Remember that a lot of us watch this channel to learn. I think we’re fortunate to have Dixie who gives honest feedback on her experiences so we can learn from them. Also as she said some folks have different things in their packs to carry, so going lighter weight in the other gear will be more of a necessity for some than others, opening themselves up to different issues.

Hi Dixie, I made a Laugavegur hike this August and got in the same kind of storm. I also wanted to cut off some weight and therefore took my Big Agnes Tiger Wall 3 with me. It survived the night, no rain got inside. However, in the morning wind got stronger and one of the poles snapped. The reason was the construction of the tent, where all the load was put on a tiny lightweight pole section. This experience, your videos and videos of other guys who travelled ultralight in Iceland (they were using some Dyneema tent with tracking poles too, and their tent was down in the storm as well) made me think that such kind of tents is not suitable for Iceland and similar places. This is not about Dyneema or nylon, this is about the overall construction of the tent. All free-standing tents in our group survived the storm. Okay, we have fixed our tent with the repair tool like in your video and successfully finished our trek. But for the benefit of other hikers going to Iceland, I would recommend at least a free-standing tent. Yes, it might weigh some extra 600 grams, but it would save you from the extreme experience of fixing a tent on a stormy night. And yes, you have to put rocks on the pegs and secure all possible guy-lines in all possible places. Regarding the campsites, we've spent the first night at Landmannalaugar as you suggested and were supposed to have the second night at Álftavatn. When we arrived there, we were told by the staff that a storm was coming and we better go to the next campsite. So we had to go 5 km more, 26 in total and stayed at Hvanngil. That was the place where the storm hit our tent. So, if a proper storm is coming there is no place to hide, regardless is it in the mountains or not :-) Thanks for your videos and good luck!

Always great to see Dixie's practical conversations about equipment. Zpacks Duplex is an excellent tent, but not for above tree line locations. It is drafty in general. Dyneema material is indeed very strong(strongest?), but this situation is more about the tent construction than the material. Areas above tree line particularly in the northern countries have different requirements than something like Appalachian trail in US or West Highland Way in Scotland. Different toys for different games. I just finished 10 days solo hike in Norway with Nemo Hornet 2P. I did save about 600 g compared to my Nemo Kunai 2P or 1300 g over Hilleberg Soulo , but since all my hike was above tree line I did have a few days when I wished I have a stronger tent. Weight of course was the only reason, 10 days of food supply was heavy enough. Be safe.

Dixie puts so much thought into topics and analyzes them so broadly. I love her mind. I’m not implying she’s always “right” but I can tell she’s an engineer. She loves hiking and I love watching her hike and gaining insights I can apply to my world ❤️.

Thanks for the kind words Dixie. I hope the X-Mid Pro works well for you.

You will LOVE the Mid-X. I have the new 2nd gen Mid-x 1p. It it not perfect, but hits 95% of all the things I wanted in a tent. The outer tent can be staked all the way to the ground and there are tie outs on all four sides to add additional strength for the weather. I didn't order the Pro version - I don't get out often enough to justify the extra $. The Standard version is still very light and packs small. I have not had it out in strong winds, but suspect it will do well in high winds, heavy rain or snow. Dan did a great job designing it.

The permanent rock walls / rings / windbreaks at such an exposed campsite, were a "red flag" about the type of wind and weather that area regularly (or even unexpectedly) experiences. The other big "red flag" was the majority of the other tents seen in the video (around 8 min. 10 sec. mark of the other video) were all 4 season expedition / mountaineering tents. The Zpacks is an absolutely fantastic, 3-season backpacking / thru-hiking tent, where its impressive strength-to-weight ratio and ease of setup really shine in most weather conditions experienced in Summer and the shoulder seasons. I have little doubt that if your Zpacks had been made of anything other than Dyneema / Cuben fiber and or the windbreaks weren't there (especially if they weren't there), your tent wouldn't have survived, and you'd be in that privy or sharing another tent nearby. For extreme weather and exposed locations, nothing beats a free-standing (with tie-outs), 4 season mountaineering / expedition tent. Yes, they're overbuilt / purpose built to be "tanks," not the lightest nor easiest to setup (despite radical improvements in tent design and materials in recent decades), and *definitely* not for 3 season backpacking or thru-hiking... but they (and you) will survive in conditions that would destroy, flatten, or blow away anything else.

I like to watch a lot the hikers from the UK who spend time in crazy windy conditions in places like Scotland. The wind and the rain you were experiencing seems like just another hike for them. I don't think I have seen many people on those channels use a single wall hiking pole tent made out of anything but nylon and they use these interesting tent stakes that look like a U shape and most tents are longer, lower down and narrow; more arrow dynamic to match the conditions. When I see the tents like DuplexXL the AT always seems to come to mind. A fellow named Paul Messner does lots of tent reviews in similar conditions as you experienced and it really does show there can't be one perfect solution for all conditions. Love your channel Dixie.

Welcome to Island life of wind! I call the island of Sjaeland Denmark the windy country. When they talk about it being the choice for this trail, they talk about the SHAPE. Domes do way better in wind. It is basic dynamics, you know the course Engineers have to take called Statitics and Dynamics. Straight edges does not help in wind. Plus your tent is way taller than the wind break of the rocks. Most tents that I see for sell in Denmark are lower to the ground. Yeah I am claustrophobic and prefer a tent that is easier to sit up in, but there is something about low to the ground.

We live/hike/camp here in Iceland and often choose to use our 4P dyneema pyramid for the size luxury. However, we pitch the lower edge down to the ground using extra tie-out loops purchased from Mountain Laurel Designs. We also ALWAYS deploy all support lines and carry a selection of long, Y stakes which ALWAYS get large rocks placed on top to prevent them from pulling out like Dixie experienced...the North Atlantic weather CAN be cruel even when bad weather has not been forecasted. We have had good luck with the KUIU Storm Star in high wind (most quiet tent for windy conditions in our experience) but it weighs 6 pounds and is not the 'palace' that the pyramid is. A shame we missed Dixie as we were on the Laugavegur Trail only a few days prior to her trip. A friend we were with used a Durston Mid and it not only performed well but was a dream to set up and tear down...there were also several other Durston tents seen during our time and the owners were all extremely pleased with their 'hike homes'. The Durston tents might very well become the go-to tents when supply issues get sorted out and more people can get them. The only other suggestions for trips to Iceland would be to bring good rain gear (the 'packa poncho' works well especially when topped off with additional silicone spray) and to avoid cotton garments as they are near impossible to dry when wet and becoming wet in Iceland is guaranteed.

You have to remember that the weather is very diffrent in Scandinavia compared to the US. We have alot of wind and rain coming and going. By a tent fore that climat

We had a triplex. After about four years of light use…..longest trip about 40 miles in 5 days….3-4 times a year, the actual dynema fabric started to pull apart at stress points. It wasn’t seams, but the actual fabric. I sent photos to Zpacks and there response was that it was 4 years old and just needed to be replaced. We replaced it with the lightest Hilleberg tent we could find…and have been happy so far. In our experience, dynema is not durable over time, and Zpacks seems to agree.

Great info. We were there at the same time with a duplex and a plex solo. The ground is terrible to stake in, and without tons of rocks it would have collapsed for sure. Lots of people were chasing their tents in the night. We made it through but it was noisy😀

The wife and I did the hike to the Reykjadalur Valley Hot River in October of 2018. We had rain and 50mph gust. It the worst and most memorable hike in our lives. Iceland was one the best trips we have ever taken.

I laugh each time I watch the clip of that fateful night, tent flapping wildly and you exclaiming, “Ohhh, man!” You’re a tough and lovely person.

Man! That was quite a windy night! I am glad you and the tent weathered it!

Very honest appraisal of both the tent and your errors. Wrapping the guy lines around the rocks before pegging them out (which may then not even be necessary) is even better than just putting the rocks on top. You can buy some tiny alligator clips and add a small length of paracord to clip onto the side panels to prevent that flapping (if they held up in that wind) ! Also adding extra peak guys (the guys themselves weight next to nothing of course so stay in the pack unless necessary).

Ive had my Duplex in winds like that TWICE and if I knew there was a privy within 3 miles I would have hiked to it both times. Did actual damage to the tent both times. Zpacks fixed it for free the first time but it was only a minor charge the second time when out of warranty. The last time just needed some patches as the fabric stretched against the grain and opened up little cracks that MIGHT have leaked. It was gusting 60 near Tehacepi and gusting to 50+ going up to Idyllwild on the PCT

Great video Dixie! The hiking videos were amazing, especially the volcano, thanks for the entertainment, education, and being you!

Thanks for making this video, I have a lot more confidence in dyneema tents now. I cant wait to hear your opinion and review on the Durston X-Mid Pro. I saw a comment earlier that said they saw a few X-mids out on that same trail that performed phenomenally!

It all boils down to your personal experience and how much safety you want. As you have shown it is possible to use an ultralight tent in this area if you have the experience. But in these areas going ultralight certainly has its limitations. In my estimation this situation could have easily gone sideways for less experienced people. Also you were lucky, that the storm calmed down in the morning. I would certainly recommend to use a four season tent, maybe a Hilleberg or a Helsport that is actually made for these conditions. These companies have year long experience and make their tents specifically with conditions like these in mind. I certainly would not feel safe in a duplex in these high winds, plus you have a problem if everything gets soaked. I rather have a few kilos more on my back than have one night like that.

That was a rough night, for sure! Handled with grace and grit! The NammatJ 2 is often in videos of hikes for England's Lake District, Scotish Highlands, and Scandinavian hikes. Those are all hikes mostly above the tree line and at higher altitudes and generally rotten weather, so the tent must be good. Probably heavier and more expensive, but sturdiness, warmth, and safety in bad weather is top priority in those situations.

Dixie, I've followed your videos since you hiked the Appalachian Trail. Thanks for all the great info you give. You are one of the very best when it comes to "how you do it," and "what you need to do it with." Thanks so very much, Dixie!

I was worried for you on that one Dixie 😳 and that situation is a nightmare for me 🥺. I too like DCF, but I opted for HMG Echo II instead of Zpacks for the same reason. No water in the tent, no wind knocking it down. Not being able to be out of the elements was a deal breaker for me. But all gear involves trade-offs. With the Echo II it's hard for a lot of people to sit up in the tent even near the trekking pole. We were in the whites for Labor Day weekend and we got flooded out BIG time with torrential downpours that lasted 2 whole days and over night. There was inches of water around the tent and so much wind but the shelter was solid. It really saved my dog and I. No wind issues and no water in the tent at all. I couldn't believe how well it did, but I figured it would because HMG is a Maine company and if they can make Whites worthy tents then we're golden. I was so so so so so happy with it and it's the tent I'm taking to hike the AT nobo in spring of 2023 solo. My family was worried until they realized it was warm and dry in my tent. I had no experience with these tents when I bought a trekking pole supported tension shelter. And it didn't come with instructions either, but I got it done in the end.

I have an OG X-Mid 1P. I've never had it out in weather like you experience in Iceland, but it also has some really big vestibule, but set up differently, you can bring the whole fly down to the ground to block rain and wind, plus it has zippers, so it's not flapping all over like the Z-Packs. I'm just glad you made it thru that night. I've had some pretty dicey trips out, including some tornadic weather, but still, I think nothing like that!

I just pitched my Duplex so low to the ground that it was almost impossible for wind to get up underneath it. Definitely pitch adjustment could / would mitigate alot of what I saw in this video. Best of luck on the trails!

Thanks, Dixie. Looking forward to your take on the new Durston Pro!

Dixie thanks for sharing this info. Plan on hiking the Pennine Way next year. Leaving the duplex at home and take my Mld Duomid

Good Review. Thank you!

I was backpacking with my Duplex in Western Washington and the wind got so bad on the 2nd night that I had to get out of my tent twice to reset my stakes, even though I thought I had secured them decently with large rocks. The profile on the Duplex probably isn't the best for high winds, but I don't really blame the Duplex that much as the soil was a bit sandy/loose and I wasn't expecting high winds, so I was using mini-Groundhogs to stake out the corners which is where the failure occurred. I was using regular Groundhogs for the vestibules. But, on the bright side, it wasn't raining when I had to get out of my tent. :)~

I’ve been in some bad storms, sideways rain, etc. and I’ve been ok. I’d love to get something like a Hilleberg, but I simply don’t need that level of protection where I camp. But for that environment, I’d say something bombproof is in order! Glad you made it through!

That must have been a particularly chilly night. And noisy. I camped next to someone in a Zpacks a few weeks ago and it rustled loudly all night. 4 season Lanshan 2 is well worth the extra 350 grams. Everybody knows single walled tents are a pain in the assland, but it seems to be a case of "... Yes, but this one will be different this time ...".

I've been researching those Durston tents and I keep hearing how weather resistant they are. Wind especially. They may be a good tent to take on this hike for anyone researching it.

Thanks for the videos from Iceland. I'm taking to the misses about hiking in Iceland in a few years based on your video.

Hello Dixie, I think a self Standing, double Wall Tent is the best option in this Conditions.

I will never use a dyneema tent in Scandinavia for sure. In a Dyneema tent the risk og hypothermia, wind rain cold getting in the tent are higher. Once i had to start hiking because that shelter could not be reliable up in the mountains. I came to the car 4 in the morning, and slept there. SilNylon 4 season Tent all the for me know 👌Saved my life too in my Across Norway little Thruhike, cought in another storm with my wife.

Wow, that was really blowing!

It’s interesting to see that almost none of the Scandinavian or UK outdoor channels that go out in really bad or cold conditions use the Duplex or other non-freestanding pole tents. I personally use the Hilleberg Unna for winter/bad conditions, MSR Hubba rest of the year. US channels seems to be more focussed on weight, and prefer tents like the Duplex or Chinese knock-offs. Not saying one is better than the other, but just an observation.

Worth noting is that thru hiking trail are for the most part very sanitized and controlled hiking experiences, don't get me wrong it's hard enough. But, you do mostly fine if your tent or sleeping bags for some reason breaks, most of the gear that are used by thru hikers are by no means suited to bring on off trail camping for example on the arctic tundra or in the northern boreal forest in the shoulder season.

Great post my friend. I appreciate all you share here. You are providing such valuable information to help others navigate through the pros and cons of so much equipment and so many places. 💛🏃‍♂️

Thank you for posting this, even if it's not the perfect result - it makes the video grounded. I appreciate it. I'd love to see you try similar conditions in the winter. That's when things gets interesting. ;)

If you are going to do areas like this, seriously get an appropriate tent - Fjallraven, Hilleberg, Terra Nova. ZPacks are great but for tame & protected areas.

Great video, ultralight and extreme conditions tents are often very different.

I had a pretty windy night on the CT this summer (nothing as crazy as your Icelandic adventure). I stacked rocks on the stakes and woke up to a frayed guy line. it was down to a few strings by the morning. So there's that to take into account as well.

We use a zpacks triplex, learned to use full size msr groundhog stakes for the 4 corners and 2 vestibules and minis for the rest. Also learning the big rock/little rock setup for bad weather is a better option than small stakes. Above treeline hiking, we just use our msr hubba hubba after a bad lightning storm at guitar lake before mt whitney.

I had a similar experience in the Whites with my Duplex (not XL). I lowered my tent but the windy rain still filled my tent with mist. It held up ok, and fortunately the next day was sunny so everything dried out.

It's not just your Duplex. Iceland is hard on all tents, particularly backpacking tents. Hilleberg's did tend to do better. I hiked the Laugavegur in '09 and had planned to do the extension to Skogar. Unfortunately there was bad weather and the rangers wouldn't let anyone hike out of Landmannalaugar for two days, leaving me short on time. Even at that protected location, almost all the tents were struggling to stay up. Some of them were completely flattened. I was one of the few that stubbornly stuck with my tent. Almost everyone else there brought their sleeping bags into the coed bathroom and slept on the floor. I had to step around everyone to get to the sink to brush my teeth. My Tarptent Rainbow did this sort of bending over thing. Picture a dog that lays it's front legs down but keeps it's hind end in the air. Half of the tent was up and the other half was flattened down over my face and torso. The stakes all held, but a fabric loop ripped off the outside of the tent and I ended up with a couple of punctures from trying to use trekking poles to add support. I love my Rainbow, but I don't think I'd take it back to Iceland. I'd definitely hike there again, though!

While I don’t use Hillebergs in the warmer months as I prefer tarps, I do use them in the colder nastier weather. I own and use the Soulo, Allak2, and Allak3… All fully freestanding tents… I find The Soulo to be the perfect choice at giving the most protection while still being manageable with weight. The others I will split the load between myself and my son or wife..

I was on this trail in July this year and remember your first camping spot well. We briefly stopped at the hut for water & continued on to the next hut by the lake with the bar/restaurant. Although the visibility was similar, the wind was no where near as bad as you experienced. The ground for tent pegs is not good as it is broken up clinker over bedrock, so anchoring with rocks (consisting of black glass there!) is probably the only way.

Thank you, Dixie!

Err, yea. For alpine conditions you really want an alpine tent. If your casual backpacking, then sure, go light weight. The material of the DupleXL is great, its the design that's the problem - its little more than a glorified tarp.

A great place to see how well tents do in wind is PCT Days which happens in Cascade Locks, an area of the Columbia River Gorge that is popular with windsurfers. You get to see all the cottage manufacturers put up their tents in front of their stands (and hundreds more PCT thru hiker tents on Thunder Island) and how they fare in the wind. Suffice it to say, I was not impressed with Zpacks products. I haven't experienced extreme conditions in my Durston X-Mid yet, but I'm pretty confident it'll do a better job for the same weight.

Jessica, On my way to work this morning you were on my heart. I hope all is well. If it is, fantastic and continued blessings and success to you. If things are tough, know I am praying for you. I am not sure why I was thinking about how you are doing, either spiritually or physically. But please know you were on my heart this morning, and I prayed for you! Be safe and well, and keep up the wonderful work. Iceland looked amazing!

Thanks, Dixie. 🙏👍

Dyneema is the future. The DupleXL is a great design for most hiking. I have a Black Diamond First Light with free standing internal frame that would withstood that storm better, maybe, but it would be miserable in most three season hiking that you do. It is my winter Wyoming tent but I di use it in Spring and fall when expecting mixed weather and wind. I love those rock rings. Thank you for this conversation.

Nice discussion. BIG rocks (slip stakes through the gaps in rock wall). Pyramid designs (for trekking pole tents) may have helped.

Hi Dixie, I hike a lot in the mountains. I think the Zpacks tents perform nicely above tree line. But I prefer the smaller ones here. The Plex Solo performed very well on my last trip. The only thing I did, when I knew a storm was announced, was to pile up stones in the gaps under the vestibule doors and all around the tent as well. A smaller tent has less surface area for the wind to act on.

Are you coming to New Zealand to hike Te Araroa? You have inspired me to do it this year, and it would be great to see you out on the trail.

Good job

I'm happy to see someone finally revealing (or should I say unveiling) the ultra-obvious, numerous and potentially very seriously lacking shortcomings with this particular tent style in more demanding conditions. Of note: This includes in many forms... tents sharing lineage w/ similar design limitations like the Durston, others you mentioned, Lanshan 2 etc. Simply a poor shelter selection no matter the weight/space savings, materials, cost, features/components, accessories, etc. In high exposure areas and venturing with trekking pole designs... there is no substitute for pyramidal, pentagonal, and hexagonal single center-pole up tipi-type 4-season tents plus suitable staking w/ cordage kit. To be 'matter-of-fact' the 'no-zip' doorway is just laughably deficient. A good thing to keep in perspective here is the what if considerations: What if there were no rock encirclements, none available to already taken, (or you had to take the time to make your own)? This Z-P tent is bush-league for demanding, harsh conditions, high-exposure camps. If going single-wall for these conditions and Dyneema... I'd go Hyperlite Ultamid. In this case, an Ultimid and using good stakes... you'd have avoided every shortcoming addressed with the exception of single wall condensation scenarios.

Thats what I found as well with the Duplex. If there is significant wind and rain, the doors will flap, and where they overlap it will create a very effective spray tool that will spray everything inside constantly.

Yeah, the winds in Iceland were always way stronger than what we expected. Having windproof cloth is important there. Well windproof everything is important there.

Wouldn't have helped the door situation, but I always have an extra pair of tie outs in my repair kit so I can extend for rock or root ground stakes. Having been through 4 tornados, I don't take wind for granted. Those extra tie outs also have a 100 extra uses on trail and around camp from making a hasy tripod, line for a gravity filter, extra shoe lace, pack lashings, clothes line, etc.

Wow it does look that you had harsh weather! We just hike the same trail as you on 1/9-5/9 and we had just a little bit of rain in two nights and that’s all. But we did waited a little bit for the good weather before we started the hike. Sleeping in tent gives you great flexibility in that trek, compare to a hat that you need to book in advance and than you need to go no matter what the weather is

"Assland" cracks me up. 😁

First, epic trip and video Dixie! Iceland is a place I've dreamed of visiting. Perhaps one day I will. As for your tent. That's a tough one. Just looking at the profile and setup of your tent I'm left feeling it is probably not the best design for such high wind locations? Just a guess on my part, but I'm left feeling that perhaps a conical shaped shelter might be best for high wind locales? Pyramid / tipi style/lavuu shelters seem to be the go to for cultures that live in extreme climates where the wind and the snow can really pile it on. That said, I also believe that most of their strength comes from the pole framework that supports the skin, which would be of little help for a backpacker as no one is going to lug all those poles about. As you well know, there are pyramid/conical tent offerings that are made to be erected with a single trekking pole in the center with numerous tie outs around the tent. A backpacking friend of mine has such a tent and he loves his. He did make a trip to Iceland a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure what tent he used while hiking and camping there. I'll have to check with him and see what he used and if he encountered the winds you did. Concerning stakes. I recently made up some stakes from 1/2 inch oak that I cut into 1/2 square pegs. Pointed them and cut notches for tie outs as I've become disenchanted with metal or plastic stakes that always seem to bend or pull free at the most inopportune times. On a recent hike I discovered that these stakes seem to hold very well in loose, marginal soil albeit I did not have to contend with high winds like you did. The stakes don't seem to be much heavier than most of my metal stakes, they don't bend like metal stakes and they seem to have superior grip in marginal soil. Still too soon to give them my complete endorsement, but I plan to continue to use and test them in different situations and evaluate their performance. One advantage the wood stakes has over metal or plastic is that they seem to swell ever so slightly after insertion into the soil and I believe it is this slight swelling that helps them grip better? Food for thought anyways. E-mail me at; garywood702@msn.com with any questions or comments. Love your content, keep up the great work!

Bivys can be a better choice in the wind. The lower profile makes them fair well especially inside of the rock rings.

Great info Dixie ! Sounds like my kind of place. You saying "Iceland" in your Alabama accent is priceless and I mean that in a good way ! 🌍😊

Also Hyperlite Ultamid is pretty good, despite being tall. Also watch some of the videos by backpackers in Scotland and Britain's Lake District where there is no tree cover.

Zpacks does make a freestanding kit for pitching in windy and rocky conditions, but only for the duplex. It still won't behave like a regular double wall freestanding tent, but it's a big improvement in high winds.

Love you Dixie. Beautiful and brilliant!

Love having my flex kit with me. Worth the weight.

Dixie I love the Black Diamond Eldorado. Fends of wind, weather and maybe even Sasquatch! Point taken though, I don’t tote heavy camera gear.

The design of the Zpack's Duplex makes it a terrible tent if there is any wind at all. This is due to the ventilation going around the bottom of the entire tent. It is like having no walls at all around the area where you sleep. If you can "sleep" with cold air blasting at you all night and not get sick then this is the tent for you. It does not provide protection from the wind or the cold. A freestanding double walled tent where the walls go all the way the ground will protect against the wind and the cold and is the best bet for conditions like these. Unfortunately they are heavier and that is the trade off.

I use the SOL breath sac and for only 5 ounces it ensure no wet sleeping. SOL makes a 8 ounce sac with hood that I have used in full rain exposure.

Yay

You should take a look at winter tents.

I had to turn the cc on, to hear where you went. All I could understand/hear was ‘ashland’, that would even be a better name for Iceland!

Thats why I got the Durston Xmid Pro! No door gaps and a lot more stormworthy!

I had the same issues with mine on the AT. Zpacks was no help and didn’t seem to want the feedback. I’m looking for a different tent for future trips.

I am currently working on some new tent stakes that hopefully solve this issue, but still weigh only 15 grams. I believe in protecting your expensive investment and will not go through another anchor failure again.

Did you get to see any super cool dogs? Loved your trip

I'm curious if a corkscrew type stake would have worked better or would it have been too rocky.

A possible easy hack would be to apply Velcro tabs on the vestibule overlaps in lieu of zipper.

I read the recommendation to go with a free standing tent in Iceland because of the hard ground. Do you think a free standing tent is necessary for Iceland and would it have helped in your windy situation?

Would you please post your Iceland gear list? Thank you.

Like that here in Tasmania, especially in alpine areas. Always need a 4 season tent. We can’t really go UL weight here. You need to carry a lot of heavier weighted gear. It can snow any day of the week, any day of the year.

You're looking lean. That wind was gnarly. I would have brought the heavy duty set up.

I own a few tents and I own a Duplex, but I would never have brought my Duplex to Iceland. You need the correct tool for the job. Maybe Hilleberg would have been a better choice.

That wind is quite common in the UK...

If you don't mind, just how many miles have you covered over the years. (not counting the back tracking to get your camara)? Thank you again for the trip

I am hiking the cdt sobo, my 2nd week hail shredded my plex solo .9 holes, weekend the dcf pretty bad a bunch of tiny micro holes . I'm honestly pretty nervous to go through the San Juan's with it :( I had a little bit of frozen condensation 4 days ago and it completely sank in..I will never buy from zpacks again .

If the vestibule doors were crossed over and staked individually then secured additionally with rocks it might have held the stakes better.

I would think a double wall tent with more of a frame would have helped a lot.

There is a free standing pole option for the standard duplex. I don’t know if it exists for this one.

The Dipole 2 is likely to be more wind-resistant than even the X-Mid Pro 2. That said, the X-Mid will probably do better than the DupleXL in the wind because you can pitch it so low.

If you want the absolute bomb proof and are willing to carry the weight you probably need the Hilleberg. Also, integral fly and inner pitch for the win.

A Silpoly xmid solid would have been beter suited to those conditions, but you will LOVE the pro! Welcome to the family of Durstonites! ;)

Wind? Try a Stevenson Warmlite tent. Got mine in 1973 and still in use.

What about the Gossamer Gear Tents?