ZPacks Triplex

After the last big holidays were marked by catastrophic weather or the like, I thought for a long time about what I could have done differently to make the trips more pleasant.

On Madeira the weather was very bad for a trip; the spray, splash and high humidity took their toll on the down in the sleeping bag with each passing night. Here a closed tent would really have been preferable to a tarp. In Sweden, on the other hand, we were quite glad to have some mesh between us and the mosquitoes and deer keds. Still, the space in the Double Rainbow was too little during the forced break caused by salmonella, and the walls closed in on us during those days. Since then I have been thinking about what the perfect shelter for us would be. I reflected for a long time to become aware of the requirements:

  • From spring into the light winter - for winter trips with heavy snow loads on the tent I have a Hilleberg tunnel tent,

  • entrance on two sides so everyone can get out without climbing over the other,

  • good ventilation options to minimise condensation,

  • spacious enough to endure a few days of forced break,

  • unobtrusive for wild camping,

  • maximum weight of one kilogram,

  • optional: separate inner tent to flexibly protect against bloodsuckers in season,

  • optional: big enough for two wide sleeping pads.

I then looked at various ultralight tents and systems and shortlisted the following three models.

Product

Fly

Inner

Total

Comment

BearPaw PyraTent 2

450g /450$

340g/275$

790g/725$

Light-coloured Cuben Fiber, only one entrance

HMG Echo 2 System

848g/695$

Many steps needed for setup, no room for two wide pads

HMG UltaMid2

471g/715$

595g/395$

1066g/1110$

White Cuben Fiber

ZPacks Triplex Tent Camo

636g/699$

No separate inner tent

After thinking about the decision for half a year, and after Bimbi and I were confronted with rainy weather for the entire trip on the Hermannsweg again, I finally decided to buy the ZPacks Triplex Tent in Camo. Of all the models available, this tent not only has the lowest total weight, but also sets up well and quickly and, with its four doors, offers the potential for excellent ventilation. In hindsight, I am glad I ordered before the American hiker season. It took no more than a day from ordering to shipping, and ten days after ordering I could already pick the good piece up at customs.

After picking it up, I first had to set up the tent and inspect it. Here you can see very well how the Cuben Fiber shines when new. But it is reassuring to know that this shine fades after a few weeks of use and the material is rather matte afterwards. The Triplex offers a very good ratio of packed volume to interior space. I was very surprised that ZPacks' weight specification for this model was exactly right. The tent is listed at 636g on the homepage, and I measured a weight of 636g including the stuff sack.

Below is a picture from the inside with a 1.20 metre long sleeping pad lying across the tent.

It is incredible how much space this tent offers.

The tent is pitched with 8 to 12 stakes. The stormier the weather, the more stakes are recommended for the setup. In the eight-stake setup, the three side guy lines are secured with one stake. In strong winds it is recommended to use more stakes to gain more usable space in the tent.

At the third Outdoorstammtisch Rhein-Neckar I spent the first night in the good piece and was over the moon. Despite night-time temperatures around freezing with high humidity, there was no condensation in the tent the next morning. Ventilation with the four doors works excellently. ZPacks itself states that all doors only need to be closed in very bad weather. The tent roof is a few centimetres wider than the floor bathtub. In rainy/windy weather, the doors on the leeward side can stay open. In rain without wind, even all four doors can stay open without rain getting in.

The doors overlap and can be closed from the inside. For this, the lower ends of the door have to be hooked into a small hook. Once the doors are hooked in, the closure can be tightened. In strong wind, the toggle in the middle of the door should additionally be pulled through the loop on the other door to prevent the wind from opening the doors and letting rain through.

I have now taken the tent on a trip and I know I will keep using it on the next trips and meetups with Bimbi. Even after a short test phase, I tend to think this tent will be my first choice for shared trips. The tent is an ideal compromise between space, weight and robustness.

The space is a dream. Even with two wide pads there is still enough room to the mesh walls, and there is plenty of headroom at the head and foot ends. After one night on the Neckar we even managed to get some condensation in the tent. On that morning the entire tent meadow was already dripping wet in the evening due to the very high humidity. A small film of condensation gathered on the Cuben laminate inside the tent. Unlike the silnylon tents I own, the water did not collect in droplets. Thanks to this experience, I now go on trips relaxed even in bad weather.

Alongside the many positive points, the few criticisms should also be mentioned.

The tent is designed as a 3+ season tent. That means it is not made for heavy snow loads. So if you want to go to Scandinavia in winter and expect several centimetres of fresh snow overnight, a classic bunker or lavvu is probably the better choice. But I definitely trust the tent with a normal winter with a few centimetres of snowfall at night.

Another point is the great ventilation; in windy areas it will, and in sandy areas it can, cause a lot of sand and dust to get into the sleeping area. Under these conditions, a solid nylon inner tent would probably be better.

Since I personally am rarely out under these conditions, the tent is and remains my first choice!

It will accompany me on many more hikes and treks.



Note: I received the tent from ZPacks with a discount in exchange for a review. This, however, has no influence on the content of the review.

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