only at special request with the disclaimer that no warranty coverage exists at all.
Thanks all, I basically agree with all of you... so we're going to try the tent out and then exchange it if/when it disintegrates. We have a backup tent at the ready we can ship if needed as well.
We start hiking April 30, I will report back on how this thing performs and we can all have another laugh.
OK OK - it's funny what happens sometimes when you sleep on a decision. We reversed our decision from YESTERDAY and decided we don't want to worry about our tent breaking for 2700 miles. If we had wanted a DCF tent we'd have ordered a ZPacks months ago. I've never been on a trip that doesn't have at least SOME terrible weather - I'm picturing this .34 dyneema rain fly ripping in half during a rainstorm and both of us attempting to cover up our DOWN quilt with a compactor bag. No thanks.
We'll stick with our old school freestanding Big Agnes and let the "advanced" Big Agnes users do the Carbon field testing.
Seriously - thank you all for your thoughts.
That's what I'd have done, too.
Along with materials that I'd rate a 0 in durability for the floor and fly, a review with a carbon pole breaking on first use certainly doesn't make the picture any prettier.
Aside from the carried weight, there's no part of those Carbon series tents that I'd personally consider desirable.
A friend of mine recently bought his wife a Fly Creek Carbon, and a >1oz/yd groundsheet to go under it. Since she had a dog in it in the pic I saw of its first use, that might oughta go on the inside!
Yeah, it's light, and it's super cool, but she does long section hikes and "short" thrus(up to and including the 1100+ mile MST), pretty much yearly. Time will tell, but I have low expectations for that thing's lifespan. This year she's doing the Long Trail again. That's just ~3 weeks, and I imagine she'll be using shelters most of the time, so I don't know how much of a test that will be.
Maybe I'll get to see it in action if we all go to CO next year. Hopefully it's still in action...
IIRC, the MLD guy(Ron?) said they expect ~150 nights from .51oz/yd, 250 for the .74, and 500 or 600 from silnylon.
I'm debating one of their "tarps"(Deschutes) in .74oz/yd, but it would mainly be for trips out West, not regular use. At 2-3 weeks per year max, it'd take me over a decade's vacation to hit 250, so I'm ok with that.
Last edited by OwenM; 04-20-2019 at 02:24.
I have carbon poles that came with my 4 season tent that are bomber; it is an easton tent. The poles have outlasted the fly. Dyneema .34 is pretty skinny though for durability...
Here are a bunch of reviews of the tent. Watch them & make up your own mind.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...+carbon+review
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
I have a lot of gear in cuben fibre, including 2 tarps and a pyramid shelter but the more I see of the Duplex the less inclined I'm to get it. I'm sure it it s light but wind performance and torrential downpour performance seems to be lacking.
Let me go
Been thru both wind and torrential downpours with mine with few issues. One time I had to wipe up some backsplash but that's about it.
That said, IMO it's too well ventilated to be a winter tent and I would never subject it to a snow load (mine is .51 DCF).
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
Your shelter is the most important item you carry.I would not be able to carry any shelter into the wet and windy woods that did not have my complete confidence.
I have a duplex and love it. the description of an item should never say delicate...its a camping tent not lace lingerie
Go with the Z packs duplex.