Had a few surprises waiting for me when I got home from business this week. I received my Therm-a-Rest Pro Lite, and more importantly, my Hexamid Solo Plus from Z Packs.
www.zpacks.comMy wife called me and said I had a small envelope package thing sitting on the counter. I told her that was my tent! I could hear the skepticism through the phone. That must mean it's good right?
I couldn't wait to start getting it set up, but needed to spend some QT with the family since I'd been gone for a week. So I made good use of my time while I was up watching my son take his bath. Following the directions that came with the pack I cut the guy wire lines (also included--and with very strong, very light, nylon rope), tied my loops, and singed the end. Once my wife got my son to bed I was already out in the back yard setting up my tent. This was my first time setting up the tent, and I only had to make 2 adjustments to get it right. Total setup time in the field after a little practice is going to easily be sub 5 minutes.
The tent is constructed of Cuben Fiber, which a quick wikipedia search gave me this definition...
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"CTF3 (Cuben Fiber) is a product marketed and developed by the Cuben Fiber and Cubic Tech Corporations as a high-performance non-woven fabric for applications such as yacht sails, airship hulls, kites and many designs that require extremely strong rip resistance and light areal weight."
This stuff is LIGHT. And seemingly strong. I about had a stroke when I laid out the tent the first time, turned around to read the directions and when I turned back around, my dog was standing on the tent sniffing away. There wasn't a single scratch from her nails that are overdue to be clipped...
Of course, we will see what she looks like after a full season in the woods!
So it's supposedly strong, and I can't speak yet to its durability, and I'm certainly not putting it through any tests like Matt, but I CAN tell you, this puppy is LIGHT!
My total package, including tarp, taped seams, guy lines, stakes, and stuff sack=DRUUUUUUUUMMMM ROOLLLLLL
7.15 OUNCES!
I am pulling this information off the Z Packs website, and need to get it on a scale to be sure, but it sure seems right.
Also, you can definitely slide two guys in this thing, but it will be cramped, and no room for gear. I suggest your hunting buddy buys his OWN solo plus...
One piece of advice, is that I cut my guy lines a little long (3 inches per line) in order to have a little more play when tying my loops. I probably DIDN'T need to do that, but the loops are tied, and at the moment it isn't hurting anything.
Hope you enjoy the pictures, and I'll get back to you guys this summer after I get some miles on it!
