This morning I received an ad for this tent on Facebook (as you do). Zpack Plex Solo Tent. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say. I’m sure this is not the case here but this tent is so, so , like my original Deer Hunter’s Tent which evolved from my Tyvek Solo Fire Shelter that the similarities are eerie – and at the time (last century?) nothing like this existed.
Of course this is most likely because the laws of physics/geometry are immutable so that (eventually) you find there really is only one way to do any thing. I did however (originally) post the design, measurements and instructions (on my old website) then deleted them as I realized: 1. I might want to commercialise them in future and 2. Someone else might do so first.However, no doubt they can be found on the Wayback Machine.
See Also my new post DIY Tents
I notice Six Moon Designs have a similarly designed tent so it is probably just ‘parallel evolution’. They are welcome to my design now anyway, as Della long since decided ‘we’ would not be launching any new business ventures, but just enjoy life instead – and she’s the boss, as in most homes I’m sure.
I am not so keen on Dyneema as Joe is (though I understand he has made it his trademark material). It is (slightly) lighter (at from .48 oz) than the best silnylon materials (Ripsopbytheroll’s .77oz/yd2) but I am not convinced that the very slight weight advantages are worth the risk of using such very delicate materials. That being said, it is enormously easier to repair with sticky tape! It is tricky to cut and sew,but Joe has been doing it so long he has no doubt worked out all the ‘wrinkles’ in doing it.
A very slight hole in the plastic film covering is very hard to find and spot though. Non-woven dyneema material does also tend to ‘shred’ away with use , something I am not very fond of. I have had this happen with a number of packs which if they had been made from a slightly heavier woven fabric would have lasted several times as long. You are paying very big money for this special material (something like $25 a yard – and it is narrower) as compared with $5-7 a yard for (‘ordinary’) silnylon.
I have a piece (I bought from him) which Della had made into a larger than necessary (Fiordland) hammock tarp, but which I have carefully unpicked now and intend either for an iteration of my ‘Grey Flyer’ tent or of the original Deer Hunter’s Tent (which I need to make a new version of as the original was just a little short) – though my tent did fit two people (plus two small dogs if they are good friends) as you can see in this post The Last of the Mountain Men. You will probably note the eerie similarity of the two tents in my photos from 2016. Mine is (much) taller though.
If I make my Grey Flyer out of it the ‘roof’ will weigh less than 150 grams (including tie-outs and guys). I can make a floor (eg out of the .77oz fabric) that will only weigh about 100 grams. Add say 100 grams for lots of pegs for much greater security and I will have a much larger tent than the Solo Plex (ie big enough for 2-3 people, some dogs and lots of gear) which will also weigh only around 350 grams all up. (The Solo Plex weighs 359 grams). And mine will double as a hammock tarp – big enough to shelter two people swinging in hammocks side by side – like this: Simple Hammock Double Up.
I don’t much understand a tent for one actually. Though I frequently journey in the wilderness alone, splendid attractive company (Della) is always better. There is just not enough (weight) saving in making a tent fit for only one person – as I found with my Poncho Tent. I will be making a version of it big enough for two too.
The same is true of shrinking the height down to less than a metre (40″) – as Joe has done here. Once you get under a head height of 4′ you have to crawl into the tent. At 4′ and above you can just sit down into it from a standing position. As you get older and have more arthritis (as I do) you will understand the benefit of this. Even at a younger age you should soon realise the benefits of having dry knees. Hiking comfort is important – as this post A Soft Pillow and Warm Bed under the Stars illustrates.
Joe’s tent comprises a fly with a separate bathtub floor (as mine did originally too) but I decided to sew the bathtub floor to the tent (for ease of erection – Oh Yes! And stability Double Yes!) This turned out to be a really good idea, though it was hard to work out how to do it, and required much crawling around inside, pinning, marking etc.
The ‘trick’ as it turned out was to make the floor quite a bit bigger than it needed to be so that it did not pull the sides of the tent in. I have since ‘mastered this with successive designs so that now with the Grey Flyer I can just cut it out separately on Khayyam’s Table then sew it up and it works perfectly from the start.
You live and learn as they say or you don’t live long! And I have (both). At the front I can simply tie the middle of the floor up to the tent pole (if needed), though normally the water will not be coming from that direction unless you have pitched your tent in the wrong place and facing in the wrong direction – I refer you back to the previous proverb! This is what I usually use as a tent pole Ultralight Tent Poles – one ounce.
I have not owned the Plex but I do own a couple of earlier zpacks tents. Both of them utilised a poncho as a tent floor (which was a good idea unless you wanted to answer a call of answer when it was raining). They were very light and they worked – though we found both of them quite difficult to erect even with much practice. They did not want to just stand up as the Deer Hunter’s tent and Grey Flyer do.
I have had this problem myself with earlier tents. I think I was trying for too greater complexity. There was a reason for the simple A-frame tent which has become the universal ‘icon’ for a tent. It did stand up easily and neatly.
Colonel Whelen’s Forester ‘improvement’ to that tent did likewise but with the addition that it had a back wall and could utilise a fire out front. Bliss. I have added a couple of wings to the front of Whelen’s basic design in the Grey Flyer and Deer Hunter’s Tent #2 which improves it as shelter further without too great a weight penalty.
The Grey Flyer almost wants to stand up by itself – a fact I notice when I am taking it down, when it just keeps standing there until I get to the very last two pegs when it will finally fall over! You can see the evolution of these ideas in this post Miniature Whelen Hammock Tent
This zpacks tent is going to set you back US599 (plus delivery). Though I’m sure you will be very happy with it, such reckless spending is not a great way forward in life where self-sufficiency and independence will eventually occur to you as more important virtues than spendthrift-ness.
DIY is also a very satisfying hobby and also lays the foundation for being able to fix things which go wrong (frequently) in the wilderness when the manufacturer is not available to make warranty calls! Can I recommend you spend $10 (and ten minutes) and make this Poly Tent first, or this Two Great Poly Tarp Configurations.
This was not a tent review. I’m sure there is nothing wrong with this zpack tent or with any $1-2000 tent either, but can I encourage you to try making do with much cheaper things and even making your own. I mean that’s how Joe got into being a hiking gear ‘manufacturer in the first place – because as a young man he couldn’t afford the fancy expensive things on offer and so took to making his own backpacks, tents etc.
They are of excellent quality and I’m sure you will be very happy with them (and maybe you have an enormous wallet), but you will be a better person if you have a go at making your own – and making do.
You may notice I do not ‘do’ rave revues of hiking products people have ‘gifted’ me for that purpose (as other websites do). I value independence of mind and being able to speak as I want. I never do posts like ‘The 10 Best Ultralight Tents of 2022’ which Google apparently adores. We must avoid having our lives controlled by Comrades Google and Facebook. One thing you (I hope) will appreciate about this blog is that it is honest – and my own opinion, and experience. Lots of experience which I hope you can benefit from.
See Also my new post DIY Tents
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Zpacks although mainstream, is a small business. People support their families when running their business. Go make your diy tents alone without trying to devalue someone’s expert craftsmanship.
Dear Chris, I have not said anything at all negative about Zpacks excellent tents – quite the contrary, and I own two of them. You have clearly not read my post at all carefully or understood its message. Just as a BTW, your insulting and negative comments are not welcome here. Cheers, Steve.