Soloplex vs Altaplex?

[RollTide]

Hammock user here, but I want the ability to go to ground. With that being said, I need to make a choice between the Soloplex and Altaplex. Price point is not an issue, I have budgeted for it and Zpacks is running $50 off till next Monday.

i am 6'3" and normal sized, so the Altaplex is appealing for the extra room, as well as space to set up and boil water for dinner during a storm. However my Leki poles will only extend out to 52" when the Altaplex needs 60" to set up. I could get the carbon fiber 10" extender from Zpacks, but that is another item that would be sitting on my back for thousands of miles that would have no secondary use. (Everything I carry must have multiple uses)

The other thing that scares me is the height of the Altaplex, versus the Soloplex. My HammockGear Cuban fiber trap got ripped from the ridge line when a 60 mph microburst hit it on top of Walnut Mountain near Hot Springs, NC. That derailed my thru hike attempt this year on the AT.

I am already carrying two Leki poles on me, and the Soloplex would only require those two to set up. Plus the Soloplex would negate 2 stakes and a 10" carbon fiber extender from being in my pack.

Can the Altaplex be set up by using a rock or some other object nearby to prop up the pole instead of having to lug around extra weight that has no secondary purpose?

This is the most important decision I have to make. I have everything else in my quiver except for a ground shelter.

[DuneElliot]

What tarp are you using for the hammock? Is it not possible to use your hammock tarp in place of a tent? I currently have a Duplex but am moving to a hammock, and finding a tarp (HG CF Palace Tarp) that will work as a tent was important to me, just in case I have to go to ground.

As far as the extension goes for your trekking pole...it weighs half an oz which I highly doubt you will ever notice.

[RollTide]

What tarp are you using for the hammock? Is it not possible to use your hammock tarp in place of a tent? I currently have a Duplex but am moving to a hammock, and finding a tarp (HG CF Palace Tarp) that will work as a tent was important to me, just in case I have to go to ground.

As far as the extension goes for your trekking pole...it weighs half an oz which I highly doubt you will ever notice.

The Hammock Gear Standard Camo Cuben Fiber Tarp with Doors. The plastic piece that is sewn to the ridge line was ripped off by the wind, so I just had to send it back to Adam & Jenny to get it replaced.

Straight up, their CF tarp with doors is the Rolls Royce when it comes to choosing a tarp for a hammock. It is filthy!! Literally I feel like I have a nuclear warhead when I whip it out, and anyone that has a hammock without one is playing with mortars.

Yes I could use it, but I would need to use my poles to hold up the ridge line, and then I'd have to bring a tyvek groundsheet (or throw $100 for a cuben fiber sheet) to protect against the ground. Unless I am hiking in a area with no insects.....but then if the rain accumulates and floods the sheet.....you know what this would be a retarded idea for the Appalachian Trail.

I could go to ground with that tarp but there are a whole bunch of issues east of the Mississippi River when attempting that. At least the Soloplex and Altaplex have built in floors with elevated corners to keep rising water out. If you are in the market for a tarp for your hammock, get the nuke, nuff said.

[RollTide]

I take that back, HG & Zpacks are the only two that make the CF tarps for hammocks. However I love Camo, and Zpacks discontinued that on those tarps. So if you want a Camo cuben fiber tarp the only place you can get it is HG

[ggreaves]

(Everything I carry must have multiple uses)

What are the additional uses for an entire shelter? As others have said, it would make more sense to just use your hammock tarp to go to ground. Why don't you grab a lightweight bivy that could also be used as a ground sheet or for extra warmth in a shelter instead of carrying around an entire second shelter in addition to your hammock rig?

[Sandy of PA]

I would recommend taking a look at the duplex. Uses 2 48" poles and the additional space would easily work with your height.

[RollTide]

What are the additional uses for an entire shelter? As others have said, it would make more sense to just use your hammock tarp to go to ground. Why don't you grab a lightweight bivy that could also be used as a ground sheet or for extra warmth in a shelter instead of carrying around an entire second shelter in addition to your hammock rig?

Thie whole point is to have a ground and air setup. I have no intention of bringing the hammock with a tent, that you be dumb unless it's some <5oz Eno lounge thing, but that would be a luxury item. I have EE TQs UQs and the WBBBXLC for the hammock rig, and all I would need to go to ground is the TQ and a pad like a theramrest.

just forget about it, it seems too obtuse a subject to discuss here, I'll ask the mod to remove it

[DuneElliot]

I think you made the opening post sound like you would be carrying both at the same time so you had options while backpacking. That's what I got out of it, and it seems like everyone else got the same idea which is why we questioned what you were askin

If you are talking about having two options for different trips, then I would also recommend the Duplex as someone above me mentioned. If you want the "nuke" of all tents to match your "nuke" of all tarps, then get the Duplex. It will be worth the extra money for the space.

[chall]

I bought a used Solplex from whiteblaze, and just recently used it for the first time. I'm just shy of 6'1", athletic-ish build, and found it to be pretty spacious. By "pretty spacious", I mean that there was enough room to sit up and to get changed, but not necessarily big enough (for me) to keep my pack in there. Using the side tie wall guy-outs is key to keeping the wall off your face and feet.

Little bit of a learning curve to set it up, but once you get it down, it's great. Definitely need to make sure you set it up high enough that you're fully extending the 8" bathtub floor. The first time I set it up, I wondered how I was going to fit.

[ARambler]

My REI carbon poles have a larger diameter. I can connect the top to sections of my REI pole with the bottom two sections of my Leki pole and make a really tall pole. I have not done this outside the steel hospital, well some kind of metal hospital.

I have the Soloplex and it holds up well in moderate winds. My old, old, The One has similar geometry and also held up well in wind. I would think the Altaplex would not be as stable. The single center pole pyramided tents are very stable in the wind.

[Engine]

I second the recommendation for the Duplex. I know it's about 3-5 ounces heavier and slightly more expensive, but with price point not being an issue, it's a logical choice. The extra room allows for gear to be stored more easily inside the tent. In the event you are stuck inside the tent in crappy weather for a day or two, it's much less claustrophobic than the other choices. Also, from the reviews I read, it handles weather better than the Altaplex. I just ordered a Triplex for my wife and I, but if I were hiking alone, the Duplex would be my choice.

[Cheyou]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/miscgreen/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by RollTide http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttonsgreen/viewpost-right.png (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/showthread.php?p=2105875#post2105875)
(Everything I carry must have multiple uses)

everything ? good luck with that

thom

[soumodeler]

I would get the Duplex as well. Worth the slight weight penalty to have more room and better ventilation with the dual vestibules. I sent back my Solplex and ordered the Duplex and am very happy with the choice.

[RollTide]

Thanks for the feedback. I have a good idea of what I'll pull the trigger on. :D

[ggreaves]

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/miscgreen/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by RollTide http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/images/Eloquent/buttonsgreen/viewpost-right.png (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/showthread.php?p=2105875#post2105875)
(Everything I carry must have multiple uses)

everything ? good luck with that

thom

what? you don't make tea with your tp after you're done?

[trailmercury]

I will be attempting a 2017 Thru
Go with the Altaplex...
I originally ordered the Solplex and sent it back because it wouldn't fit much gear...
The Altaplex has plenty of room for my 6 foot 180 lb body with wide pad and all gear, waiting out a long storm etc. Also it only needs one pole versus two for the Solplex.
Although if you do carry 2 hiking poles as I do, you can use your second pole to increase the headroom with a pole cup, available from Zpacks.
I already had a Triplex as my solid 2-person and absolute palace 1-person shelter, so that likely played into my decision for the AT.
Duplex and Triplex are too close in size to own both in my opinion.
Every ounce counts for me and the weight I save going with the Altaplex vs. Duplex lets me spend more weight on my one luxury item, the Big Agnes Q-Core SLX wide pad!

[greensleep]

I bought a used Solplex from whiteblaze, and just recently used it for the first time. I'm just shy of 6'1", athletic-ish build, and found it to be pretty spacious. By "pretty spacious", I mean that there was enough room to sit up and to get changed, but not necessarily big enough (for me) to keep my pack in there. Using the side tie wall guy-outs is key to keeping the wall off your face and feet.

Little bit of a learning curve to set it up, but once you get it down, it's great. Definitely need to make sure you set it up high enough that you're fully extending the 8" bathtub floor. The first time I set it up, I wondered how I was going to fit.
I am also 6'1'' tall and own both a duplex and solplex. I'll be taking my duplex with me in 2017 for my AT thruhike attempt. I love them both, but have decided that the extra room for gear in the tent will be worth the extra 4 ozs. in the long haul. I use the solplex for short hikes or weekends when the weather is expected to be good.

[RollTide]

So I took the plunge and purchased the Camo Solplex, and even though I am 6'3" it will take my Therma-rest Prolite Plus L pad and topquilt which is awesome.

What is not awesome is that now they are trying to nickel and dime someone who has sent close to $1000 via PayPal in the last year. The cords for the tie-outs are neon yellow, as well as the zippers for the door, and with a Camo fabric it nullifies any and all chances to blend into the wilderness.

I tried contacting their customer service and they refuse to swap out the cording for black cords. Instead they was to sell me a 50 foot spool of black cord, which they want me to put on myself. I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night..... This is rediculous.

I don't want this bright yellow, check me out I'm a flamer look at me cording and they refuse to let me send it in and have them do an easy swap. ZPacks, I do not want this neon yellow crap, take it back and place it on another Solplex, and swap mine out for the black cord.

To nickel and dime someone for $12 and make them replace the cord themselves when they have already spent 4 figures on your company is pissing down someone's back and telling them it is raining. It's the principle of the matter.

Here are some photos of it. You can see how rediculous their yellow cord looks on something that is trying to remain stealth.

[Decibel]

Possibly a liability issue

[Engine]

The cord is bright in order to help keep someone from tripping over it, which could potentially damage a very expensive tent. As for the stealth issue, from a distance of more than 30-40', which should be a minimum from the trail if you are really trying to remain stealthy, it will hardly be noticeable.

As for Zpacks customer service, I would argue it is second to none. If you wanted black cordage for the stakes, you should have expressed that wish prior to ordering tent. Every single photo of the tent on their website shows the bright cord...you should not have expected otherwise. Now, you are angry with a company for providing exactly what was promised on the website, because you had an unreasonable expectation of receiving something else.

Sorry, cannot find any sympathy...BTW, pitched my new camo Triplex today and the cord was definitely appreciated since I really don't want to trip and damage myself or a $700 tent.

[Rex Clifton]

So I took the plunge and purchased the Camo Solplex, and even though I am 6'3" it will take my Therma-rest Prolite Plus L pad and topquilt which is awesome.

What is not awesome is that now they are trying to nickel and dime someone who has sent close to $1000 via PayPal in the last year. The cords for the tie-outs are neon yellow, as well as the zippers for the door, and with a Camo fabric it nullifies any and all chances to blend into the wilderness.

I tried contacting their customer service and they refuse to swap out the cording for black cords. Instead they was to sell me a 50 foot spool of black cord, which they want me to put on myself. I was born at night, but I wasn't born last night..... This is rediculous.

I don't want this bright yellow, check me out I'm a flamer look at me cording and they refuse to let me send it in and have them do an easy swap. ZPacks, I do not want this neon yellow crap, take it back and place it on another Solplex, and swap mine out for the black cord.

To nickel and dime someone for $12 and make them replace the cord themselves when they have already spent 4 figures on your company is pissing down someone's back and telling them it is raining. It's the principle of the matter.

Here are some photos of it. You can see how rediculous their yellow cord looks on something that is trying to remain stealth.
That cord does stand out, nice tent though. I'm wondering how you fit in the Soloplex? Is there enough room to move around, to get dressed and such?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[soumodeler]

ZPacks is getting further and further away from "custom" changes to their gear. When I ordered my ArcHaul from them earlier this year, their response to one of my requests was no, it slows down the manufacturing line. I would never expect a company like Big Agnes to make a color change to their gear on request.

That being said, their overall customer service has always been top notch for me and 99.9% of everyone else I have seen.

[Wyoming]

Since I am doing gear posts today I guess I will jump in here rather than make a new topic.

I own a Soloplex and have about 1200 miles on it to include a complete AZT hike and about 750 miles of the PCT. So a fair number of nights and putting it up in bad conditions as well as experiencing rain and snow.

I will flat out say that I do not like it at all. And the more I use it the more I dislike it. Below are the reasons.

Size: I am 5'10 and the tent is just too short for me as when I am laying on my pad (inflatable) and in my sleeping bag it is not possible for the bag not to touch the end tent wall and my head if it is inside the bag where the hood is puffed up it also will touch the other end tent wall. This is not good as being a waterproof single wall the condensation runs down the inside of the tent. Thus the foot of the bag and the head of the bag get wet. If you are over about 5'6 I recommend getting the large size not the regular.

Setting it up: another annoyance is if you are not on level ground it takes a lot of tweeking to get it right. Needing two poles and a handful of stakes is always less optimal than freestanding but I found dealing with this all the time annoying. Others I met who had this tent also told me they had trouble getting them set up tightly and quickly on non-perfect ground.

Room: there is not much room in the tent and getting all of your gear in the tent if needed is going to get stuff wet do to having to pack it against the tent wall. the only place in the tent for full headroom when sitting up is actually not in the middle center of the tent. It is in the middle all right but you have to be literally right at the door wall opening. The ends slope very steeply and there is little room away from dead center and near the door.

Durability: I experienced a storm with high wind gusts when the tent had only been used about 10 days - gusts to about 60mph I guess. This resulted in small splits in the tent around where the tall pole holds the front of the tent up. Perhaps one should expect this from cuben fiber in such conditions but I found it a little disconcerting. The floor seems to have held up but I always use a ground pad - not just to protect the tent but to help keep thorns from getting to my inflatable pad.

Hope you find this useful data.