Zpacks Plex Solo: geni.us/Agxnca

I've got a duplex, those seam tapes came off just after a few times uses. I found those tapes are most likely to come off when the tent is under heavy sun burn. This should NOT happens on a 600+$ tent. Very disappointed to see that their newest model still got this problem.

Thank you for the initial review. My main concern would be the seam sealing tape already showing pealing. That should not be an issue right off the bat.

Can you add more context about the size and livability? How tall are you and do you touch at the head/foot with a 2.5-4” pad and 3 season quilt??

Thanks. I always appreciate your honest and considered reviews.

I’m looking forward to getting my Xmid 2 Pro. And like you said, the weight is a bit misleading not considering the needed stakes and guylines. Edit: Xmid 2 Pro has a simpler setup, requires less fiddling and requires a minimum of 4 stakes without the use of guylines.

I think I will wait for the Durston Xmid 1 PRO.

HIGHLY recommend! My wife and I thru hiked the AT for 5 months straight and used nothing but a Zpacks duplex tent with the trekking pole set up... we abused the tent and never had any leaks, or significant amount of water ever get in the tent.... Zpacks quality is incredible with the cuben fiber material. It is ultra-lite and does take some practice to get a quality pitch with a few stakes and trekking pole. The string angle for the vestibule is important to get right! Worth the money!

Nice concept. I still have my Northface Tadpole 2 person tent from more than 20 years ago. It’s a little bit heavier but it has kept me dry in heavy rain and gale force wind in the Rockies and on The Westcoast Trail.

Excellent review.Thank you for sharing it. My personal opinion is that paying 600 dollars for that tent would be a very poor investment.

don't need the tent, but love the no nonsense presentation. Well worth a sub, looking forward to the next video 👍

I’ve always liked the design and lightweight of Z packs tents, but that delaminating seam tape on a brand new tent has crossed them off my list.

For half the price and 3 oz heavier The One by Gossamer Gear is a great alternative. Packs down incredibly small too.

Those damn rainbow doors . You have to open them all the way (to the mud) to not sit on them and exit.

This was an excellent, balanced review.

For that Price, i much much rather take a Durston X-Mid Pro 2 and only have 4 stakes and 2 Poles , get much more space and have only 190g more.

Z Packs quality control scares me for the price they charge. Tighten that up and I would have no problem spending the money

My DIY DCF floorless tent weighs 4.7 ounces, 5 ft X 9 ft X 3.5 ft high. Waterproof entry/exit zipper and hooded, mosquito vent. Hangable from above or interior pole. 4 tie-downs closed tent and 5 tie-downs for open tent. Floorless to provide user floor method preference.

For many people not being able to pack a tent horizontally is a deal breaker, however if you're like me and don't mind packing your tent on the outside your money is much better spent on tents like the tarp tent aeon li which can be had for as low as $450 with blemishes. That's competitive pricing imo for what you get.

I feel like Ultralight gear has jumped the shark. You can sleep in a garbage bag with a zipper and then carry it in your garbage bag with shoulder straps for the low low price of $1,000.

I have the X-mid 1 and if I ever pay that much for a Dynema tent it will be the X-mid 1 Pro , if it ever becomes available. In all of my years of camping the X-mid is the simplest and easiest tent to set up. The other benefit is all of the interior room it offers.

I just wish it had a vent at the top. It couldn't add more than 1 - 1.5 oz max and would be well worth it .

Took a screenshot of the build sheet on the pocket to see if the same guy did mine.

I have a hooped bivvy which I use with either a floorless hot tent tipi or a tarp with a stove jack. I've a lot of versatility but I'm still looking to get weight down

Great vid. Don't know about being the lightest, but definitely an option. BA has the Scout Carbon 2 at just 12 oz.

I use a Zpacks 8.5' x 10' Flat Tarp with a Hyperlite Mountain Gear ULTAMID 2 HALF INSERT and ground cloth.

Ah yes the infamous Zpacks quality...at this point it's just tradition. At first I was feeling bummed because I literally just pulled the trigger on a Yama DCF Cirriform tarp, but after seeing your review once again glad I steered clear of Zpacks.

Pushing for 1 gram or so but paying much more for a minimum everything (including seals) I’d rather buy a slightly heavier tougher tent that won’t get stolen as it’s pocketable 600 dollars in about 1 min while your away..I understand there is materials & other quality that compensates for being thinner but it’s like an f1 car…it’s the best but at the expense of service life if there is sharp leaves or aggressive butterfly that rams it..

As always, really informative. Great video. I really like this reviews! Because I'm able to learn from others experiences what kind of gear suits me best 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

How do close the front doors tight when inside the tent? Like an easier way to do it

Shoot...I have a plexamid from 2021! Would love this for the High Sierra trail and JMT.

You picked this one up quick! I know you're typically a freestanding tent guy, so looking forward to your thoughts on freestanding vs trekking pole. The weight is insane on this tent. I've been looking at ultralight 1P tents for some fast packing or just trips where I'm trying to really cram in the miles and the weight savings is key. The seam taping is definitely concerning. Did not expect that... I'm feeling like I need to go inspect the seams on my triplex a little closer now... Great first impressions!

That is a real nice tent

thank you for this honest review

Nope you just need to get an extender attachment to fit onto your trekking pole if it’s too short. Way lighter, stronger, and cheaper solution than buying their pole.

Im not even subbed and I’m here in 13 minutes! Guess you earned it.

wow that weight is amazing. I still prefer the ease of setup with the duplex over the other half pyramids....to much finikyness but less than 14 ozs is very tempting.

Great post my friend. I appreciate this review and your honest opinion.

That floppy floor always irks me, especially for that price... for a similar price and under the 22oz mark you can get an Durston X-mid Pro 2 (two man).

Nice I like Zpack but I will never pay that. Great review as always thank you.

Wellll... I prefer my Gen 2 Tarptent Notch Li, made in China at THE best tent factory for high quality Dyneema tent fabrication. The quality of this Dyneema tent is absolutely the best available.

Nope. The best bang for the buck is going to be the Zpacks Duplex or Dan Durston X-Mid 2P Pro (DCF). The weight of these tents to how much room you get just cannot be beat.

My gossamer gear The One is only 17 ounces and half of the price. It’s also probably more durable and has more width up top.

Thanks for a great review as always.

so i have one, but i haven't set it up yet. i went over all my seams and tape and nothing is flaking like that. but did it only start flaking after setup? curious to hear your info after the first impressions.

I always try to get 8 inches deep too… but I’m in the same boat as you 👀

does the poles POINT go towards the ground? or trek handle go in pocket ?

Looks just like my SMD Lunar Solo, only instead of Sil Poly its Dyneema. I’m at 29 oz. with stakes and Sea to Summit dry sack, and at about 1/3 the cost.

Thanks for the great insight! I think I will pass due to the cost LOL

Thanks for the review. Looks an awesome tent for the weight. I’m debating whether to go for this but not sure if it’s suitable for guile in the uk and scotland. How does it fare in high winds and bad weather? Atb, Michael

Do they have anything new coming out that will be double wall with a connected tub? I need something not only rain/condensation proof, but also bug proof. Summer time mosquitos on alpine lake thru hikes is brutal

Great review. I’ve been eyeballing the Plex Solo. How are you feeling about it now, 9 months after this video?

Thought you weren’t a single wall guy. 😭🤘

That is a really nice tent. The price is steep.

My only concern is, I'm 6'1 rocking an EE Enigma quilt on a generous sleeping pad (Maybe 2-3" tall) IS it spacious enough, or do I need to upgrade to an Alta-plex? I'm worried about condensation and having a wet head/footbox if there isn't enough room! Thanks!! And Happy Trails!!

The Big Agnes Scout Carbon is 11 ounces.

Great review.

If I just can buy one UL shelter, what your recommendation. Heaxmid Pocket Tarp w/door or Plex Solo

how tall are you? i know they made the alta plex for taller people

Well my Big Agnes Scout 2 Carbon Tent (2 person fully enclosed tent) is 11 ounces, just saying.

Sounds like they have other maker as all those little negative details you mentioned is not typical of their past products..

Looking to go light! Currently love my freestanding Marmot Tungsten UL 1P. Great for most of my needs. We are looking to do the Kings Canyon High Basin Route which basically doubles the elevation gain/loss of the JMT. My knees are telling me I need to lighten the load. Curious your experience in 1) dealing with condensation you might get with this tent and 2) setting up on rock slabs (high alpine camping) or in sand? For the weight alone this tent is a contender…

is there any cheaper alternative to this? I currently own a Hubba nx 1 and would like to move to something much lighter. my trips are in the Alps above the tree line. what would you suggest?weight is a big concern as I weight 55kg and solo, so I'm trying to cut weight down as much as possible. Unfortunately the Zpack is too expensive, I also live in Europe.. thanks!

Which UL trekking pole do you use with the plex solo?

I had planned on purchasing a duplex this year, now I'm not so sure.

Ounces? What's that?

Did you purchase this, or was it sent for free to review?

is the dineema copy of the sixmoon designs lunar solo. 3 time more expensive, without 3 times the benefits....

you mention possible lighter tents I'm curious ?

Isn't this just the plexamid with out the struts?

Do you think it's ok to put the tent in a compression dry sack to get the pack size down?

I can get a trekking pole tent on Amazon for 40 bucks lol

At least it is cheaper than gold which is $1,901.00 per oz.

No zipper??? But wind tho.

My hexamid solo is 10.3oz and you can still buy them for possibly cheaper than this.

That price is high as the sky

2:38 is me talking to my girlfriend

Only being able to get it 4” deep is average 😉

Until I'm ready for a S2S The One or Durston, I'll keep my Nemo Hornet for 3 seasons and Nemo Kunai for Winter. The weight is alluring to me but a Zpacks tent is the only I've had the opportunity to buy second hand or at a discount, and it's the one brand I've never fallen for. I hear so much positivity in UL KZfaq channels but on trail it's not the same story and their customer service is hot garbage. If I pay $30 for a Six Moons Designs DCF bag, I can get in touch with customer service the same day or an email response the next business day. Zpacks? I've heard of everything (including recently) from a few business days to a few MONTHS, to never. Unacceptable for $600 tents. I reference 6MD because they're also a small company and somewhat comparable to ZP.

If I'm going to spend that much, I'd get the Tarptent Stratospire Li. I'm not in the cool Zpacks club.

396 g

$599.00 Weight 13.9 oz = 395 g

As others have said, that seam-taping quality is down right offensive.

Sometimes less is more but not in this case.. give me a North Face 4 season 2 man tent and I'll be fine. Tried tested and true. Can't beat it with a stick. As a matter of fact of sticks fell off a tree they're just going to bounce off a good North Face. They'll rip to that little piece of crap and stab you in the chest. Who wants that?

Seal seal tape pealing after a couple days is inexcusable imo for $600

Yeah, why would they put the tape on the outside? That's just common sense.

I don’t care how great or light … I would never spend $600 on a two person tent

How much is this tent? $1100? 😏

Looks like a single use tent. Ultralight is often a trade-off for durability but this is extreme

Maaaannn, for $600 it better be perfect…this one wasn’t. If it were me, it would already be on its way back.

600 bucks, good lord ...

"TOO-MUCH-MONEY!"

The biggest CON - is the absolutely awful build quality. Zpacks is innovative, but they are the worst in the industry when it comes to quality. Their designs have an equal number of pros and cons too. For a long time, Zpacks had no competition. So many new pack manufacturers have taken a huge bite out of that revenue stream. With Dan Durston now designing tents, I suspect he’s going to take an equally big chunk out of the shelter revenue stream as well. Personally, I’m not sure I’d buy anything from Zpacks again. I accept the cost, just not the quality or bizarre design choices.

2,000 plus miles. 4/5/6 months carrying it. $600. Figure it out. Seems pretty simple to me.

I’d rather carry a 4-5 pound tent for 200 bucks knowing it won’t fall apart in the wind .

How can you claim this "tent" as a tent when it lacks a zippered entry/exit zipper and lacks a zippered, netted vent and hood? It is clearly an incomplete tent. Lacking an adjustable vent increases the issue of condensation. Rain, snow, wind and cold wind can enter the tent and has done so except for snow based on a KZfaq video recently presented. Regarding it being classified as the lightest tent in the world, I would like you to be aware that I've made a 4.03 ounce floorless Dyneema diamond shaped tent, 4.4375 feet wide x 8.48 feet long x 3.5 feet high. It is constructed with glue except for adhesive taped Dyneema reinforcements, no need for waterproofing with 1/4 inch bottom hem unlikely achievable with sewing. Glue is stronger than adhesive tape and provides a completely sealed bond not achievable with sewing. My tent has a 3 foot waterproofed entry/exit zipper and a waterproof zippered, netted vent with hood. It has a loop at the peak of the tent for supporting it by 8 or more methods from above vs trekking(s). My tent pole is a carbon fiber arrow shaft along with a partial fishing pole with dome topped cork. A floorless tent is obviously lighter and lower in packing volume than a floored tent. One uses a ground sheet or not and not having to worry about penetrating the floor by sharp rock or twig unseen when prepping the site. The majority of the so called ultralight tents out there are not ultralight.

Call me crazy, but the price is very rarely worth the saved weight for me. Or, it could be my level of inexperience showing.....

I don't like the fact that Zpacks makes millions off hikers every year and built their company literally on our backs but won't make anything out of .75oz/yd so they can bleed you again in another year or under.

Sad...they released the tent before it was properly tested.

$600 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I can rent a mule to carry my gear for that much.