Zpacks Plex Solo Tent Review

JUMP TO: SPECS  /  PROS & CONS  /  HOW IT PERFORMED  /  FEATURES  /  ACCESSORIES  /  SUMMARY

Author: Steve Edgerton

Designed for ultralight thru-hikers, fastpackers, and bikepackers, the Zpacks Plex Solo Tent is nearly as light as some tarp setups, but with the comfort and protection of a traditional backpacking tent. By sacrificing neither weight nor comfort, the Plex Solo pushes the boundaries of what an ultralight tent is capable of providing.

The tent’s roomy, pyramidal design creates a one-person tent with a pretty insane livability-to-weight ratio. Achieving this through a single-wall, pole-free, non-freestanding design, it does come with a bit of a learning curve if you’re used to more robust backpacking tents. The Plex Solo demands careful attention to campsite surfaces, wind direction, and condensation management, but with practice, it can be pitched to be as effective and protective as any three-season backpacking tent.

It will also cost significantly more than a tarp and bivy setup, but the added durability and protection the Plex Solo provides—all at a sub-1-pound weight—make it one of the best ultralight one-person shelters you can buy.

SPECS

HOW IT PERFORMED

SETUP: As far as non-freestanding tents go, the Plex Solo is relatively easy to set up. This is thanks to the location of its body stakes at the four tent corners. This parallel layout makes it easier to dial in the pitch than other pyramidal ultralight tents. 

A trekking pole fits into a pocket in the middle of the door beneath the vestibule, which gives the tent its structure. Another guy out from the center of the door and the back wall are the bare minimum points to stake down, but there are four additional guy out points for a taut pitch and added security in windy conditions. 

Of course, hard or rocky ground will present a challenge, and setting up the Plex Solo requires more foresight and intention when deciding on camp spots.

WEIGHT AND PACKABILITY: The Plex Solo’s most impressive characteristic is its sub-pound weight while actually being a tent—with a full zippered door, vestibule, insect protection, plentiful living space, and all. The tent also packs down to the size of a Nalgene. No poles make it easy to stuff into your pack in as little space as possible. 

DURABILITY: Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) is the gold standard for durable, lightweight materials. The 1.0 oz/sqyd DCF bathtub floor is double the thickness of the canopy. Even without a groundsheet, it will stand up well to abrasive rock and vegetation. The lack of tent poles and minimal zippers also eliminates many typical tent failure points. 

Zpacks advertises the Plex Solo as capable of enduring “one full 2500+ mile thru hike or many years of casual use with some care.” 

VENTILATION: The Plex Solo is a single-wall tent. In humid environments, condensation inevitably becomes a concern, but it does mitigate this as well as any single-wall tent I have ever used. The large, full-wall mesh door and vented perimeter always provide decent airflow. Opening one or both of the storm doors at night will likely eliminate any overnight condensation if you are anywhere other than a tropical rainforest.

With a well-pitched tent, condensation forming on the canopy will naturally run down the walls, staying outside the tent rather than dripping onto you and your gear.

WEATHER RESISTANCE: The pyramidal design limits condensation and adds to the overall weather resistance of the Plex Solo. The conical peak eliminates any potential for pooling water and sheds precipitation effectively, even with a less-than-perfect pitch job.

Again, how you pitch the tent will significantly impact its weather resistance. Setting up the back wall and outer storm flap to face potential winds cuts down on drafts and the potential for sideways rain to blow through the vestibule or the gap between the canopy and the bathtub floor.

LIVABILITY: Far more protective than a tarp, the Plex Solo is also far less claustrophobic than a bivy and most other one-person tents. There is ample headspace and enough room to move around and get changed. I find there is also plenty of real estate to store gear and my backpack right in the tent during heavy downpours, but the vestibule almost always provides more than adequate protection from the elements.

You can definitely wait out a stormy day in this tent without losing your mind, something I would deeply appreciate weeks into a long thru-hike.

Note that if you are particularly tall, e.g. above 6 foot, then Zpacks have a variation called the Alptaplex that is worth checking out.

NOTABLE FEATURES

BATHTUB FLOOR: The DCF bathtub floor is about 8 inches high. In stormy weather, it can be elevated closer to the canopy with a series of hooks and released to provide added ventilation.

POCKET: There is one 8 x 8-inch mesh pocket beneath the door for your phone, headlamp, tent stuff sack, and any other essentials.

SCREEN DOOR: The large half-moon door opens from either end, making entering and exiting the tent painless. It zips down to the tent floor so it does not hang in the way while open.

STORM DOORS: Two storm doors connect with a hook and loop system for a fully enclosed vestibule. Both can be rolled up and secured to the tent body with elastic cords to maximize ventilation. I typically raise one for some airflow and leave one down to cover my pack and shoes.

DYNEEMA FABRIC: DCF is waterproof without a DWR coating, so you don’t need to worry about the tent losing its water resistance or re-waterproofing during long treks. And, unlike nylon, DCF stays taut. It will be more forgiving of suboptimal staking as it won’t stretch or sag under persistent rain.

The yellow guy lines are made from Dyneema and are also highly durable and will not stretch or sag when wet.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

The Plex Solo comes with the bare minimum—no pegs, poles or groundsheet included. This is great if, like me, you like refining and customizing each part of your shelter system. But it does mean you must consider a few essential accessories on top of the tent’s already considerable price tag.

GROUNDSHEET: A Tyvek groundsheet adds a layer of protection between your tent and the ground and can help extend its lifespan. In most conditions, I opt to forgo a groundsheet, which, so far, has not been an issue with the Plex Solo. But if you regularly camp on rocky, abrasive surfaces, adding a Zpacks groundsheet may be worth it.

TENT POLES: If your trekking poles don’t extend to 52 inches— or if you don’t use trekking poles at all— you will need a Zpacks Carbon Fiber Tent Pole to set up the Plex Solo. I enjoy having this option for shorter fastpacking trips where I sometimes prefer to leave the trekking poles at home.

Zpacks also makes 32-inch poles to prop up the head and foot of the Plex Solo and any of their other tents. These are totally optional, but they make pitching the tent easier, and will maximize interior living space.

STAKES: The Plex Solo does not come with stakes. You will need at least 6 and as many as 10. You can use any tent stake, and Zpacks offers a variety of their own. You can fine-tune the balance between bend resistance, holding power, and weight that works best for your use case. Add on an ultralight DCF stake sack to keep everything organized.

SUMMARY

If you desire the shelter and livability of a tent without sacrificing an ultralight base weight, it doesn’t get much better than the Zpacks Plex Solo. It weighs a meager 13.9 oz., it is super packable, and its DCF build is durable for an ultralight tent.

To get any lighter, you’re looking at a tarp shelter, a bivy sack, or a combination of the two. Tarp and bivy systems will potentially save weight and money. And in theory, they provide more versatility than a single wall tent like the Plex Solo, as you can adjust your shelter based on the temperature, precipitation, and bug presence.

In practice, I find these advantages of going lighter are not worth the sacrifices. The Plex Solo will be a few ounces heavier and a few hundred dollars more expensive than a tarp and bivy, but the increase in comfort, liveability, and usability make it the most well-rounded ultralight shelter I have used. It is light and packable enough to not be overkill for one or two-night fastpacking or bikepacking trips while still having all the protection and durability I want to have for extended trips in the backcountry.

Few ultralight shelters have this kind of range, which makes the Plex Solo my favorite ultralight one-person tent, and one of the best options for an ultralight one-person shelter of any kind.

DISCLOSURE

Zpacks provided me with a free sample for this review – but the views expressed here are all my own. The review also contains affiliate links, which help us keep churning out more content.

MORE INFORMATION

Looking for more information on hiking and backpacking? Be sure to check out some of our other tips and gear reviews:

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• Ultimate Backpacking Gear List

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Or check out our entire Gear Reviews Page, our Knowledge Base Articles, or Destination Guides for more hiking, backpacking, and outdoors related content.

Happy hiking and take care out there in the wild!