Help Me Decide: Tarptent Double Rainbow v. Zpacks Duplex

[Cde1218]

Hi All- After several years way from the trails I've decide to get back on the trail and lighten things up bit. I've never owned any cuben fiber gear before and have been doing my research and am very impressed. I cannot for the life of me, decide between the Tartent Double Rainbow or Zpacks Duplex. While cost is not my primary decision factor, nearly 2.5x the cost of the Zpacks begs me to ask the question- is it really worth it?

To clarify, I'm coming up with nearly (2.5x) the cost when figuring in I'd also pick up some Gossamer Gear Trekking Poles at $174 plus the upgraded Duplex at $630 versus Tarptent Double Rainbow w/ Carbon Poles a $344

[Sandy of PA]

I gave my Rainbow to my grandson and carry a Solplex. Half the weight, and my Mom bought it for me! I use the Komperdell carbon poles from Z-Packs. If you have the money go for the Dupex.

[bigcranky]

We had the Double Rainbow for a while. It's a very well made tent, can handle high winds and bad weather. But it was too tight inside for two people. We traded it for a Lunar Duo from Six Moons Designs -- that thing is *massive* inside. For a long hike a couple of years ago we got a Zpacks Hexamid Twin, the precursor to the Duplex -- it is half the weight of the Lunar Duo and the Double Rainbow, but at the cost of interior space. The Duplex fixes some of that with the second door and the extra interior volume, to the point that I am just about ready to buy a Duplex to replace both of our tents.

I don't see a lot of difference between the Duplex and the Double Rainbow in terms of usability -- they both have two doors, good airflow, set up reasonably fast. I think the Duplex might actually have a little more room inside, though I am not sure of this -- based on photos, it does appear to have vertical side walls, while the DR walls slope in rather quickly, which is why we traded it.

The DR holds up very well in storms, in my experience. The Duplex is half the weight and twice the cost and requires more care. This is not an easy choice to make. I'd get the Duplex based on my other Zpacks purchases, but both are good.

[bigcranky]

double post

[Cde1218]

Thank you for all of the tips and insight folks!

[MuddyWaters]

I can tell you which one is lighter, roomier, and requires no ridiculous messy seam sealing of a new tent.

Your asking if you should buy a honda, or a lamborghini. The only reason not to get the lamborghini is the price.

The lambo might also require more parking space due to longer guylines.

[Mudsock]

I have the Duplex. I have had no condensation problems when pitched as designed. One cold windy night, I pitched it as low as I I could, closed all doors and hunkered down. The temperature got down to 15 degrees outside. When I awoke, there was quite a bit of frost on the inside of the tent, but I did not have a problem with it. When I got up, I opened the doors and let the tent air out. The frost either melted and evaporated or sublimed by the time I packed it up. Reducing the ventilation caused the issue, or non-issue. When it is windy, the amount of ventilation provides a wind chill. Laying a wind shirt over the sleeping bag on the windward side helps.

The Duplex is easy to pitch. With Pacerpoles, I found it best to pitch with the tips up into the peak, with rubber feet on them to keep from damaging the Duplex. I used a couple of quart ziplocks to keep the handles clean. That worked much better than trying to have the angled Pacerpole handles support the tent peak.

It helps to have a couple of stouter tent stakes for the ridge lines. They need to be under greater tension than any of the other guy lines.

The Duplex is very roomy for a lone hiker. All of the gear fits inside with no issue. I used a footprint and carefully groomed the ground, removing all sharp objects before setting up the tent. It would be very easy to puncture it with some of the rocks and other items that needed to be relocated.

I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

[Vegan Packer]

When it is windy, the amount of ventilation provides a wind chill. Laying a wind shirt over the sleeping bag on the windward side helps.

Are you saying that the wind passes through the inside of the Duplex, even when low to the ground and closed up?

[Mudsock]

When air flows across the ground, some of it flows under the doors, which are not in contact with the ground. They may be 6-8 inches above ground. Take a look at how Joe pitches the Duplex at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NcfUfvV6mw (.) If the poles are adjusted to be shorter, the peak will be lower, but the doors will still not be in contact with the ground. The entire sides of the tent behind the doors are mesh. The roof of the tent extends past the bathtub floor at each end of the tent. At each end of the tent between the bathtub floor and the roof of the tent is a section of mesh. The tent is designed such that condensation will run down the roof on the inside of the tent and exit through that essentially horizontal section of mesh past the edge of the bathtub floor. Otherwise, the condensation, in warmer weather, would end up puddling on the bathtub floor. The design works well, but mesh allows airflow when the wind is blowing. There has to be ventilation - especially in a single wall tent - to manage condensation. The reason the Duplex remains so dry inside is due to significant ventilation when there is even just a slight breeze.

It is not like a wind tunnel, but air movement increases the convection heat transfer coefficient and consequently there is additional heat loss (or wind chill) due to the air speed not being zero. q=hA(T-Tambient), where q is heat, h is the cooefficient, A is surface area and the temperature difference is surface of bag temperature less the air temperature. You will feel it if the wind is blowing. Using a rain jacket, wind shirt, pack, etc. to block the wind across your sleeping bag will keep you warmer.

I came to the conclusion that I did not want to block all of the ventilation because I was going to exhale moisture and the surface of the roof of the tent would be cold. Condensation is a given. I wanted the majority of it to flow out of the tent with the moving air. When it is really cold, it certainly won't drip on you or your bag. It will freeze in place on the inside surface of the roof.

It is an excellent design, but not something Tipi Walter would use in the winter.

[Vegan Packer]

Got it. Thanks.

[MuddyWaters]

Are you saying that the wind passes through the inside of the Duplex, even when low to the ground and closed up?

Thats also true of most tarp style shelters.
Usually you can set up sheltered
Even if wind is blowing 30 mph at 10 ft off the ground, if youve got some short scrubbrush or tall grassy weeds, you have little air movement at ground level.

[Cde1218]

I can tell you which one is lighter, roomier, and requires no ridiculous messy seam sealing of a new tent.

Your asking if you should buy a honda, or a lamborghini. The only reason not to get the lamborghini is the price.

The lambo might also require more parking space due to longer guylines.

this literally just helped me make up my mind haha, always wanted a Lamborghini!

[FamilyGuy]

this literally just helped me make up my mind haha, always wanted a Lamborghini!

TT sells a $6 premixed solution to seam seal. With brush. You paint it on. I am not kidding when I say it should not take you more than 10 minutes.

The DR is going to be much better in the wind. You can also use your trekking poles for support by the front doors to use in pretty darn heavy snow (I do this with my Rainbow and it works brilliantly).

Don't forget that although cuben is very strong for its weight, it is a.) not abrasion resistant and b.) will fail over time v.s. silnylon. Cuben still cannot take repeated impact tensile loads because the fibres eventually fatigue. i.e. it will tear. Silnylon allows stretch which is what you want in high wind conditions or truly inclement weather.

No question that a Lambo has far more features than a Honda, at the expense of long term durability. In this case, the DR is the Lambo AND the Honda.

Flame away.
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[CenAZwalker]

I'm with FamilyGuy on this one. Just because it's made of expensive cuben does not make it a Lamborghini. Look at the design of each shelter. The closure for the storm doors on the Duplex look to me like a fiddly, not very well thought out system. Considering the price of the Duplex, I would expect something better than that.

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Certainly just my opinion, as I'm sure some people will say the Duplex is amazing, etc., etc. I've owned a number of cuben shelters and have come back around to using silnylon exclusively (also experimenting with the silpoly and membrane silpoly). I've even given away my cuben stuff sacks. Durability, longevity and cost have become more important to me than weight.

[Sandy of PA]

I don't use cuben stuff sacks because of abrasion limiting durability. For a tent that is not rubbing against anything, not over tightened when pitched properly, durability is very good. Cuben does not work for everything, but I love my tent!

[clwenburg]

As multiple people have already said, the Zpacks Duplex weighs much less, and much more weather resistant. If you think twice about the price, like me, the Tarptent is still a reasonable option.


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[capehiker]

The original post never stated if this was for two people sleeping in it or if they wanted a shelter with more room for one. I had a duplex but traded it for an Altaplex which I love considerably more. I find single pole set-ups to be much easier and have a tighter pitch. I also own a Rainbow, which I will never give up. You can't beat the space of the Duplex and for that alone, I would choose that shelter for 2 people.

[Slosteppin]

I don't understand the abrasion problem. I have a Cuban fiber tarp for my hammock and a Cuban fiber pack. I frequently bushwhack with the pack. Yes there are green stains but I can see no damage. I've had the tarp pitched in several rain and hail storms with no damage. The pack weighs a pound less than my Osprey of similar volume. The tarp is one third the weight of my old sylnylon tarp of the same size. Price is the only negative I see for Cuban fiber equipment.

[Franco]

I don't understand the abrasion problem...
and a Cuban fiber pack. I frequently bushwhack with the pack...


Is your pack made with the same Cuben Fiber discussed here for shelters ?
(.51 to .74 oz sqyd)

[Venchka]

I don't understand the abrasion problem...
and a Cuban fiber pack. I frequently bushwhack with the pack...


Is your pack made with the same Cuben Fiber discussed here for shelters ?
(.51 to .74 oz sqyd)

Aye. There's Cuben and then there's Cuben.
HMG pack materials:

Materials: Body: 50D Cuben/Polyester Hybrid for white version
Body: 150D Cuben/Polyester Hybrid for black version
Bottom: Double reinforced 150D Cuben/Polyester Hybrid
External Pockets: Dyneema® Hardline

Not even close to shelter grade Cuben.

Back to the Double Rainbow, a tent on my very short TarpTent shopping list.
Stretching and sagging and condensation, Oh My!
Are these three "features" of silnylon and single wall shelters in general a real problem with either model of the Rainbow siblings? What about the liner and condensation? Is it worth the 4 ounces and the cost?
Thanks for your insights!

Wayne