Zpacks - Pivot Solo

Doesn’t look like a tent for big people. 28 and 29 inch widths are narrow.

But plenty wide for a long/wide pad, and the middle was extra width for gear on the side away from the door. Seems really usable for tall people (I’m 6’3”), as the head and foot are more vertical than on my Xmid, making the floor more usable. I’m intrigued depending on setup ease. Packed size doesn’t look amazing either though, as it’s the same packed size as an Xmid Pro 2.

It has a 7' bathtub floor and steep end walls, I'm not sure where the 6'2" max is coming from except from the linked video...

It's got a 7' bathtub floor length? Shorter than the Altaplex for sure, but then it has steeper walls at the ends. I'd say that's a real-life wash!

With experience with a Duplex, Plex Solo and The Two, I'd probably pick The One if bulk was a big factor. It's not as sturdy in high winds as a non-stretchy DCF tent, but I've slept through some heavy gusts in my GG tent. A good pitch goes a long way. The sag is there, and some hikers I met find it bothersome while it's only a minor nuicanse for me. I'd say get the GG, try it out in a wet environment and see if you manage. If not, resell. You won't lose too much money. One inconvenience the Pivot Solo shares with the other Zpacks 1p tents is the low beak attachment. Getting in and out can be pretty inconvenient. But I guess that's where lower weight impacts comfort. The arched zippers in the Zpacks tents is a nuisance under high bug pressure. GG and Durston designs are much better there as theirs have the mesh fall into place even when the zipper is open, so you don't invite an army of mosquitos into your tent each time you get in or out. Think Yosemite right after snow melt. I'm going to take my The Two on the JMT this summer, and I've hiked in the Sierras before so I know what to expect.

It's not a great tent because there are few videos about it? Reminder, it was released in the winter, rather than the summer. A lot of us aren't going to use it in the winter, since it's really a 3 season tent. What do you want to know about it specifically? I own one but had to clear a place of snow in the backyard to set it up. I don't have an actual review about it since it's so new, but I do have a thread on BPL that is a "first impressions" sort of look at it. [https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/zpacks-pivot-solo/](https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/zpacks-pivot-solo/)

The slope on both tents looks quite similar at the head end (because both tents have the pole about about 2 feet back from the head end). At the foot end the Pivot Solo has a more vertical wall, but also the floor is 6" shorter (84 vs 90"). I expect the 'useable length' (at 12" height) is fairly comparable. That is for our more comparable 'Pro' version (that is also DCF and singlewall). The second interior walls make the regular X-Mid smaller for sure.

I sprung for one. It's my first 1P tent, and honestly that's the thing I'm not sure about - I miss having the extra room of a 2P. I might swap for one of the 2P Durstons at some point. However, for an UL 1P tent, I can't imagine anything better. The reason I went for it is I wanted to try a 1P tent that didn't put any fly material right next to my face - too claustrophobic. If you sleep with your head at the end with the shorter trekking pole, it does just that. The peak is right above your head which provides about 30 inches of head room, and the mesh wall behind the small pole makes it very feel open. I could hunker down in there comfortably if I had to. Not sure I could say the same for something like the Plex Solo (which I know a lot of you love - not dogging it. Just not my thing.) I've taken it out only once so far, about a month ago in Joshua Tree. It was super dry of course, so it wasn't much of a weather test. That said, ventilation is very good. Looking forward to getting it out again soon. Mine comes in right at the advertised 13.5oz without the sack, 14oz with. I cut down a Tyvek ground sheet to the floor shape - 4.5oz. With 8 of the big Zpacks stakes my shelter all in is at 23oz. My only gripe is that the bathtub floor is very 'floaty'. It lacks corner tensioners (which I guess is true of all Zpacks tents? Anyone have any advice on mitigating this?), and so doesn't retain the nice square shape seen in the manufacturer photos. I'm thinking of slapping on some Zpacks adhesive loops to the corners of the floor and some 1/16" elastic shock cord ties. Nothing too tight - I don't want it crazy taut, but it would be nice if the floor had form. The mesh pocket is very small and easy to knock stuff out of, but it did hold my iPhone 15 and a few other thin items. I'm also adding a couple of Zpacks adhesive magnet toggles at the peaks so I can easily hang my magnetic light(s) and use them as loops if I need to. All in all - it's great!

Replying to what may be a dead conversation, but I posted some pictures of my fourth or fifth Pivot Solo backyard practice pitch. I think I've finally cracked it. [Pivot Solo backyard test pitch](https://imgur.com/a/LDQaCZc) I raised my poles 2" higher than the recommended length, and it made the process a lot easier for me. I made a modification to keep the bathtub floor taut - I attached some Zpacks adhesive loops on 4 of the exterior corners of the bathtub floor and created stabilizers using lineloc v adapters with some 2mm elastic cord. Works pretty well!

Well the whisper is floorless as you mentioned. If you add the weight of a groundsheet even if it’s a polycro you’re getting very close to the weight of the pivot tent. I haven’t tried the whisper and it looks great but this zpacks one looks way more protective and stronger in winds with the guy lines imo and it’s probably more breathable since it has a peak vent. 

I was lucky enough to test one out on Monday and thought it was a really great design. Footbox won't get wet because it's just mesh down there, and at 5'11" my head remained comfortably away from the wall. I love the interior space, easy to fit a pack in there. Downside for me is pitching. I got the hang of it eventually, but I never felt like I could get it perfect, it feels pretty asymmetrical. However that's something that can easily get better with practice. The vestibule is nice, but the region next to the door that remains tensioned is small so your pack will get wet if you're stashing it there and then getting in and out of the tent when raining. Another minor thing. Having not used the Plex solo I'm only guessing, but I think this should be a no brainer next to it. Really impressed so far!

Plex Solo Lite, Altaplex Lite, Pivot Solo, GG The One. The One sags some in rain-not insane amount. Needs a ground sheet as much as the others do. Packs down incredibly small. Lots of room inside for your height. No quality control issues with Zpacks. That was overblown and is a tired line.

The cool thing about Zpacks making tents in-house and as orders come in is that they could create a bunch of different designs, put them out in the wild, and see what sticks - with minimal risk/loss. I like this tent more than the Offset Solo (Trio is awesome as a roomy UL tent) but its overkill for me. If I want a UL shelter, I want one pole and minimal weight (aka Plex Solo Lite).

If you’re over 6’ tall, the pivot solo is probably a better option because the foot end has a mesh barrier and a vertical support, and the head end wall is vertical. In the duplex, you’d likely get a wet foot box frequently. If you’re shorter, duplex lite all the way though keep in mind it’s narrower than the normal duplex and isn’t really suitable for 2 people. 

Most Zpacks tents like the Duplex, Altaplex, and Plex Solo have a 5" overhang around the perimeter. The Pivot actually has a 7" gap around the sides and back, so more than normal. The door can be left open in light rain to help with airflow.

It pitches about the same as our other trekking pole tents. Stake the four non-pole corners. Put in the two poles and stake those two lines. It feels different because the ridgeline runs diagonally, but functionally it goes up just like a Duplex.

The thing that is significant on this tent is it includes extra bells and whistles- zipper storm doors, magnet toggles, a pocket, and extra headroom from the rear pole at 13.5 ounces. If you don't care about those features the Plex Solo Lite is hard to beat as a fully enclosed tent at 11.8 ounces.