Zpacks Offset Duo Tent Evaluate

Backside Line

For a wonderful long-distance shelter for thru-hiking, the Zpacks Offset Duo impressed us at each flip, changing into considered one of our favourite ultralight tents that we examined. It’s tough to judge this tent with out evaluating it to the legendary Zpacks Duplex, which has been a staple on thru-hikes for years. The Offset Duo makes a powerful case that it’s a greater shelter for extra individuals than the outdated traditional. And we agree.

Beginning with inside livability, the 32.6 sq. toes of flooring house is extra usable than different A-frame model shelters because of the exterior pole that lifts the massive entrance panel away from the foot space. The swap to L-shaped doorways is a welcome change from the rainbow doorways Zpacks used for years, and the addition of peak vents vastly improves breathability now that the rainfly extends nearer to the bottom.

When testing this within the native forests within the Midwest, we liked the spacious feeling of the inside, significantly not worrying a couple of moist footbox or having our heads brush the partitions. The Offset Duo must be comfy for individuals as much as 6 toes tall, and though we didn’t check heights above that, Zpacks charges it for people as much as 6’6” tall.

The largest draw back is its expense, even for a Dyneema Composite Fiber (DCF) tent. It’s among the many most costly we examined in our lineup, but it surely’s price noting that this tent is laser-focused on long-distance thru-hikers who will use it night time after night time for months on finish. It represents a worthwhile funding for that objective or for many who prioritize efficiency over worth of their gear choice course of. Moreover, it’s not our favourite tent for windy storms resulting from its giant entrance panel, but it surely ought to deal with the most typical climate situations with ease.

What we’re left with is a tent that delighted us throughout testing. It’s roomy, light-weight, well-made, and can be a fantastic selection for sharing with somebody on a protracted journey.

Consolation

After years of the Zpacks Duplex being branded as a “two particular person” tent however primarily utilized by one, we’re happy that the Offset Duo’s slight changes to a traditional design have resulted in vital positive aspects in consolation. This tent comfortably accommodates two individuals, finish of story. There’s a motive we’re starting with a comparability to the Duplex. The Offset Duo seems like a considerate response to maybe the most well-liked ultralight tent of all time, aiming to create a tent the place “two individuals can really be comfy.” It updates the design selections, replaces a number of options, and finally leaves us with a successful product.

The largest change is the offset poles. In a traditional A-frame, the trekking poles are positioned in the midst of the tent physique, making a symmetrical design that reduces each headroom and footroom. The Offset Duo shifts this excessive level to 1 facet, offering considerably extra headroom, and makes use of a brief exterior carbon fiber pole related to a panel pull to extend footroom.

This adjustment vastly enhances the livability of the tent. With a flooring house of 32.6 sq. toes and a peak top of 48 inches, the ensuing inside is spacious sufficient for 2 individuals.

The enhancements lengthen to the door designs. The trekking poles aren’t positioned in the midst of the doorway, enabling simpler entry and exit, and so they additionally accommodate giant L-shaped doorways. We love this design, because it permits for unzipping simply the underside part to rapidly seize one thing within the vestibule with out letting in a ton of bugs, and we by no means have to fret about netting falling to the bottom as with top-separating rainbow door designs. The vestibules are giant and spacious, offering ample gear storage, and the waterproof #3 zippers really feel great.

We managed to suit two commonplace 20-inch sleeping pads and two 3-season quilts inside with none points. When adjusting the quilt ends to a cushty distance from the outside partitions, we nonetheless had a cushty quantity of headroom for somebody round six toes tall.

Weight

Essentially the most interesting factor in regards to the Offset Duo is its extremely low weight of 21.1 ounces. This may be diminished by one ounce by omitting the top pole and utilizing a spare trekking pole, which we suspect most individuals can have since it is a two-person shelter.

We acknowledge the worth of getting a devoted pole right here, and we’re glad Zpacks included it. Uncovered trekking pole handles are infamous for attracting the undesirable consideration of deer and different animals that discover the salt from our sweat within the cork or foam handles delectable. An additional ounce for that peace of thoughts in a recognized problematic space looks as if a good commerce.

The Offset Duo makes use of Dyneema Composite Fiber (DCF) cloth all through its building to attain an extremely low weight. The usual configuration options 0.55oz/sqyd DCF for the fly and 1.0oz/sqyd for the ground; nevertheless, you’ll be able to order it with a thicker 0.75oz/sqyd DCF for the fly to supply additional peace of thoughts.

Nonetheless, we consider that an improve is pointless for many customers. The usual weights have been utilized in Zpacks tents for years with out situation and have endured many thru-hikes.

Whereas DCF is light-weight, it’s sadly a reasonably cumbersome materials, and Zpacks charges the packed dimension at 6×13 inches when rolled casually. That is bigger than competing silnylon or silpoly shelters, however contemplating the opposite advantages of DCF, we consider it’s a minor situation that most individuals received’t thoughts.

Ease of Use

Regardless of the deviations from the traditional A-frame design, we discovered the Offset Duo equally simple to make use of. Setup was simple, utilizing 4 nook stakes to safe the doorways and two trekking poles on the peaks. Each the vent and door connect with the identical stake with a guyline, which could be a bit fiddly at instances, however that’s a minor nitpick that ought to turn out to be second nature over time.

The offset trekking poles additionally make getting out and in of the tent a breeze, due to the massive rainfly and internet doorways. Talking of these doorways, the magnetic closure mechanism is superb right here too, snapping along with a satisfying click on. 

In case you are transitioning from a standard pole tent to a trekking pole model like this one, it’s going to take a while to regulate to how a lot of these shelters pitch. We advocate practising earlier than taking a tent like this on an journey, however when you grasp the basics, we discover it simply as quick (if not sooner) than a standard pole tent.

Climate Resistance

DCF is without doubt one of the strongest materials obtainable, making this a superb tent for weathering storms. It doesn’t stretch or sag within the presence of water, making certain a safe pitch that ought to final so long as your stakes maintain agency. The one draw back is the massive uncovered panel on the entrance. Though the geometry is best damaged up by the foot pole than if it weren’t there, it’s nonetheless a considerable part of material that may catch the wind. This isn’t sufficient to discourage us from taking the Offset Duo on a protracted path, but it surely wouldn’t be our first selection for a path recognized for being very windy.

We want Zpacks had included some attachment factors on the peaks for man traces. Throughout harsh climate, these can considerably improve tent stability. Sadly, the simple setup we talked about earlier doesn’t apply when making ready the tent for a storm. When you anticipate inclement climate, a trekking pole tent like it will require extra time to arrange correctly, because it lacks the constant inside construction of a standard pole tent.

You’ll spend extra time checking the stress of the material panels and adjusting stakes to make sure that all elements of the tent are adequately tensioned. The excellent news is that when every little thing is pitched effectively, trekking pole tents can stand up to some fairly extreme gusts; they simply require a bit extra effort to achieve that time. Since this tent primarily targets long-distance path hikers reasonably than being particularly designed for harsh climate, we consider the extent of climate resistance is acceptable.

The vestibules pitch decrease to the bottom than different Zpacks tents, which ought to assist considerably with splashback in rain. Splashback happens when rain falling on the bottom subsequent to the tent splashes beneath the rain fly and onto the tent. It could possibly additionally splash tiny flecks of mud onto gear, which might add as much as a dirty backpack and footwear over the course of the night time.

Whereas they nonetheless don’t go as little as we’d choose for optimum safety, they’re undoubtedly higher than what we’ve seen with different tents. These decrease vestibule heights do sacrifice some airflow, however happily, the Offset Duo has a superb vent design that we consider greater than compensates for this. The 2 vents are giant, and though they’re not significantly deep, they’re held open by a guyline, which we discover to be a intelligent function.

Sturdiness

Using DCF building with time-tested thicknesses for the rainfly and flooring means that the Offset Duo ought to have a good lifespan. Though we haven’t taken it on a full thru-hike to check its sturdiness firsthand, a number of elements instill confidence that it ought to final for a major interval.

The kind of DCF used is identical as that on the ZPacks Duplex and different Zpacks tents, that are recognized to endure at the least a strong thru-hike of a 2,000-mile path. This longevity will fluctuate primarily based on how tough you might be on gear, campsite choice, and whether or not you cowboy camp on prime of your tent (please keep away from this if you wish to stop pinhole punctures).

Moreover, the general match and end of the tent is superb. Zpacks has improved their high quality in recent times, addressing their previous status for high quality management points, and we like to see it right here. 

Talking of high quality management, we will’t give full marks but as a result of we encountered a small tear within the fly of the DCF throughout our first setup of the tent. We’re assured it didn’t happen when opening the delivery field, as we’re all the time cautious with any gear field.

Moreover, the included stuff sack would have proven a tear if the knife had pierced the field, but it surely was in excellent situation. The tear was solely 1 / 4 inch and will be simply patched with some DCF tape, making this a minor situation. Nonetheless, it prevents us from giving higher marks, and it highlights the significance of carrying patch kits on the path. Fortunately, Zpacks consists of DCF tape within the field, so you need to be ready for any small points that will come up.

Ought to You Purchase the Zpacks Offset Duo?

Though we need to take into account this tent by itself, it’s tough to not examine it to the favored Zpacks Duplex, because it appears to enhance upon that tent in almost each approach. For that motive, the first group of individuals we advocate the Offset Duo to are potential Duplex patrons. Until you’re counting grams or love another facet of the Duplex, we boldly declare that the Offset Duo is a greater tent for most individuals.

That’s, in fact, if worth isn’t a problem. The Offset Duo is without doubt one of the most costly tents in our lineup and even prices a premium over the already expensive Duplex. For these sharing the tent on a thru-hike that lasts months, we consider investing in a cushty sleeping expertise is a sensible use of your assets.

When you’re not targeted on the lightest weights or are simply trying to find a tent for informal backpacking, we wouldn’t advocate this tent both. Not as a result of it isn’t nice for weekend excursions, however just because it’s extreme.

We’ve got different wonderful tents higher fitted to informal use that we’d counsel, and the Offset Duo is priced for these investing in a long-distance path. Nevertheless, if you’re searching for your subsequent long-distance tent and love the design of the Offset Duo, we may give it a powerful endorsement.

What Different Ultralight Tents Ought to You Take into account?

If the Zpacks Offset Duo Tent isn’t the proper match, our greatest ultralight tents information has many different choices.

Durston X-Mid Professional 2+ Evaluate: The Offset Duo and X-Mid Professional 2+ are remarkably comparable of their objectives, aiming to create a really livable and well-designed ultralight tent for everybody. They each obtain this in several methods, and in our opinion, they each succeed fantastically. Nevertheless, when it comes all the way down to it, we loved the X-Mid only a bit extra for our model of backpacking. This doesn’t make the Offset Duo a nasty tent; it merely solves sure issues in several methods, and we occur to barely choose a unique answer. Each tents ought to provide wonderful consolation, climate resistance, and ease of use. Nevertheless, the X-Mid’s barely extra spacious inside, higher wind resistance, simpler setup, and cheaper price imply that we consider it’s the general better option for most individuals. Which one is best for you will rely by yourself preferences, so should you really feel extra inclined towards one, go for it. Each are wonderful.

3FUL Lanshan 2 Professional Evaluate: If the Offset Duo is costly sufficient to make you assume ultralight gear isn’t for you, the Lanshan 2 Professional provides a compelling counterargument. Whereas it is probably not as featherlight resulting from its full silnylon design, it’s greater than ample when shared between two individuals and comes at a worth considerably decrease than the Offset Duo. What you obtain for that worth isn’t a subpar expertise both; it’s a strong tent. We recognize the comfy inside, ample vestibules, and easy setup. The material is probably not as sturdy, the vents will be considerably cumbersome, and we discovered the door closure a bit of complicated initially, however total, for a finances tent, we will’t consider a greater choice.

Zpacks Pivot Solo Evaluate: When you appreciated the general really feel of the Offset Duo however don’t require the additional house for a second particular person, they really provide an Offset Solo. Nevertheless, for our desire, we favor the design of the Pivot Solo a bit extra because it incorporates lots of the qualities that make the Offset Duo / Solo wonderful, however in a a lot lighter bundle with some enhancements. It makes use of two trekking poles internally to create house as an alternative of counting on an exterior pole, options one L-shaped door to save lots of weight, and is each lighter and extra reasonably priced. Whereas it isn’t our favourite one-person shelter total, it’s so shut that for anybody who really enjoys what Zpacks is doing with the Offset Duo, we consider the Pivot Solo will delight them.