View Full Version : zpack altaplex vs river country trekker tent one
high end / low end of practically the same design
1+ person - half pyramid with single trekking pole pitch
altaplex (now replaced by plexamid) - dyneema cuban fiber fabric, light guy lines, no stakes/ pole included - with heavier fabric option and carbon fiber stakes weighs 22oz (needs 1 trekking pole) - with the stakes it was 620$
river country: old fashion sturdy coated nylon fabric, taped seems, thick guy lines, nice aluminum stakes - weight with stakes 42oz (needs 1 trekking pole)
- this was 40$ delivered
first impressions: for weatherproof, the river country edges out the zpack, zippered fly and a little more solid fabric
with the zpack heavier material option they should both be durable but the river country still may have double the life
for ventilation / breathability: the zpack looks better - hard to say, because like all single wall tents they will both have significant condensation
ease of set up goes to zpack's adjustable stake out points
wind stability looks adequete (but not great, these are not winter tents) for both
so overall about equal performance
weight is obvious with the river country being near double the zpack - but at 42 oz it would still make sense in a 13 lb base setup
price: you can buy 15 river country tents for the price of 1 zpack - if the durability turns out to be double, so 40$ vs 1100$ then each ounce of saved pack weight would cost 55$
so until the base weight is getting seriously below 10 lbs the weight savings is unlikely worth the money - spending the same $$$ on other gear could save more weight
cmoulder
07-10-2018, 06:36
Is THIS (https://www.amazon.com/River-Country-Products-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/B07537XGKQ) the River Country tent you're talking about?
The only thing they have in common is that they are tents. The River Country is a pup tent with no vestibules, and a door on one end only according to specs... these are totally different designs. This is like comparing a Bugatti Veyron and a Yugo — pointless. :o
Maineiac64
07-10-2018, 07:00
whatever gets you hiking. Would love to see a detailed review based on field use of the plexamid.
soumodeler
07-10-2018, 07:03
I think it’s going to be this one: https://rivercountryproducts.com/product/one-person-backpacking-tent/
I’m going to have to completely disagree about equal protection. Dyneema is 100% waterproof, vs silnylon which will wet out. The only condition that the nylon would be better in is hail. The Zpacks tent is extremely stable in wind, but as you said will not be good fo winter use, but they never intended for it to be.
The zpacks design also holds up well in heavy rain. The fly overhangs the tent far enough to prevent water entry unless it is blowing rain from that side, then the flaps can be shut to block it out. I can leave doors open on mine in all but heavy blowing rain, and then only on the side it’s blowing from.
The solplex single entry tent is less breathable than say the duplex with its double doors, but it is not bad for a single wall. I wouldn’t call it significant though, unless you pick a poor campsite.
If if you are looking for a more budget friendly UL tent, check out TarpTent. Quality silnylon tents at a good price. I have both a TarpTent Notch and a Zpacks Duplex and love and use them both.
cmoulder
07-10-2018, 07:18
Sorry for my pup-tent mis-ID but it'd sure be nice if the OP included a link.
Indeed, buy one and go out and do a trip with it. If it doesn't work out you can always sell it on gear swap. :-?
Is THIS (https://www.amazon.com/River-Country-Products-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/B07537XGKQ) the River Country tent you're talking about?
The only thing they have in common is that they are tents. The River Country is a pup tent with no vestibules, and a door on one end only according to specs... these are totally different designs. This is like comparing a Bugatti Veyron and a Yugo — pointless. :o
no this one:
https://rivercountryproducts.com/product/one-person-backpacking-tent/
as per the post - practically the same design at the opposite ends of the price spectrum
I’m going to have to completely disagree about equal protection. Dyneema is 100% waterproof, vs silnylon which will wet out. .
as per the first post - the river country top and bottom is old school coated nylon - not sil nylon ( I consider this to equal to DCF for waterproof)
as per the first post - the slight edge on weather protection comes from the zippered fly and more solid vs mesh fabric
The solplex single entry tent is less breathable than say the duplex with its double doors, but it is not bad for a single wall. I wouldn’t call it significant though, unless you pick a poor campsite.
.
the review is not about the solplex/ duoplex
it is the altaplex - (very similar to the new plexamid)
If if you are looking for a more budget friendly UL tent, check out TarpTent. Quality silnylon tents at a good price.
that would be the middle ground for pricing, but not 40$
also as you stated above, single layer silnylon gives up a lot of weather protection
If it doesn't work out you can always sell it on gear swap. :-?
unlikely to happen - I tend to get my kids to take my cast offs - after all, thats what gear weighed when I was their age
whatever gets you hiking. Would love to see a detailed review based on field use of the plexamid.
from studying the picture/ description the only difference is the plexamid added a short sewn in rod at the ridge to give a wider area of head clearance from the altaplex
cmoulder
07-10-2018, 18:06
as per the post - practically the same design at the opposite ends of the price spectrum
Altaplex has ventilation all around, the other one doesn't appear to. Maybe it can be raised for more ventilation but the way it is pinned to the ground seems to suggest otherwise. I'm betting there are many other differences.
As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details.
http://www.zpacks.com/images/shelter/altaplex/ultralight-backpacking-shelter-altaplex-front_l.jpg
https://rivercountryproducts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/one-person-backpacking-tent.jpg
Those River Country are made with polyester not silnylon.
Altaplex has ventilation all around, the other one doesn't appear to. Maybe it can be raised for more ventilation but the way it is pinned to the ground seems to suggest otherwise. [/IMG]
exactly why the first post says the altaplex has better ventilation - the river country has a low vent and a top vent but the total area is less
they both need a long trekking pole and a high pitch for decent ventilation - the pictures do show the river country pitched low
Trail Lady
11-13-2018, 12:34
I did a review on the duplex and half of the video was my experience with their customer service.
https://www.artemisonthetrail.com/zpacks/
There are more differences than currently assumed.
that would be the middle ground for pricing, but not 40$
also as you stated above, single layer silnylon gives up a lot of weather protection
At Tarptent the silnylon we are using now is rated at 3000mm.
I doubt very much that the polyester fabric used by River Country is more that 1200-1500mm, so it is most likely the other way around.
cmoulder
11-13-2018, 21:21
We didn't hear back from George so either he's out enjoying the River Country tent or it put him off backpacking forever.
We didn't hear back from George so either he's out enjoying the River Country tent or it put him off backpacking forever.
You had it right with the devil's comment.
It happens in all fields when people have a bit of an idea on the subject but not a deep knowledge.
Often, particularly males, get stuck comparing numbers when not knowing what they really mean.
T.S.Kobzol
11-14-2018, 06:23
At Tarptent the silnylon we are using now is rated at 3000mm.
I doubt very much that the polyester fabric used by River Country is more that 1200-1500mm, so it is most likely the other way around.
Interesting.do you know what the number is for cuben fiber? Gore text jackets are usually around 10000mm and non breathable jackets around 20000mm
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We didn't hear back from George so either he's out enjoying the River Country tent or it put him off backpacking forever.
Actually I am enjoying neither - in a bivy in chestnut knob shelter, about to get 2 days of winter mix, so nice to not use a tent
You had it right with the devil's comment.
It happens in all fields when people have a bit of an idea on the subject but not a deep knowledge.
Often, particularly males, get stuck comparing numbers when not knowing what they really mean.
Nice internet warrior comment
cmoulder
11-14-2018, 18:26
You had it right with the devil's comment.
It happens in all fields when people have a bit of an idea on the subject but not a deep knowledge.
Often, particularly males, get stuck comparing numbers when not knowing what they really mean.
+1
Superficiality runs deep.
Interesting.do you know what the number is for cuben fiber? Gore text jackets are usually around 10000mm and non breathable jackets around 20000
DCF is 3500 on up. For a shelter fabric that's pretty WP. It can decrease with use though.
There are 10-22k mm rain jackets that have high vapor transfer.
T.S.Kobzol
11-14-2018, 19:30
10 yes but at 20 I doubt anything goes through the fabric [emoji846] but I'm no expert on this.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nice internet warrior comment
There is a small chance that I may have a bit more experience with tents than you.
[QUOTE=T.S.Kobzol;2228243]Interesting.do you know what the number is for cuben fiber? Gore text jackets are usually around 10000mm and non breathable jackets around 20000mm
It depends on what type of Cuben Fiber ( now DCF) its used. There are dozens of different thicknesses and layer combinations.
There is a huge difference in the waterhead required for jackets compared with tents because the surface tension is compleately different.
An easy way to understand this is to think of the old canvass/cotton tents that kept water out as long as you do not touch the fabric itself from the inside. Once you do , they started dripping.
As mentioned, the EU standard for tent waterproofness is 1500mm, many well known brands have 1200mm for most of their LW shelters, some brands go as low as 800mm.
BTW, each type of material, say nylon,silnylon, polyester, silpoly,PTFE and so on, can have a very different waterhead rating.
So you can get silnylon rated at 800mm or so all the way up to over 5000mm. A common mistake is to equate weight with strength and or waterproofness.
The still popular Eureka Timberline, for example, 75 D polyester, at 6 lbs or so for a double , does have an advertised 800mm waterhead rating.
[QUOTE=T.S.Kobzol;2228243]Interesting.do you know what the number is for cuben fiber? Gore text jackets are usually around 10000mm and non breathable jackets around 20000mm
BTW, again, the tent posted by the OP is in polyester , not nylon.
75d polyester, in particular, can cost as little per square yard as 1/10th the cost of a decent 30d silnylon.