I'm 6'6" and I thank you for your honest info about the tent size. You kept me from spending a lot of money on something that wouldn't work.

This is the channel that introduced me to hiking! I thank you so much for giving me that!

Me - 5'4", watching a video about the altaplex because I just love all your videos: "Oh no, 6'6" people can't fit? That's a bummer..."

Rockin’ the Lanshan 2P tent. Great value for the money. I just use it for weekend trips right now and it’s been great so far.

I think that maybe I didn’t word my comment very well. I’ve been watching your KZfaq channel for years, and I have found you to be honest, concise, thoughtful, and completely lacking in extraneous chatter. I have nothing but respect for you. At 60 years old I returned to backpacking after an extended absence beginning with two years of research before my 60th. I am about to turn 65 and have been enjoying your videos ever since I got back into backpacking. Maybe your intent was for us to get out and do a little research of our own, or maybe you’ve already commented on this in the past and I missed it. I’ve seen comments about the change in their corporate structure and how it has changed the quality of the product and customer service,and about their reaction to COVID-19 and employee policy. I hope it has nothing to do with their possum down gloves. My only major Z packs product is the Arc Blast 52 that I’ve had since the beginning. Just to let you know, except for :-), I am completely illiterate when it comes to emojis. Please digress a little bit, and let us know how you feel. Your opinions on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Darwin for all that you have done for our community.

My perfect tent is Perkin's tent in Harry Potter, but this looks pretty good also.

I'm 6'4" and I don't touch the walls of my Altaplex, but it's close. I agree, 6'6" is probably not gonna work, but I can vouch for 6'4" on 2'" or 2.5" pad (I've used Xlite, Xtherm, Tensor and Tensor Insulated in it just fine).

I use a 30' Airstream Classic. It's a little cramped at times but doesn't require a trekking pole.

Just got a Duplex. Love it, going on the Vermont Long Trail in 10 days, I like the ease of set up, and tons of room for me. Well made... I’ve set it up a few times so far, super easy and intuitive to do.

I have the Altaplex and I can say that your review is about as dead-on and realistic in the real world as anyone could hope to find anywhere!!!!..Great video and great honesty. I ts no wonder that your subscriptions keep growing. Anyone who is looking for a straight-up review about anything hiking would do a LOT worse than coming to your station!!!! I enjoy many you-tubers but you are the ONLY one in this format that I subscribe to. As long as you keep being "you" then I will keep subscribing to this channel!!!!! GREAT job and thank you for what you do...

Oh, I think I heard a hint of tea in there. What'd I miss with that business?

Great vide darwin!! I’m just interested in what this z packs controversy is about? Keep up the amazing work.

Hey, Darwin, I'm the guy who recommended you look into a used Altaplex. First - I'm really glad you like it. I'd feel bad if you'd gone to all that trouble and it didn't work out for you. Second, THANK YOU for taking my advice to an entirely unexpected level. The entire tall hiker community thanks you. There are so few tents out there that will fit us without weighing a metric ton. All my best to you. Stay safe!

I agree - there doesn't seem to be "the perfect" anything but you can come close. My budget prohibits the purchase of tent after tent after tent, but I invested in the Zpacks Duplex for the sake of an ultralight tent with enough space for me and my gear and I think it's just about perfect for me. Sure, the condensation can be annoying but I can handle it. What I absolutely LOVE is that a single wall tent can be put up in the rain while keeping the inside pretty much dry and relatively quick too.

I do love that you aren't sponsored. I don't trust reviews that are- no matter how confident the reviewer is in their own independence, if the company gives preferential treatment there will be a change in attitude.

Aloha from Hawaii! I am still using my Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo. I bought it it because the price, and the weight is pretty good too. Handles very well the jungle and the exposed peaks of the Ko’olau Mountains. By the way I agree “There is no lerfect tent”:D

I used the Altaplex on my 2015 AT thru-hike and everything after. I'm 6'5 and still have room to spare in the tent. I love it. It has a hardy bathtub floor but it's still Dyneema so if I had never used a Tyvek groundsheet under it, I doubt it would have lasted so long.

Have been using a new Pleximid this year. I am 5 feet tall, so it is totally awesome so far. I can get me, my pack and a 40 pound dog in it with room to spare. I was pretty surprised at how much room it has. No fear of hitting the sides/top and getting stuff wet. I could almost walk in to your Altaplex without bending over!

As someone who is 6' 4" this was really helpful to reconsider the Altaplex. For that price I wouldn't be okay with my feet grazing the liner. Thanks for the review!

I finally decided to make the switch from using a sleeping bag to a quilt. I just invested in a custom Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt because of your recommendation. I can't wait to test that out on trail this year! Now I'm thinking about making the switch from using a freestanding tent to a trekking pole, ultralight tent. :)

I was deciding between the Altaplex and HMG Ultamid 2 and decided to get the Altaplex. Ordered the Spruce green Tuesday, money left my account on Wednesday, received a shipping notice Thursday and it will arrive Friday. I got the spruce green because it’s a little thicker and I am hard on gear. Also 6-3 and 275 so I had to get something I could fit in and carry. Granted I could carry 80+ lbs but that sucks, and I vowed those days are over. Base is at 10.8 lbs and thanks to all you vloggers for informing us. I found Darwin to be the most straightforward and informative of the many voices. I will end up getting the Ultamid 4, yes 4 later for kayak fishing/camping. Boo yah! Keep those new blazes in front and the old ones behind.

I've been searching for the perfect pad, and I just bought the sea to summit pad. I sure hope I made the right decision ! Thx for the vid

Tech term in ultra light hiking : "Condensationy"

Still rockin the Duplex. Condensationy? New technical term...😂😂😂😂 Nice job on ALL accounts....👊

Zpacks was a bit out of my budget. I got the REI flash 2p tent, a single wall trekking pole tent. My wife and I spent about 9 days in it between bryce canyon and grand canyon south rim. We love it. The size and weight of it feel good too. Thanks for creating inspiration for the rest of us. ✌

Prepping for a second summer in my Gatewood Cape. It's a good fit for me at 6'3", sheds rain like a dream, ventilates well enough to control excessive condensation, and is rock solid in wind--these pyramid-style shelters are really good in wind.

I love my Zpacks triplex. Light and very roomy. Never leave home without it! Bikepacking the east coast with it in October

Nice review. On a thru-hike, do you have enough room for all your crap? I was on the PCT with my Duplex palace and think I would miss all that room! But ya, trash liner became my foot box protector at night! Dual purpose item i guess 😊 Also just a thought for a vid, I haven't found one that shows the daily packing up and rolling out. Some days I had it down to 5 minutes and some days took an hour. I never got a good routine down. Prep the night before or??? Would love to see your morning routine for rolling out. Thanks DotT!

I really like my Hexamid Solo plus, I think I’m one of the few that really likes a net floor. It’s always nice seeing Nope in your videos, he gets around.

Dan Durston X-mid 1P. Because it is a double walled tent, has two doors and two vestibules, packs down super small, and has a small footprint but still plenty of room. Sil-Poly does not soak up the rain like the Sil-Nylon as well. Very simple to get the perfect pitch.

I grew up with double wall freestanding tents and have been happy with them. This year I'm going to give hammock camping a try, for a changed of pace.

Thank's again Darwin for a great video, I've had the Altaplex since Feburary and managed a couple of trip to the mountains (big hills 😉) in the UK. Tent worked like a dream although storm and raining proofing is a learning curve in bad weather. After a lot of trimming and lowering the tent while raising the bath tube it was awesome. ⛺ Only negative is once you are hunkered down the airflow is bad so extra condensation. Used the 3 point tip for setting up and was perfect. Keep up the great work and look forward to more videos. 📼

I think I take it for granted at this point but thanks a lot for specifying the unit conversions in all your videos! I'd have to open a new tab each time you mention something to get an idea of what you're talking about! Thanks!

I bought one of these because of you so thanks!! Going to WV today on a backpacking trip to try it outtttttt thanks for all your honest reviews.

Thankyou for everything you do for the hiking community, wishing you and your family good health and happiness!

I have just bought the Locus Gear Khufu HB and i'm 6.3 on a single trekking pole it fits me but I hit the walls of the inner tent. With the dual pole setup I can lie diagonal and it's great. It's beautifully made!! I can really recommend it!

6' 5" Altaplex owner here. On a CCF its plenty tall to not touch on either side, but on a NeoAir Xtherm and a 20 degree bag I have maybe an inch or two between my bag and the walls and my head and the walls. Having a solid pitch is an absolute necessity to not getting that condensation.

Been sleeping in my Hilleberg enan since 2016 very happy about this piece of gear. Contrary to what is sometimes said I ddnt have big condensation issues in more than 100 nights. Good for tall ppl, superb in storm condition. I love it!

SilPoly tarp & bivy. It's light, it's versatile... and it's a great way to stay in shape.

GREAT review.. are you comfortable explaining how zpacks differs from your ethics & passions about the community? i've had my suspicions about things but would love to hear your views thanks

I just bought an Altaplex last week based primarily on your first video, haven’t gotten it yet, I’ll report back. I’m 6’5” and don’t expect perfection but think it will work out. I can always put my foot box in a large Dyneema stuff bag if need be. I was using a OneTigres 2.0 Backwoods bungalow which is a 2 trekking pole tent made of nylon. It has issues of sometimes sagging and is considerably heavier.

First off, great video. I just found out Zpacks is making my favorite go to tent again.I'v used it for everything I can think of. Bicycling, motorcycle adventures, hiking and just plain ol' camping out. Honestly, I've had this tent for quite a few years now and I still love it more than any other tent I've had or used before and for many reasons. I'm only 5'5" and it's like a 2 person tent to me. I WAS able to get a carbon fiber pole from Zpacks before that was a quad fold and exactly 58" long and fold down to 16". But was hollow so I put 2 rubber end caps (I work in a machine shop and the custom drills come in various size plastic tubes w/caps that work perfect) that keep the tube from plugging up with dirt and mud.You should try reaching out to Joe and see if he will produce the older style pole, especially for bike packing.I don't use trekking poles, ever. I watched a video on pitching the tent and never had issues setting it up. For rainy weather, set the pole back on bottom to shorten pole length so tent is lower to the ground. I'm planning a bike packing adventure as well next year. Just a short one in S. Dakota on the Mickelson trail.Yes I'll be bringing my altaplex. I use a narrow piece of Tyvek for ground cloth. Keep up the great videos. P.S. I just sub to your channel. One more note, I just went on Zpacks site and they have a carbon pole 60" for $29.00. Perfect!

I purchased the Mountain Hardware Optic 2.5 during quarantine so haven't had the chance to really test it yet but so far I love everything about it

Loving my new The One Tent from Gossamer Gear. Got this thing last Christmas and it has been great. Easy to pitch, condensation has not been a problem (I hike in the Smokies mostly) and I find it very roomy. I like to tarp in the winter time when bugs are no longer an issue and I use a Sea to Summit 10.5 x10.5 tons of room under that thing. My buddy has this Altaplex and he loves it, he's hoping to do the Colorado Trail too this year. Thanks for the share!

Darwin mentioned this tent won’t fit a person 6’4” and I can confirm that is correct. I am 6’4” exactly and I purchased an Altaplex and it was too short to use in conjunction with my Thermarest XLite sleeping pad, Enlightened Equipment 20 degree quilt, and a Sea to Summit Aeros pillow. Both my head and feet touched the ends, especially towards the back part of the tent opposite the front door. I ended up getting a Tarptent Double Rainbow Li. It has ample room and could easily fit a taller person than 6’4”.

Well my perfect tent this year is not a tent. I bought a Clark Outdoors NX-270 Hammock a couple months ago, and WOW! So comfortable! I can use it with or without a tarp. The bug screen, and weather shield work great. Super convenient pockets underneath accessible from inside. Whoopie slings and tree straps included it weighs in at 2.9 pounds, and compresses down enough that i can fit in, and my top quilt into my 15L OutdoorResearch compression dry bag! Totally worth it!

I do mainly car camping becausei have 3 little kids and the Cabela's Alaskan tent is awesome. Dealt with heavy rain and wind last weekend and it hardly moved and was perfectly dry

Hello Darwin Wanted to thank you for your efforts and contributions to the beginners in the hiking community. Great video and I always look forward to your perspective.

Also still like my Z Packs duplex. Only drawback, I have to put up an additional short pole on the side of the tent to prop up the side and give me more headroom since I am over 6'2". Without it, I end up with only a few inches headroom when trying to sleep since the duplex has a long, low profile and a short vertical pitch. Key to what Darwin is talking about is tent placement. If the ground is not level, if you site it the wrong way with the wind, you can have problems with any tent. Haven't had a big condensation problem because I tend to camp in weather where I can open the doors on each side and keep that air flowing. If I had to button down all four doors, even the mesh around the bottom would not help that much on a rainy, muggy day on the AT. Thanks Darwin. Always good, sensible advice. Hike on! Tortoise

Just wanted to say that I really appreciate your videos, especially during these chaotic times.

I agree, looks like a simple quick set up, I like that. Since I just started using a duplex last year. I will need to wait for another new tent, just due to the price. I'm 5ft 11 in so the duplex is good for me. But, sometimes the duplex set up can be tough to get the perfect pitch. But, it has preformed perfect in all weather. And the weight is great. Thanks for the report, this would be a good choice tent.

Spot on honest review man! I agree their is no perfect tent but you can come very close! My number one go to tent right now is my big agnes copper spur hv ul 1 tent in olive green.! Love that tent! It is super easy to pitch, lightweight, packs fairly small, tons of space for a one man tent. Its very well made, very waterproof, very breathable! Best one man freestanding tent on the market right now in my opinion! Expensive but worth every penny, highly recommend the 2019 version! Haven't used the 2020 version so i cant really speak for it. I'm sure its nice though. Stay safe! Hike on!

I got a tarp recently and Im pretty happy with it so far

Thanks Darwin for your review. I'm currently testing the zpacks duplex for my thru hike of the Foothills Trail and the Appalachian trail

Nice review Darwin. My new Altaplex arrived a few weeks ago but I haven’t had a chance to get out and use it yet because I’m waiting for my new pair of longer CNOC carbon trekking poles to arrive. Sounds like it is serving you really well so far. Can’t wait to get out and put mine to the test!

Darwin I use Massdrop x Dan Durston X-Mid 1P Tent. I'm 6'2'' and find this tent meets my current needs. The tent does take 2 treking poles to setup but it does provide me the headroom to sit up and the length to lay out and not hit the tent sides with my foot or head. Also at $200 it fits my budget

Great information, thanks. I’m happy with the REI free standing one person. It’s a little small, but I always wanted, and enjoy the qualities of a free standing tent. Thanks again

Well since you asked, I just bought a Copper Spur HV UL3! Planning on doing the Uinta Highline Trail with it and a few of my friends.

0:46. Sounds like my phone on silent.

Love love your channel!!! Thank you for everything that you do for the hiking community.

Alpkit carbonlong extends to 150cm 59 inches. Hope this helps. Karma I hope for all you do for the hiking community and the great content. Love the videos as always

Perfect tent for me right now is the Xmid 1P. However I’d love to see it with a mesh inner and DCF outer.

Looks like an awesome choice. Thanks for the details. If I had all the money on earth I would buy one to put it in the quiver for UL. Living in Florida, I don't like Single Wall all that much. Just too much humidity usually down here. But looks better than some of the old SW tents I have owned where it seemed like it is raining inside at times, LOL. Cool tent for the weight. . . If only it was cheaper. As the old adage goes: Weight, Cost, Performance/Durability, Choose 2. . . Always a tradeoff.

Hey Darwin i use a topeak bikamper for my cycling trips. It uses the bike and the front wheel to support the tent. Not suitable for very tall guys but it just fits snugly for me. And i am about 6 foot. But i love it that i don't need any extra poles when cycling. Only downside is that on a rainy evening i have to stay in the tent laying down if i want to keep dry.

Always love these reviews Darwin!!

I bought an REI Flash Air 2 this spring. It's kind of a poor-er man's Duplex. It's around twice the weight of the Duplex, but it still helped me lower my base weight. I've only used it once so far, but it seems to be a pretty decent lightweight backpacking tent. I'm still going to use my hammock set up for camping when I feel like it, but I have gone back to the tent in part due to the simplicity.

I’m just waiting to try out the X-mid 1person from Durstongear. Looks like it handles the Great Divide Trail flawlessly

I’m using the Helsport Ringstind Superlight double wall tent. It’s not a super light weight tent (comes in on minimum 990 g) but it’s great for the Swedish climate and fits me and the dog.

I used my Tarptent Aeon Li for the first time a week ago and it was phenomenal for that trip. I am planning another trip in a few weeks and hopefully i can test out my Zpacks Free Duo and see how much I like that because right now, the Aeon Li seems like a winner to me!

"Perfect" is in the eye of the beholder. Great video, as usual, I use the Lunar Solo LE and I am quite pleased with it. Thanks

Hey man. You can DIY your own carbon or aluminum pole from Quest Outfitters. They sell Easton sections in different diameters, end tips, shock cord, etc. Couldn’t be easier and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the cottage makers are buying from them. Hopefully this is helpful!

You can get custom carbon poles made to whatever height you like. I had a set made up from Easton carbon so I could double pole my hilleberg. I camp in some wild weather...

Epic tent! I'm jelly, so glad you've had some time in it! We might be doing the CT around the same time if everything goes okay! That's a sweet tent

After months of consideration I have a Duplex. Just need to get out on the trails!

Not ultralight, but my favorite setup these days is my 11ft tarp with a 2p net tent hung under. Don't think the tent I'm using would be long enough for you, but it works for me and the large tarp gives my lots of room, but, of course, at a weight cost (it's not dyneema either). I don't think I'd choose it for unwooded areas though.

Darwin. Get the hiking staff from Zpacks. Works awesome and breaks down.

Nice review, I was almost sold, but not quite. The one thing that keeps me with my Lightheart Gear Solong 6 is my nice vestibule design. If I could get that design in a Cuben fiber tent, I would probably fork out the bucks for it. It's very versatile. :)

Darwin, I’m getting ready to hike the Colorado Trail from Denver to Durango. I heard you mention in one of your videos that you were thinking of hiking it too. I can only imagine that you are probably a meticulous planner for your hikes. Do you by chance have a written plan/spreadsheet of your Colorado Trail hike that you could email to me? It’s my first major hike, and I just want to be sure I’m as prepared as I can be.

Darwin, you definitely should have an eye on the new 800g TT Double Rainbow Li ... it is my absolute favourite tent after a long journey of trial & error. I am on a bike-packing trip and it helds up any promises.

Great vid. I’ve been using the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL3 as it was my first tent.(great deal) but I am ready for a 1-2 person as I solo sleep and don’t plan to change that. Lanshan 2 has my interest peaked as a upgrade.

I've tried a few small tents and the NorthFace Storm 1 (I believe it is called) is a very solid light enough tent. Maybe missing a second door, but very reliable. I do mainly bike packing.

My go to solo tent is the Six Moons Designs Lunar Solo. I love that damn thing. It weighs 26 ounces and only cost me $210 total with the $30 factory seam seal option.

these reviews are great and have got me into hiking in the uk so thanks. they are insanely expensive if i want on in the uk though unforchanatley. i have an msr elixir 1 and no its not the lightest but for the extreme wind and humidity we get in the uk i have yet to find a tent better. and i have tried loads

Hey Darwin, are you going to do a through hike of the Mountains To Sea trail in the future?

Glad you confirmed some of my research. I too wanted to use this tent for bikepacking but can’t find a 58” pole

MLD solomid XL and a bivy for me...although I am about to pull the trigger on a Plexamid pocket tarp.

Great review, I am currently using the six moons Luna solo. At six foot it’s just big enough, stands up to UK weather too.

Darwin, I'v been trying to put my brain to a substitute for a trekking pole in case you want to take the Altaplex on the bike trip (and for everybody else who may want to use the Alta without trekking poles). Zpacks used to sell carbon fibre poles in sizes up to the Alta's lofty 59". Maybe Joe would be willing to bring that longer one back, but even if not, you can DIY a 59" pole by buying two of the shorter ones and enough shock cord to combine the segments. You might need to cut a segment to length. If you do, you'll need the right type of saw and you'll want to follow some safety procedures. There are videos on how to cut carbon fiber tubing. Park Tools has at least one or two videos on that, and I believe Global Cycling Network also has a video on it. Might be too much trouble, but then again, for some Alta fans out there, it might be useful information.

I bought one and just received it the other day (it took forever to get to me) - at 6’5” I can tell it’s not going to be long enough, really the only solution I have found is sleeping diagonal in a 2 -3 person tent.. but I haven’t tried it out yet, so maybe it will be ok.. (but I doubt it). Not only am I tall, I like to sleep with gear at my head to help with my pillow.. so...... oh well. PS I believe the3 CNOC poles are long enough

Check out the Tarptent Protrail, they just released a batch of their new DCF version of it.

I would think the 48” zpacks carbon pole which is what I use for bike packing plus the extension would be perfect 👌

Looks pretty nice for the outdoors.

For me strength and whether protection were priority over light weight, since I encounter quite often showers and heavy winds when hiking in rural Wales and England. Although I still wanted it to be as light as possible, my eye fel on the Hillenberg Akto; maybe not the lightest 1p tent, but it can take on quite heavy storms on open terrain and offers sufficient room for gear, keeping it dry from the elements. Even though it is a double-walled tent, you will not be safe from condensation unfortunately, although great venting options can help quite a bit. The footprint is optional, although I would highly recommend it as it keeps equipment like your backpack dry in the vestibule and protects your inner-tent bathtub floor.

My "perfect" tent has been a LightHeart gear solo. It did the entire AT, and many weekends and week long trips. It has held up great so I have had no need to replace it. All I have had to do is tape up a couple mouse holes (my fault).

A lot of people like tents that use trekking poles and it also saves weight but I personally dislike them. Great video BTW. 😁👌

Hey Darwin, I bought one of these after watching your first “perfect tent” review of it. It is a nice tent. I had one problem and ask if you’ve seen the same issue. When it rains, water migrates from the outer wall of the tent onto the inner surface of the mosquito netting around the perimeter between the tent and they bathtub floor. Once the water is on the upper surface of the netting, it does not just flow through. It sits there. It can easily find its way into the bathtub if you move around and depress the bathtub wall. It happens in my sleep and sometime accidentally when I’m moving around inside. I can’t figure out if its coming in through the stitching or just migrating. At this point I’m going to have to attach a Dyneema strip around the perimeter to ensure the water drips off to the ground. So that’s my only bitch. On the perfect tent question, I’ve also got the updated Notch LI, and absolutely love it. It has more head and foot room than the Altaplex and it has two vestibules. It does use two poles but so do I so that’s OK, and the pole required is a more standard 103cm. Double wall, a few ounces heavier. It’s my perfect tent.

I am 6' 3" and I tried the Pleximid and that was to tight a fit for me plus the ventilation was lacking. I had to leave my pack outside since room was lacking - later I bought the Duplex, good ventilation and the room I needed and it comes with the free-standing option too.

I’m tempted to try a Zpacks tent. I’m short so no need for the Altaplex, but the info was excellent nonetheless.

that price is insane, we need a budget type like this

I’m 4’11” and I have this. Going to use it on Pinhoti Trail.