Zpacks Pivot Duo Tent Overview

Backside Line

For a wonderful long-distance shelter for thru-hiking, the Zpacks Pivot Duo impressed us at each flip and have become considered one of our favourite ultralight tents. It’s troublesome to judge this tent with out evaluating it to the legendary Zpacks Duplex, which has been a staple on thru-hikes for years. In our opinion, the Pivot Duo makes a powerful case that it’s a greater shelter for extra folks than the previous traditional.

Beginning with inside livability, the 32.6 sq. toes of ground area is extra usable than in different A-frame-style shelters as a result of the outside pole lifts the big 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 significantly improves breathability now that the rainfly extends nearer to the bottom.

When testing in Utah throughout early summer time and at Glacial Lakes State Park within the Midwest, we beloved the spacious inside, particularly not worrying a few moist footbox or our heads brushing the partitions. The Pivot Duo must be comfy for folks as much as 6 toes tall, and though we didn’t take a look at heights above that, Zpacks charges it for people as much as 6 toes, 6 inches tall.

The most important 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. However it’s value noting that this tent is laser-focused on long-distance thru-hikers who will use it evening after evening for months on finish. It represents a worthwhile funding for that goal or for many who prioritize efficiency over worth of their gear choice course of. Moreover, there are a couple of negatives within the pocket design, low entry top, and tight vestibules that we’d prefer to see improved, however aren’t dealbreakers.

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

Observe: This assessment was initially for the ZPacks Offset Duo, which was discontinued in favor of the Pivot Duo. They share sufficient design philosophy to be thought of a product improve, and we predict the Pivot made nice design selections to enhance the Offset.

Consolation

After years of the Zpacks Duplex being branded as a “two-person” tent but primarily utilized by one, we’re happy that the Zpacks Pivot Duo’s slight changes to a traditional design have yielded vital consolation features. This tent comfortably accommodates two folks, finish of story. There’s a motive we’re starting with a comparability to the Duplex. The Pivot Duo appears like a considerate response to maybe the preferred ultralight tent of all time, aiming to create a tent the place “two folks can really be comfy.” It updates the design selections, replaces a couple of options, and finally leaves us with a successful product.

The most important change is the Pivot 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 Pivot Duo shifts this excessive level to 1 aspect, offering considerably extra headroom, and makes use of a brief inside carbon fiber pole on the foot finish. This adjustment significantly enhances the tent’s livability. With a ground area of 29.2 sq. toes and a peak top of 52 inches, the ensuing inside is spacious sufficient for 2 folks.

The enhancements lengthen to the door designs. The trekking poles aren’t positioned in the midst of the doorway, making entry and exit simpler. They usually additionally accommodate giant L-shaped doorways. We love this design as a result of it enables you to unzip simply the underside part to shortly seize one thing within the vestibule with out letting in a ton of bugs. Bonus: 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 water resistant #3 zippers really feel great. 

We managed to suit two commonplace 20-inch sleeping pads and two three-season quilts inside with none points. When adjusting the quilt ends to a cushty distance from the outside partitions, we nonetheless had sufficient headroom for somebody round 6 toes tall.

Weight

Probably the most interesting factor concerning the Zpacks Pivot Duo is its extremely low weight of 23.3 ounces. And you may scale back that one other ounce by omitting the top pole and utilizing a spare trekking pole, which we suspect most individuals can have since this can be a two-person shelter. We acknowledge the worth of getting a devoted pole right here, and we’re glad Zpacks included it.

The swap from an exterior pole on its predecessor, the Offset Duo, to an inside pole is significantly appreciated in areas with wildlife that get pleasure from snacking on tasty cork deal with grips. Now not will customers have to fret about uncovered cork because the deal with is now protected by the fly.

The Pivot Duo makes use of Dyneema Composite Fiber (DCF) material all through its development to realize an extremely low weight. The “lite” configuration options 0.55oz/sqyd DCF for the fly and 0.75oz/sqyd for the ground; nevertheless, the usual model comes with a thicker 0.75oz/sqyd fly and 1.0oz/sqyd ground to supply further peace of thoughts. We’d advise most purchasers to get the usual model until they’re skilled with caring for DCF and are conscious of the sturdiness trade-offs, particularly on the ground.

Whereas DCF is light-weight, it’s sadly a relatively cumbersome materials, and Zpacks charges the packed dimension at 5 by 12 inches when rolled. That is bigger than competing silnylon or silpoly shelters, however contemplating the opposite advantages of DCF, we consider it’s a minor subject that most individuals gained’t thoughts.

Ease of Use

Regardless of the deviations from the traditional A-frame design, we discovered the Zpacks Pivot Duo equally straightforward to make use of. The setup was easy, utilizing 4 nook stakes to safe the doorways and two trekking poles on the peaks. Each the vent and the door hook up with the identical stake by way of a guyline. Whereas the guyline is usually a bit fiddly at instances, that’s a minor nitpick that ought to turn out to be second nature over time.

One slight draw back to the doorways is the low entry top of 40 inches, which suggests crouching fairly a bit when coming into and exiting. Talking of these doorways, the magnetic closure mechanism is superb right here too, snapping along with a satisfying click on and never getting tangled close to the mesh magnet door mechanism. Associated to the doorways are the small vestibules, which wrestle to suit bigger packs. Since that is geared toward ultralight hikers with presumably ultralight backpacks, we don’t suppose this can be a massive subject.

One other draw back is the pockets. They’re small and triangular, hooked up close to the door, and might barely maintain a headlamp and a cork therapeutic massage ball earlier than issues begin falling out. We want they have been correct rectangular pockets positioned increased up on the mesh.

In case you are transitioning from a conventional pole tent to a trekking pole fashion like this one, it’ll take a while to regulate to how most of these shelters pitch. We suggest working towards with a tent like this earlier than taking it on an journey, however when you grasp the basics, we discover it simply as quick (if not sooner) than a conventional pole tent.

Climate Resistance

DCF is among the strongest materials accessible, making the Zpacks Pivot Duo a strong tent for weathering storms. It doesn’t stretch or sag with added water, making certain a safe pitch that ought to final so long as your stakes maintain agency. The one draw back is the big uncovered panel on the entrance. Though the geometry is damaged up by the foot pole greater than if it weren’t there, it’s nonetheless a considerable part of cloth that can catch the wind. This isn’t sufficient to discourage us from taking the Pivot Duo on an extended path, however it wouldn’t be our first alternative for a path identified for being very windy.

We want Zpacks had included attachment factors on the peaks for guylines. Throughout harsh climate, these can considerably improve tent stability. Since this tent primarily targets long-distance path hikers relatively 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 underneath the rain fly and onto the tent. It might probably additionally splash tiny flecks of mud onto gear, which may add as much as a dirty backpack and sneakers over the course of the evening.

Whereas the vestibules nonetheless don’t go as little as we’d desire for optimum safety, they’re positively higher than what we’ve seen with different tents. These decrease vestibule heights do sacrifice some airflow, however thankfully, the Pivot Duo has an excellent vent design that we consider greater than compensates for this. The 2 vents are giant, and though they’re not notably deep, they’re held open by a guyline, which we discover to be a intelligent characteristic.

Sturdiness

The usage of DCF development with time-tested thicknesses for the rainfly and ground means that the Zpacks Pivot Duo ought to have an honest 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 identified to endure at the very least a strong thru-hike of a 2,000-mile path. This longevity will differ primarily based on how tough you might be with gear, campsite choice, and whether or not you cowboy camp on prime of your tent (please keep away from this to stop pinhole punctures). Moreover, the tent’s total match and end are wonderful. Zpacks has improved its high quality lately, addressing its previous status for quality-control points, and we love seeing it right here.

Ought to You Purchase the Zpacks Pivot duo?

Though we wish to contemplate the Zpacks Pivot Duo by itself, it’s troublesome to not evaluate it to the favored Zpacks Duplex, because it appears to enhance upon that tent in practically each approach. For that motive, the first group of individuals we suggest the Pivot Duo to are potential Duplex consumers. Until you’re counting grams or love another facet of the Duplex, we boldly declare that the Pivot Duo is a greater tent for most individuals.

That’s, after all, if worth isn’t a problem. The Pivot Duo is among 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 smart use of your assets.

For those who’re not centered on the lightest weights or are simply trying to find a tent for informal backpacking, we wouldn’t suggest this tent both. Not as a result of it isn’t nice for weekend excursions, however just because it’s extreme. We now have different wonderful tents higher fitted to informal use that we’d counsel, and the Pivot Duo is priced for these investing in a long-distance path. Nonetheless, if you’re searching for your subsequent long-distance tent and love the Pivot Duo’s design, we may give it a powerful endorsement.

What Different Ultralight Tents Ought to You Contemplate?

If the Zpacks Pivot Duo isn’t the right match, our finest ultralight tents information has many different choices.

Durston X-Mid Professional 2+ Overview: The Pivot Duo and X-Mid Professional 2+ are remarkably comparable of their objectives, aiming to create a very livable and well-designed ultralight tent for 2. They each obtain this in several methods, and in our opinion, they each succeed fantastically. Nonetheless, when it comes right down to it, we loved the X-Mid only a bit extra for our fashion of backpacking.

3FUL Lanshan 2 Professional Overview: If the Pivot Duo is expensive sufficient to make you suppose ultralight gear isn’t for you, the Lanshan 2 Professional presents a compelling counterargument. Whereas it will not be as featherlight attributable to its full silnylon design, it’s greater than ample for 2 folks and comes at a considerably cheaper price than the Pivot Duo. What you obtain for that worth isn’t a subpar expertise both; it’s a strong tent.

Zpacks Pivot Solo Overview: For those who appreciated the general really feel of the Pivot Duo however don’t require the additional area for a second particular person, they really supply a Pivot Solo. It encompasses a comparable full-length pole on the door and a second shorter inside pole on the foot finish to create a pleasant total inside. Whereas it isn’t our favourite one-person shelter total attributable to a barely trickier setup, it’s so shut that for anybody who actually enjoys what Zpacks is doing with the Pivot Duo, we consider the Pivot Solo will delight them.