The Zpacks Duplex Classic has become a fixture in the ultralight backpacking world, beloved by thru-hikers and weekend warriors alike due to its fantastic weight to space ratio and reliable protection against the elements. Can the Duplex Lite, a slimmed down version that sheds three ounces (17.9 oz to 14.9 oz), accomplish the same, or does it have its own unique use cases?
Compared to the Duplex Classic, Zpacks has slightly slimmed down the dimensions of the Duplex Lite:
- The ridgeline is 46 inches versus 53 inches.
- The width including vestibules is 88 inches versus 93 inches.
- The floor width is 40 inches versus 45 inches.
The peak height, floor length, and vestibule size are unchanged from the standard duplex, and it sports the same weight Dyneema® Composite Fabric (DCF) canopy at 0.55 oz per square yard.
Materials
Besides the change in dimensions, the Duplex Lite utilizes a slightly lighter weight DCF floor (.75 oz per square yard) and lighter guy lines and line locs, which come sewn on. As to the performance of these material changes, I quite like the lighter z line and line locs, and for years have replaced existing guys on my shelters with this hardware and cordage setup. It is true that people can become frustrated with the light z line becoming tangled in a line loc, but there is a simple trick to combat this: simply flip the line loc slightly up any time the pull side and shelter side of the line have become reversed, and they will quickly fall into the correct place.
The change to the lighter weight DCF floor also does not trouble me much, but I’ll speak to that in more detail below as I go through use cases.
Ready to take on some alpine winds.
When is smaller better?
There are two obvious gains to this diet duplex: the first is site selection. It is a real joy at the end of a tiring day when you are casting about for a site to realize you can slip this shelter into a much smaller site than you might expect. The second gain by subtraction is pack size. The smaller dimensions combined with a lighter weight DCF mean this shelter disappears into your pack!
Personal Feelings About the Duplex Design:
As the original is such a well known shelter, many will probably already have thoughts about it or experience with it. My family often uses a triplex, which being the same basic design gives me experience setting up the shelter to the point where I can do it at lighting speed with a compulsive level of pitch perfection. (I have been known to pluck a center guyline and listen to the pitch with a mock discerning air).
I have no issues pitching the Triplex or Duplex lite lower than prescribed in awful weather, accepting that there will be some condensation to pay for the increased stormworthiness. As a three season shelter, it is reliable, light, and a bit of an old friend to me at this point. We love having dual entry, especially for the dogs, and we’re not particularly tall people, so we luxuriate in the space of our Triplex at the cost of a few ounces when the dogs aren’t eating up that third person space.
I took the Duplex Lite out for several trips in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington; on solo trips and with my wife. We’re both 5’8", slim bodied, standard width pad users. Solo folks bigger than us will be happy in a Duplex Lite, but folks larger or significantly taller than us should look at the standard duplex or duplex XL. Bearing that in mind, I think it is best to consider the Duplex Lite by use case scenarios:
The Solo Hiker: Five Stars
The Duplex lite is an absolute palace for one. At the time I took it out on a long aggressive solo route when I was also testing a pack, so in addition to the long food carry, I brought quite a bit of comfort weight and camera gear to pad the pack testing weight. The Duplex Lite swallowed it all, including my wide pad, with plenty of room to spare. I’m a single pole user, and even with the addition of a Durston extending pole I cannot think of any other way I could have this kind of livable space in the backcountry for 18oz. For dual pole users, so much the better for you at sub 15oz!
A slim campsite just off the PCT.
The Solo Thru Hiker: Four Stars
While I do not personally take issue with the lighter weight floor, and specifically camped on heather and other difficult fabric torturing ground cover, I do think that a thru-hiker should expect to patch their floor in the course of a thru-hike. I personally have no issue with this expectation, DCF tape is provided by Zpacks and is easy to use, but I know that the idea of expecting to repair an expensive tent rubs some folks the wrong way. There may also be some varying mileage here depending on your thru, though shorter, the AZT will be far tougher on a tent floor than the PCT.
A wide pad and a 55 liter pack side by side in the Duplex Lite.
The Solo Hiker With a Dog: Five Stars
I do a lot of hiking with one of my dogs in tow, and I intend on this becoming my regular “me plus a dog shelter,” it ticks all the boxes for me with a pup in terms of space and dual entry doors. For more on my thoughts about that, you can read my article of tips and tricks for camping with dogs here.
The Mission-Specific Couple: Five Stars
My wife and I went out with the Duplex Lite for four nights and were sold on the idea of taking it with us on the Wind River High Route this August. On a demanding trip where every single item in the spreadsheet is being scrutinized, the Duplex Lite is a great choice. Expect to be sleeping head to foot, no matter what level of intimacy you share with your tent mate! Also consider site selection being flat as that is much more important when you are head to foot: you obviously can’t both have your feet on the downhill slope.
The Thru-Hiking Couple: Three Stars
For most hikers, the benefits of three ounces of weight versus five inches of extra width and a little more durability over the course of a thru-hike with a partner, the classic Duplex will most likely be favorable. The added space would grant just enough comfort and sanity to be absolutely worth the weight penalty on a thru-hike.
Conclusion
There is a bit of an old saw in the backpacking world that two person tents are actually luxurious one person tents, and three person tents are actually a good sized two person tent. The Duplex Lite fits that old saying, which really just means if you understand what you are buying and what you are buying it for, this shelter has some arguably best in class use cases. It IS wide enough for two standard pads. Could you end a relationship by just being able to squeeze them into your tent for 2650 miles? Maybe. Could you also have a life-changing experience on the Sierra High Route with your partner? Definitely. A wonderful Autumn weekend eating blueberries in southern Washington with your dog? Absolutely. The solo thru-hiker who makes everyone jealous of their space while still fitting into cramped sites? For sure.
Pros
Cons
Based in Portland, Oregon, Scott Nechemias has hiked over 10,000 miles in the backcountry, often accompanied by his wife Jordan and their fur monsters, Cheese and Utah. He has a particular affinity for off-trail travel, the high desert, and the places in the world less traveled by people. You can find more of his trips on Instagram.
