Currently using a Zpacks Duplex Lite on trail (100 nights in) and really like it - this or the Durston equivalent are the best ultralight option. Freestanding vs self supported hasn’t mattered to me so far. If I buy another backpack tent for cold/wet weather I would definitely go double wall. Condensation is an annoyance with the zpacks as it’s hard to avoid the tent walls on the numerous unleveled tent sites on the AT.
Yup. I did the PCT with a duplex. It performed very well and survived some absolutely crazy winds and extremely heavy rainfall (and hail and snow and sleet and freezing rain.) I did not use a ground sheet.
My only bad night was user error. I didn’t notice my campsite had no drainage and I had unexpectedly heavy rains that night and basically ended up camping in a 2 inch deep puddle. The floor held and it was a bit like sleeping on a water bed. My fault. Not the tent’s.
I did a 1,000 miles on the CDT this year. I upgraded to a duplex lite. Also performed really well; although, I never really got the severe weather I experienced on the PCT.
It’s noticeable smaller. The duplex lite is 40 inches wide vs the Duplex’s 45 inches.
I thought this would make no difference since I’m using the tent solo. It actually made quite a bit of difference. The difference between being able to lay my pack flat next to me and sort things in and out of it easily (the duplex) vs having to slightly tilt it on it side all the time and/or slightly letting it rest against my legs (the lite.)
The lines are too narrow to hold well with the line locks that come with the tent. So, I replaced the line at the two tent poles with heavier cord. This worked well. I left the other cords as is. They did fine - including in a few unbelievable wind events. (So, it isn’t that the cord isn’t strong enough, it’s just not perfectly compatible with the hardware used on the tent so it slides through when you don’t want it to. Zpacks may have fixed this by now. I purchased mine in early 2024. I know they are constantly making small improvements. Using small line locks would fix this.)
The thinner floor was absolutely fine. Although, for the CDT, I added a DCF ground sheet to my kit for cowboy camping. On the nights I used my tent, I folded it underneath my air pad (inside my tent) so that may have helped protect my pad. I didn’t do this on the pct. (I never cowboyed on the PCT.)
I did get a few holes in my air pad on both the PCT and the CDT. All my holes on the CDT were to my 6 year old thermarest xlite. It had micro holes everywhere. I think it was just breaking down after so much use. I replaced w a new xlite. I had no holes in the new one but I only had it for the last 5-6 ish weeks.
The bathtub floor on the lite is also less high. Meaning in severe storms, potentially more splash back rain could get in. I donno since I never was in my tent for a truly severe downpour for more than a few minutes on the CDT. (Got lucky, I think.)
Everything else is exactly the same. Set up is dummy proof. It goes up anywhere.
Zippers suck on both. On the lite, 3 of 4. zipper pulls failed by the end. One the duplex, all four had failed AND two replacements failed by the end. I was MUCH, MUCH more careful to never let my doors rest in the dust this time but the rainbow doors still suck on all zpack’s tents. They have made them easier to repair.
Overall, the lite performed well and it was worth the weight savings but for a shorter trip where weight means less to me?? I think I might carry my old duplex just because it’s slightly bigger/more luxury. I’m also eyeing the duplex pro or the pivot duo for a luxury tent. I’m wondering if the door design would lessen zipper pull failure.
Yup. I did the PCT with a duplex. It performed very well and survived some absolutely crazy winds and extremely heavy rainfall (and hail and snow and sleet and freezing rain.) I did not use a ground sheet.
My only bad night was user error. I didn’t notice my campsite had no drainage and I had unexpectedly heavy rains that night and basically ended up camping in a 2 inch deep puddle. The floor held and it was a bit like sleeping on a water bed. My fault. Not the tent’s.
I did a 1,000 miles on the CDT this year. I upgraded to a duplex lite. Also performed really well; although, I never really got the severe weather I experienced on the PCT.
I used to believe posts like this until I actually got on AT. You won’t believe this if all you look at is social media but hardly anyone is actually using the shelters. Everyone is using their tents.
If I was OP and that was all my budget could afford, I’d go for the half dome.
If I had more money, I’d go for a BA two person if free standing was preferred or a zpacks two person if trekking pole tents were okay with OP.
I added a link to the time-lapse of the overnight accumulation. The Zpacks Duplex with flex-poles creates those 2 platforms for snow to accumulate. The X-Mid 2 Pro pitched next to it didn't do any better though, so I have to disagree with your comment. Both would have been better if someone was sleeping in them to push the fabric out during the night to knock off snow AND to re-lengthen the poles after they had settled. Don't you agree? :)
I do agree that the Zpacks ridgeline between the poles is orthogonal to bodies while a single person in the X-Mid can sleep along the ridgeline. OTOH, sitting up in the Duplex puts one's head at the ridgeline and gives a lot more sideways height room than the X-Mid.
A possibility is to get a Zpacks Duplex 2P with the flexpole option, so that the tent is semi-freestanding, but if your friend bails, then send the flexpoles away with them leaving you with less weight. Note that you will need trekking poles to securely pitch the Duplex even with the flexpole option. I think the Zpacks Duplex with flexpoles is one of easiest tents to pitch after a little practice. Here's a video clip I made about 4 years ago: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTmSV6vJzng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTmSV6vJzng)
You might consider the Zpacks Duplex with the semi-freestanding flex pole kit. It can be used without the flexpoles if you want a lighter setup. I think one must ALWAYS use trekking poles in the peaks whenever the flexpoles are used. I have pitched this tent in my backyard when Hurricane Nicholas came through and it did great. Winds were strong enough to have pine needles impale the 0.75 oz/sqyd DCF:
[https://i.imgur.com/T2ygMkW.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/T2ygMkW.jpg) but the tent was unmoved.
I have Durston X-Mid Pro 2 as well, but it is not semi-freestanding. The two tents have different snow holding capacities: [https://i.imgur.com/6DVEcGH.mp4](https://i.imgur.com/6DVEcGH.mp4)
For both tents, one must make triple sure that the trekking poles in the peaks are well locked and will not sink into the ground nor shorten their lengths.
For the Duplex with the flex-poles, one can pick it up and move it around just like a freestanding tent but the trekking poles should not be inserted until after the final location is chosen. As for ease of set up here's a time-lapse video I made: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTmSV6vJzng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTmSV6vJzng)
Weight of my Zpacks Duplex (without the flexpoles) and my Durston X-Mid Pro 2 are essentially the same.
You are welcome. I enjoyed going back to see my old videos from 2021 which I didn't link showing the behavior of the Duplex in the high winds. It was bomber. That said, I use my X-Mid for longer trips especially with a bear canister to save the weight of not having to bring flex-poles. I use the Duplex for shorter trips where I carry less food weight and the ability to "pop-up" the tent instantly is nice. I have never used my Duplex without the flex-poles.
You might then consider a thicker DCF for durability rather than the lightest stuff. If you don't like zippers, then I believe Zpacks makes tents with zippers only on the mesh doors and not on the outer doors, though it also makes tents with zippers on the outer doors. Full disclosure: I have both an older DurstonGear X-Mid Pro 2 with 0.5? oz/sqyd DCF and a Zpacks Duplex with 0.75 oz/sqyd DCF without zippers:
[https://i.imgur.com/DrnxXHX.mp4](https://i.imgur.com/DrnxXHX.mp4)
You probably do not need a 2P tent though.
Aggressive-School-56
