| ZPacks™ "Hexamid" Solo Tent
or Tarp |
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Description:
The "Hexamid" is a six sided pyramid style tent for a solo hiker.
It is made from the lightest materials available; .6 oz/sqyd cuben
fiber, and optionally .7 oz/sqyd nanoseeum screen.
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Sets up with just one trekking pole or walking stick adjusted
to around 46 to 47 inches (118 cm), and a minimum of six
stakes. Eight stakes are recommended.
Set up takes less than 2 minutes, watch the
Setup Video!
Text instructions are also available for the
tent or
tarp.
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Fixed length guy lines using no-stretch spectra cord make setup easy. No line adjusters or knot tying
necessary.
- Ample space for one person plus gear. The tent is long enough
for most people to fully stretch out their arms and legs, and tall enough to sit
upright.
- Great ventilation, and a great view through the large nanoseeum screen entryway.
6" of screen around the perimeter allows air flow.
- The screen entryway opens with a single long
zipper at the top. This reduces the likelihood of zipper failure,
and keeps zipper weight at a minimum. (The original version used 3
zippers that met at the top).
- Cuben fiber is made from spectra threads which do not stretch.
The tent stays taught all night. (Sil-nylon by comparison can stretch and sag,
especially if it gets wet).
- Specially designed seams hold strong and prevent any
separation of the thin material. The peak and all tie outs are reinforced with 1.5 oz/sqyd cuben
material. A
free tube of Sil Net seam sealer is
included for you to seal the seams.
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This tent is unique in that it has a fully
enclosed .7 oz/sqyd nanoseeum screen floor. Why a screen floor?
- It keeps 100% of insects, spiders, ticks, etc out!
- The screen floor is lighter than a sewn in floor would be. Use a small,
lightweight ground sheet on the inside on top of the screen,
just like sleeping under a tarp.
Tyvek,
Cuben Fiber, or Polycryo
ground sheets work great.
- Your separate ground sheet can also be used for sleeping under the stars or in shelters.
- Rain spray or condensation runs right out through the
screen floor. The ground sheet must be on top of the screen to
prevent any water from running onto it.
- You can adjust the position of your ground sheet, or
fold up the edges to block spray if the wind changes to the wrong direction.
- All ZPacks gear has a one year warranty against defects in
materials or workmanship. Returns or exchanges are welcome.
- The expected life span of this shelter is at least one
full 2500+ mile thru hike, or many years of casual use with some
care. The shelter can also be easily repaired in the field since
duct tape sticks well to the fabric.
Dimensions (approximate):
- Peak Height: 45" (114 cm)
- Length: 9 feet (2.75 meters)
- Width at center: 5.5 feet (137 cm)
- Width at ends: 30" (76 cm)
- Entryway Height: 28" (71 cm)
Weight:
- The tent itself weighs 7.45 oz / 211 grams. The tarp by itself
weighs 2.65 oz / 75 grams.
- The included 30 feet of bright yellow
Z-Line spectra guy line adds .3 oz / 8.5
grams.
- The included cuben fiber small-plus
size stuff sack adds .17 oz / 4.8 grams. Tarps include a .11 oz
mini size stuff
sack.
- The included Sil Net seam sealer when applied adds
about .25 oz / 7.1 grams. You will have extra left over for other
projects.
- Total weight is just 8.2 ounces / 227 grams including the
tent, seam sealing, guy lines, and a stuff sack.
- A ground sheet and 8 stakes are
sold separately, and are not included in the
price or weight.
This item is temporarily unavailable.
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Optional Doorway:
This triangular doorway clips to the tent or tarp at the peak and front
corners to block rain spray or give you privacy. To get in or out just unclip the top clip
and the door drops to the floor. Three
mini-d carabiners
are included and add an extra .1 oz each. In my experience however, the door is
generally not necessary- see the review below.
Some advantages/features of the doorway:
- You can leave it at home if you decide you don't need it or
if the forecast is nice.
- You can leave it in its stuff sack out
of the way 95% of the time when the weather is decent.
- The tent is pretty quiet with no extra material flapping in the wind.
- The cuben door clips on inside the tent between your
trekking pole and the screen door. It does not interfere with
the screen zippers and it does not eat up any of your interior
space.
- There is a gap between the door and the top of the tent to
allow air flow.
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Photos of the Hexamid in Leaf Green:
Click for full size images
Photos from the Continental Divide Trail:
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Joe's Review, and questions answered:
In 2009 I tested the cuben fiber Hexamid on a full Continental Divide Trail
thru-hike. The trip took 154 days traveling roughly 2,651 miles through the rocky
mountains. Over the course of the trip the tent went through just about
every type of weather, from gusting wind, to rain storms, snow
storms, sub freezing temperatures, etc. I hiked the first half of the trip
solo, the second half with my wife Sheryl. We used the same
solo tent for the whole trip. (Gear list)
(Photos)
Won't I get wet if rain is blowing towards the screen door?
Probably not. Ideally the tent should be pitched with the back or sides into
the wind. If rain does start blowing towards the door it is easy enough to
just slide your groundsheet to the back. You can use your shoes and water
bottles to prop up the edges of your ground sheet to give you even more
protection. If you want to play it safe you can add the optional doorway. I
carried the doorway on my trip but never needed to put it up while hiking solo.
It was needed a couple times after Sheryl joined me.
How durable is the material?
The tent held up really well over my five month trip. I didn't get any
punctures or tears, and didn't have to do any repairs. The cuben material
feels paper thin and I was careful with it, but I think it is just as
durable as silicone nylon would be. Cuben has the advantage that duct tape
sticks really well to it so repairs in the field are a breeze if
needed. (Duct tape will not stick to sil-nylon). I would be comfortable
using the same tent on a second thru-hike, I would just replace the seam tape
since it is getting crispy after five months of sun, etc. Update- the
seams are now sewn better, and sealed by you with included Sil Net to avoid
this problem.
Won't the screen floor wear out quickly?
Surprisingly no! I was careful about picking up sticks and rocks and never
got any holes in the floor. Sharp things like needles and thorns that
can normally cause holes go right through the screen without doing any damage.
If it did ever get a hole, it would likely be under your ground sheet
anyways.
Will the tent fit two people?
The tent is meant for one person. Sheryl joined me for the second half of
my thru-hike; with two people the tent was a very snug fit, but it worked for
us. Most people would want more space I think. You will need the optional doorway, as there is no extra room to avoid rain spray
with two people. We also used a 5 foot wide tyvek ground sheet that we could
fold up at the sides. One nice thing though is we both had room to sit
upright and cook outside the front. Consider the
Twin version of the tent if you are a big/tall person or a couple
requiring more space.
How does the tent do in strong wind?
Reasonably well, about the same as a typical tarp. Whenever possible choose
a sheltered location such as under tree cover. If forced to camp in the open
position the back or side into the wind and make sure it is staked out well.
The cuben material is designed for making sails and can handle the stress of
high winds.
How about Condensation?
The Hexamid has a large screen entryway, as well as screen all around the
perimeter which gives it lots of air flow. Under the right conditions
however ALL single wall tarps and tents can get condensation, even if no one
is in them. Here are some tips to avoid condensation in any shelter. 1) Cold moist air tends to settle in low
areas, especially near lakes and streams. Instead, choose higher ground,
under tree cover if possible. 2) Keep off the grass. Grassy areas look
inviting, but there is a reason the grass is green. Camp on grass and you
may wake up covered in dew. Choose a dry spot under a tree instead.
If your tent does get wet it is no big deal, just shake it out, pack it up, and let it
dry when you set it up the next night. Don't store a tent wet for long
periods of time or it may
get mildewed, but a day of hiking wont hurt it.
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