I have both. I use the Zpacks because it is lighter.
Yes the LHG tents use a 3500mm HH nearly 3 times higher what virtually every other maker uses. LGH Solo, for example, has more mesh and less ceiling which makes a big difference in ventilation. Judy was making them in Cuben for a while, but to be honest the weight savings of around 5 ounces for twice the price was prohibitive to me. I could find a cheaper way to save a quarter pound.
"You have brains in your head/You have feet in your shoes/You can steer yourself in any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss
something about LH Solo don't add up for me. fully double wall, at those dimensions, using 3500mm 1.1oz ripstop should be much heavier than the listed weight. what am I missing?..
I love my SoLong Camo tent.
Used it on the Tahoe Rim trail last year.
If you look at the YouTube screenshot on this page: http://www.lightheartgear.com/index....oduct/view/5/1 it looks tiny. I know the dimensions are 65x133inches but that's bigger than my SMD Lunar Solo but my solo looks bigger and weighs less. In a diamond-shaped floor, which the LHG Solo has, there is so much unusable space.Originally Posted by Secondmouse
I have a LH gear Cuben solo I'm currently using on my AT thru; it's worked flawlessly for the first 500 miles. 23oz. Lucked out getting it 2nd hand from someone for $240. But they don't make them anymore.
Specs on above tent:
10 stakes for complete tight set up
3 Season Double Wall
Sleeps: 1- could hold tight 2 in an emergency.
Weight: 23 oz. with stuff sac and ridge pole
Head Room: 43 in.
Doors: 1 with 2-way zipper
Floor Area: 30 Sq. Ft.
Vestibule: 3.75 Sq. Ft.
Floor Dimensions: L - 133in. W - 65 in.
Material: green cuben fiber and netting.
Pole Length: 48-50 inches – 2 poles (hiking poles or alternates-not included)
Velcro tabs for ridge pole
I'm surprised how many people can afford a SIX HUNDRED DOLLAR tent....
I like Zpacks and think they are on the cutting edge of UL gear innovation, but most of their items are cost-prohibitive, at least in my opinion. And I make a good living.
Same with HyperExpensive err......Hyperlight Mtn Gear.
This seems to be the new wave of UL gear--make everything in cuben, have it weight 1/3 less than sil products, charge outrageous prices, and profit huge.
The benefits of not having kids or a spouse or rent or debt! But I do agree that they are expensive, and almost ridiculously so. I'm not sure I'd buy another one after my thru-hike in a couple of years.
I just purchased the Zpacks Duplex. Will be using it this summer on a 636 (maybe 1,000) mile section hike on the PCT. Will probably give thoughts on it this fall. But Ya, 600 bucks is pricey.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
I personally don't own a cuben tent because I am still working full- time and going to school so my bag nights are limited but if I were doing a long hike, I might invest in one. Spreading the cost by night:
636 miles/ 20 miles a day= 32 nights, $600/32 nights=$18.75 per night which isn't bad at all. I suspect it will last much longer than the 636 mile trip also.
The makers of Cuben tents are not making a killing, just a living. The material itself is the cause of the high price tag. I love my Z-packs tents.
Well my house cost $14K, my car $1K. My touring bicycle set up $3K. You just gotta figure out the priorities.
And which of the tents are double walled?
Thanks!!
That is quite an inflammatory statement............if I could interject a thought; Cuben Fiber is a proprietary product manufactured by one company. So, for all practical purposes, it is a monopoly ( as far as I know ). I don't believe ( just an opinion ) that the cottage industries making tents or other products are the ones reaping huge profits off of cuben. Forgive me, I get a little "irked" with such broad statements that generate heat but small amounts of insight.
Cuben Fiber (Dyneema Composite Fabrics now) is WAY more expensive than silnylon. I just looked up the two prices for rolls. Silnylon is $6 a yard, while Cuben is $35 a yard. This is from the same fabric distributor. Plus, from what I understand cuben is a little harder to work with, which increases the price just on the labor standpoint.
That Solong6 looks very similar to the TarpTent Notch. Looks like each one may have it's pros and cons.
I saw one of these on my last section hike, but I didn't know what it was. Glad I saw this thread. I'm thinking about replacing my TT Squall 2, and now I have another option to consider.
Inflammatory? It's an anonymous gear opinion on a backpacking forum. Get over it.That is quite an inflammatory statement............if I could interject a thought; Cuben Fiber is a proprietary product manufactured by one company. So, for all practical purposes, it is a monopoly ( as far as I know ). I don't believe ( just an opinion ) that the cottage industries making tents or other products are the ones reaping huge profits off of cuben. Forgive me, I get a little "irked" with such broad statements that generate heat but small amounts of insight.
There is a point when gear prices can become absurd. I don't care what it's made out of. If a tent cost $600+ it better make me bacon and eggs in the morning and fold it's damn self!
$600 may seem like a lot of money for a tent. But how much does the average person spend on a vacation with perhaps nothing to show for it than a sunburn?
More walking, less talking.
You have to do a cost benefit analysis for every gear purchase.
Lonehiker (MRT '22)
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