I reside within the mountain west, weekend warrioring to the max. Most of the time, I’m tenting on slickrock, granite, shallow sand, laborious packed grime, or different surfaces that don’t take nicely to tent stakes. I would like a free standing tent that takes no thought or vitality to erect after lengthy days crunching as many miles as doable into my two days off.
The Free Zip from Zpacks is the single-wall, freestanding shelter of my ultralight backpacking goals. A single sheet of powerful and waterproof Dyneema cloth creates a bomb-proof dome form that maximizes the inside area to really match two folks. And it weighs simply 2 kilos.
To actually put this tent to the check although, I requested my mother to sleep in it with me for 3 nights on her first ever backpacking journey. On this Zpacks Free Zip 2P tent overview I’m going to let you know what makes this tent so distinctive and who it’s finest fitted to.
- 0.55 or 0.75 ounce per sq. yard Dyneema Composite cloth
- Inside Dimensions: 44 x 86 inches (112 x 218 centimeters)
- Exterior Dimensions: 69 x 92 inches (175 x 234 centimeters)
- Packed Dimension: 6 x 12 inches (15 x 30 centimeters)
- Weight: Measured 35.4 ounces in 0.75-ounce Dyneema (33.7 ounces marketed, doesn’t embody stakes)
- Value: $900
- Additionally accessible as a three-person tent
Single-Wall
The Free Zip is made from a single layer of 0.5- or 0.75 ounce per sq. yard Dyneema cloth. Zpacks states that the thicker cloth is pointless and the 0.55-ounce affords loads of energy towards tears. Nevertheless the 0.75-ounce Dyneema is stronger, much less clear, and extra waterproof. The burden of the material is set by the colour of tent you select. Blue and olive drab tents will weigh 2 ounces lower than the spruce inexperienced and burnt orange.
Dyneema is waterproof, so there are not any DWR coatings that may put on off and it’s PFC- and PFAS-free. One of the best half is that you simply don’t need to fuss with a separate rain fly, which additionally gives weight financial savings. Merely connect the uncovered carbon fiber poles to the hooks connected to the single-layer tent physique and also you’re set.
The Dyneema is hard, if a little bit see-through. It’s opaque sufficient for privateness however you’ll be able to see the define of the panorama round you, which provides to the je ne sais quoi. I don’t learn about you, however the most effective a part of tenting for me is definitely sleeping outdoor. I like being immersed in my environment, not reduce off from the surface in a stifling tent. The twin entrances will let you maintain all of your doorways open for a pleasant cross breeze, with no hemming and hawing about whether or not it’s best to put the rain fly on earlier than drifting off to sleep.
Freestanding
4 carbon fiber poles create two X’s that kind a clam shell design. Technically, you don’t have to stake the tent down in any respect if the climate is calm. Although, this works higher with one particular person, not two, as a result of the X’s naturally wish to clam shell again collectively inflicting you to lose actual property inside.
Stake out all 4 corners and the doorways (six stakes) for a extra snug night. To attain essentially the most storm-worthy silhouette, you’ll be able to join the included man traces to both aspect of each doorways and stake these out (10 stakes complete). The uncovered double X tent poles will let you cling damp socks and garments to dry in your tent.
Ultralight and Packable
At 2 kilos for a two particular person shelter, this tent is extraordinarily light-weight because of carbon fiber poles and the one layer of Dyneema. The tent packs down to only 6 inches vast and the packed poles are solely 12 inches lengthy.
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Testing the Zpacks Free Zip 2P Tent Within the Area
Whereas on the Tour du Mont Blanc, I backtracked down a ridge to fulfill my mother. I had gone forward to arrange our shelter on a windy ridge on the French aspect of the Italian border. Dispersed tenting is against the law in Italy and solely allowed in France above 2,500 meters (8,200 toes), so it was my solely choice. As I glissaded down a snow patch an enormous gust of wind caught my again, and I regarded up in direction of the rocky saddle now blocking my view of the 2-pound shelter held down with 4 MSR groundhog minis. Visions of Dyneema sails spiraling into the grey sea of ominous clouds, jagged peaks, and dulling July snow swirled in my head.
Sven “Magic” Anderson
As an alternative of going again to make use of extra stakes or crush the inside with my pack, I targeted on finding my mother, nonetheless making her manner up. As soon as we crested the move collectively, I used to be relieved to see our Zpacks Free Zip nestled safely into the hillside. We climbed inside to flee the unrelenting winds, and I apprehensive I had signed us up for a stressed night time. Nevertheless, contained in the Free Zip was complete calm. The taut single layer of Dyneema and aerodynamic dome design created a nonetheless and silent oasis.
Vestibule
A part of what makes the Zpacks Free Zip so sturdy is the closely tensioned concave tent door. Wind and rain are directed away out of your tent and there’s no annoying flapping. The draw back to this design may be very minimal vestibule area. You may suit your footwear in it, and that’s about it. Although, for many ultralight backpackers and through hikers, that’s the one factor going within the vestibule anyway.
Bugs
The Free Zip incorporates helpful magnets for holding the tent doorways open. Meaning you’ll be able to unclip the doorways with out opening the no-see-um mesh door by bumping the magnet open. The mesh is extraordinarily tightly woven and extremely efficient at holding bugs out. Rainbow doorways with twin zippers will let you fastidiously open and shut solely the portion of the door you want.
Rain
That first windy night time wasn’t the one climate my mother and I encountered on our 30-mile trek alongside the Tour du Mont Blanc. On our final night time we laid down simply in time for an intense downpour and bone-rattling thunderclaps. It stormed all night time, and each doorways had been closed. We awakened with some condensation on the within of the tent.
Diana Helmuth
Ashley Thess
All single-wall shelters are susceptible to condensation, and the Free Zip is not any exception. If in any respect doable, it’s best to plan to go away no less than one door open all night time for elevated airflow. Zpacks has ideas to keep away from extra moisture, however in case you encounter monsoons there’s no manner round it. The tent does dry simply and an ultralight towel is helpful to wipe down the inside.
The Free Zip has a 5-inch tall bathtub flooring to maintain water on the bottom out. It really works nice with one particular person, however with two folks it’s best to plan to take an inside perimeter test earlier than hitting the hay. Be certain that your gear and sleeping pads are permitting sufficient of a lip off the bottom to discourage water. There’s an inside man line centered at both finish of the Free Zip that pulls the ground upward for added peace of thoughts.
Inside House
Ashley Thess
Not all two particular person tents are created with sufficient room for 2 folks. The Free Zip is off to begin with two entrances. After we thought of it in our check of the most effective ultralight tents, we put two 6-foot-2 common sized guys within the Zpacks Free Zip and requested if they might comfortably sleep subsequent to one another. Seems, sure. However they’d no room for anything, like gear.
Should you’re used to flattening down your pack and placing your toes on it to sleep, together with your meals hung outdoors, there shouldn’t be a lot gear in your tent to take care of anyway. The flexibility of the area is one in every of my favourite issues about it. The Free Zip is so light-weight I don’t thoughts carrying it only for myself, and if somebody joins me, I’ve room for them, too.
My mother (5-foot-4) and I (5-foot-7) shared this tent comfortably for 3 nights with all our gear (together with meals) at our toes. Although, she struggled barely to get out and in of this tent as a result of it’s so low to the bottom. As soon as inside, there’s loads of room for even taller hikers to take a seat up proper at 43-inches tall.
The double X design does an ideal job at creating steep partitions to maximise the inside area. Nothing about this tent feels claustrophobic regardless of its small footprint. The svelte exterior dimensions is one in every of this tent’s biggest benefits, enabling you to arrange in tight camp spots, or a lone patch of grime.
The Zpacks Free Zip 2P tent is the right quantity of area for one particular person to unfold out with their gear. This tent feels welcoming to crawl into after a protracted day, and I don’t thoughts spending time in it as soon as the solar units or to attend out some early morning rain.
What the Zpacks Free Zip 2P Tent Does Greatest
Sven “Magic” Anderson
That is the best tent I’ve ever arrange. There’s no rain fly, complicated poles, or finicky guylines. If you’re racing storm clouds, the setting solar, your personal drooping eyelids, or your climbing accomplice after you slept in longer than them, this worth can’t be understated.
A much less concrete, however nonetheless extraordinarily necessary, attribute of this tent is how aesthetically pleasing it’s. For my part, your tent ought to really feel like dwelling once you’re on path, not a coffin to sleep in. The twin entrances make it so you’ll be able to open no matter door is going through down wind for air move, with out letting in a chilly breeze. There’s a easy see-through mesh pocket sewn underneath the door for my eyeglasses and headlamp. And I can simply attain it from outdoors the tent, too.
At 2 kilos, this shelter is extraordinarily light-weight and packable. It has a small footprint however beneficiant inside area because of the dome construction. The one-wall Dyneema and easy double X design makes it extraordinarily straightforward to place up and take down. For my part, that is the last word ultralight shelter for anybody routinely tenting on laborious, packed, or free surfaces that don’t stake nicely.
The silhouette is bomb-proof in heavy winds and so long as you don’t thoughts some condensation, it retains heavy rains at bay with out the usage of chemical compounds or coatings that may put on off. The tent comes seam taped, and features a 54-inch lengthy roll of DCF restore tape for simple patching at dwelling or on path.
This tent is marketed to final no less than one 2,500+ mile through hike, or a few years of informal use. Zpacks affords a two 12 months restricted guarantee and after which you could ship in your tent for a paid restore. My older model of this tent, the Duo Free, had some tearing on the corners the place you’d hook the tent to the double H design. I’d maintain my breath everytime I stretched the stiff cloth far sufficient to succeed in the horizontal bar of the H. The brand new X design takes a whole lot of the stress off these two attachment factors by including 4 extra hooks to distribute the strain, and I think about it should maintain up so much longer.
The place the Zpacks Free Zip 2P Tent Can Enhance
Let’s begin with the elephant within the room: the Free Zip is $900. That’s some huge cash for a tent that gained’t final you ceaselessly. Tent stakes aren’t included in that value both. It may additionally condensate contained in the tent if the doorways are closed all night time, particularly with two folks inside.
Should you love vestibules, this tent is just not for you. Zpack’s website says the vestibule is 13 inches, and whereas the door could stake down 13 inches from the tent flooring, it’s largely unusable area because of the extreme concave of the doorways.
Learn Subsequent: Greatest Tent Stakes
Remaining Ideas
The Zpacks Free Zip 2P tent is a singular shelter providing the comfort of a freestanding construction in an ultralight bundle because of its single wall design. And it really has room for 2 folks (relying on the folks and kit).
With the quantity of backpacking I do, you’ll be able to’t put a value on simply selecting out any campsite, thoughtlessly placing up and taking down your tent, and sleeping soundly in raging circumstances. Should you’re sick of fruitlessly tensioning a drooping trekking pole tent with rock piles for stakes as an alternative of constructing dinner and going to mattress, take into account this the tent of your goals. However in case you can’t sleep together with your tent door open and steadily camp in humid environments, it’s not well worth the chunk of change.