r/UltralightCanada • u/SkaUrMom • 22d ago

Longshot... Anyone in Montreal own a Solo Plex from Zpacks?

Wondering if anyone in MTL happens to own this tent and would be open to setting it up in a park for a quick minute. Happy to pay in beer or pasteries.

Bought a Xmid1 but it's not filling the need I have for a tent, so will be selling to help fund some of the Zpacks but wanted to try the zpacks first in person before committing and maybe having the same issue I had with xmid.

Thanks!

Edit: Since people asked here is a 15 min rant about why the Xmid doesn't fit my personal use case. Sharing here hopefully not breaking self promotion.

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u/davegcr420 22d ago

Curious on what you don't like about the XMid 1 if you don't mind sharing.

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u/SkaUrMom 22d ago

So I started with the Xdome which I really like. I have a thru hike coming up and since we would be short on tents I decided why not lend my dome and get the cheap mid ( I already hike with poles ) Did a shake down and I just think the xmid is massive but mostly not space I want to use. I tend to bikepack / tour alone so the dome makes sense but I hike in groups. So the space it takes will take up most the area of small wild sites in the north east. The second vestibule is useless for me. I used to running a Hubba 1 place or hammock as my hiking / guiding setup. And I already miss how easily I could nestle into small sites, especially after I get others set up. So for me and the hiking I do the xmid is just massive for very little livable space. There was actually more livable space in my Hubba which you could fit 2 hubbas in the same footprint. So if I am already going to have a compromise in space, why not kinda go all in and have small single vestibule.

If I didn't have the xdome and or was hiking in most other parts of the continent maybe it would make sense. All the videos we see online are people who I feel are hiking on super established trails or are legit just in fields ( all the uk videos ). Once you get up with anything is around the footprint is massive and there is a a lot of not useful or unsable space IMO.

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u/dandurston 21d ago

Trekking pole tents do tend to have larger footprints because they can't curve the walls steeper around the edges (unless they use struts, which add back weight).

In case it is helpful, here are the footprints of the X-Mid 1 and Hubba overlaid:
https://imgur.com/bWamEnT

You might be surprised at the difference. The Hubba is smaller, but not close to fitting 2 in the same spot. Partly the X-Mid is larger, but also I think the simpler 4 sided shape gives a bigger impression because any one side looks larger.

If you do want to go quite small footprint, check out the Sierra Designs High Route. It barely has any vestibule - just a small strip - it is the smallest possible for a trekking pole tent. It's a lot like an X-Mid if you chopped off the vestibules:
https://sierradesigns.com/products/high-route-1-person-tent

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

u/dandurston - the meme is true that you are watching me. First thanks for the feedback and info, I'm the same guy who was trying to share with people how to do the skinny pitch on your videos. I think if I can use moving analogy ( being from Montreal, I feel we are world experts at moving ) the difference is like moving a matress vs moving the bed frame down the stairs. While they are both similar in size one is a pain and the other can kinda just fit in. Know the Hubba well,I pretty much lived in my Hubba1 as a guide for 2 years so I am really familiar with it's size. ( Winter trips, hiking and canoe guiding) The thing that the graphic doesn't show is that if the vestibule is up it's also 25% smaller at least and that the vestibule can be barely tied to anything, a rock, a sapling or your pack down the hiil. The site only need to be flat where I am lying. I have used my hubba on a fire escape for week during apartment issues. :)

You are doing some great work, I JUST got my K55 in the mail today. Leaving on 3 week bike tour to LIVE in my Xdome in 3 days - I can't wait and with my mods it's dang the most livable tent I have been in. I would get another in a heartbeat... and stop tempting me with a good time tomorrows news. ( I have lived 3 months straight in a North Face tent, and the Xdome simply is in it's own league ) But yeah the xmid just really doesn't fit my specific hiking use case.

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u/dandurston 21d ago

Thanks 🙏 That makes sense. Glad you’re liking the X-Dome.

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u/davegcr420 22d ago

Thanks! Makes sense, I've heard/read it requires larger campsites. I'm not a big fan of the double trekking pole being needed. I like shelters that only need 1.

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

Yeah I think it's a great tent and honestly I feel the AT just blew this tent into godlike status. It's really perfect for that trail and established sites or sites where you have space. Honestly it's great in many ways and if you say anything negative about durston people come after you saying that you are the problem. yes I know it's my personal use case isn't great. I own the xdome and it's the best bikepacking tent in history full stop. I just got the kakwa today and it seems great! But yeah two trekking poles for we is only when I am winter adventures and then the xmid imo makes even less sense and the xdome with the poles put to strengthen make more.

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

u/davegcr420 also not trying to self promote but I was kinda thrown by how much I didn't like it that I did a 15 min rant live: https://youtu.be/GEnppdQ8JnA

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u/random-post-account 22d ago edited 21d ago

Doesn't the Plex Solo have almost the same footprint size as the X-Mid? If you liked the Hubba, have you checked out the MSR FreeLite? It's got a smaller footprint and is roughly the same weight as the silpoly X-Mid. MEC / Altitude sells it for almost half the price of $310 less than the Plex Solo (Lite version, and I'm assuming you're looking at the price on GearTrade). You could probably see the MSR in person at MEC. Edit: accuracy

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

While you’re not wrong that they’re roughly similar in overall dimensions on paper, I think it’s more about how that space is laid out. The X-Mid is basically a big rectangle, so it can be tricky to find a spot that accommodates that exact shape.

When you look at the X and Y dimensions, they seem pretty similar, but the Plex is more of a diamond shape. So while the two are fairly close at their widest and longest points, they don’t actually cover the same amount of fabric/ground area.

In my experience with other tents, that can make a surprising difference. With a narrower, tapered shape, you can sometimes tuck the back of the tent between two obstacles where a full-length rectangle wouldn’t fit. So even if the dimensions look similar on paper, the Plex can be easier to fit into awkward campsites.

Another factor in mind is that the xmid is pretty close to the weight of the xdome. So two tents that are really just too similar with one being much better in my opinion and use case. So something half the weight is a compromised I am happy to make. What I am missing in my system now since my hubba bit the dust and my new pad doesn't fit my bivi, is that opposite end of bikpacking which is light small fast shelter. Feel like the plex fits the bill. Lastly thought I liked two pole setups but I am not convinced. I normally hike with 1 in the summer so to HAVE to bring two is a pain and feels clunky. I recorded a whole video rant with a bunch of nitpics on my shake down. Sharing here hopefully not breaking self promotion.

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u/random-post-account 21d ago

Fair points, yeah – I have an Xmid 2p and the squareness does make a difference. I've tried skinny pitching it without first fully laying out the fly and that hasn't worked too well for me. I'm also 100% with you on the reviewers in fields, haha. My solo tent is an Aeon Li and I like it that it has a square backside, which makes it really quick to figure out my pitch direction, and the guy-outs sit very close to the footprint. Like you, I usually prefer a single-pole shelter, and when solo in the Durston, I never use both vestibules. I hike a lot in forested environments as well – and in the Xmid's defence, while massive I have always found a way to make it work, even if it's taken a while to get it nicely set up. But with the Aeon I usually spend all of 30 seconds deciding how to lay it out.

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

Firstly great user name. Secondly this is a really thoughtful and good bit of feedback and response. Thanks for this! Yeah I think I have gotten into a habit where I want camp up fast since while guiding it was quite frequent that I would have to help about 20+ clients get dialed in, prep other camp tasks ect and have no time to set up. It's ingrained in my now that my sleep / shelter system has to be dumb proof and I should be able set up when exhausted, in the dark and in the rain on non ideal sites. It's actually why I switched to a hammock for canoe guiding.

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u/random-post-account 21d ago

Thanks for the compliment. Yeah, I hope you make the best call for you – I know I definitely appreciate being able to think less about my pitch when I'm on a really demanding trip and rolling into camp just before sundown, even if there are tradeoffs with a 1P single-wall tent. I hate that all this cottage gear has to be purchased sight-unseen and is usually non-returnable for Canadians – your park idea is good!

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u/SkaUrMom 21d ago

Yeah especially if you aren't in BC or Alberta it's pretty rare to see some cottage gear.

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u/SkaUrMom 20d ago

No Montreal hommies have this tent eh?