Gossamer Gear The Two | Setup and Initial Impressions | Ultralight Two Person Tent

[@bellawhite2924]

Chris I enjoyed this review. If I were to recommend an improvement to this otherwise great review, I would recommend spending a night or two in the rain and then review the tents performance.

[@scottbennett4760]

Just placed my order. Thanks for the review!

[@NancyandMako]

Enjoyed your video very much!!! this is the tent I am considering when I hike the AT with my dog!!! Congratulations on completing the AT😊😊😊

[@andrewhyduke1974]

Rainmaker here - I purchased the new version (2020 edition) of this tent 3 weeks ago. Gossamer gear had a 20% off sale so I got it for $300. It is a grey color and weighs in at 23 ounces. With the stakes and line provided 27 ounces. Tent is beautifully made and my first set-up resulted in a perfect pitch! Not that difficult! It is very spacious inside. You and your dog will easily fit. Lots of room for gear depending how large your dog is. Vestibules on both sides will be additional storage for you. So far I am impressed!

[@NancyandMako]

Thanks so much for your reply

[@captaincoyote1792]

Hi Chris....hope this finds you well. .I know that this is an older video, but I still found it informative....and enjoyable, as all your videos have been. I failed at my attempted thru hike in 2018. Family matters prevented a 2019 re-attempt....but at 65, with sooooo many other interests, (bikepacking, fly fishing, woodworking, my old Jeep...my Aussie!), I find it boring after awhile (which frankly makes me admire successful thru-hikers - such as yourself-all the more!!!). Anyway, I now consider myself a section hiker....hoping to complete PA this spring...and VA in the fall. I am working hard to decrease my pack weight. I have a Tarptent Bowfin1 which frankly - irritates me with those pitch-locks at the end. Considering a Duplex and this tent. Almost sold on this one, but the bath tub edges look lower than that on the Duplex. Did you find that to be the case? Did you ever “ride out the rain” in the Two ?

[@lt2246]

Nice video. I am curious how well this tent handles condensation- any viewers have experience with this tent in that regard?

[@MisfitsFiendClub138]

Many reviewers of this tent say condensation is a major issue and the bathtub material is not that tough, the company even suggests a ground sheet

[@davidcraig118]

Great video Chris , you just made me care about a tent I’m not in the market for. 😎👍🏻

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

haha thanks David!

[@AugustHawk]

lol, I know, right? I'm an avid "hammocker" and now my interest is piqued over a tent.

[@icejunki]

David Craig great comment. I felt I had made up my mind what my next ultralight tent would be until I saw this video.

[@harveybrooks9697]

Thanks for the review on this! Was getting ready to pull the trigger on a Duplex, but may consider this. Just saw one used once for $200 and got me curious. How close is this to a Duplex in your opinion? Thanks!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

You’ll get more sag from this when wet due to the material used. But its also larger in size than the duplex. The setup for both tents is essentially identical tho! Hope it works out for you!

[@demoncleaner80]

That integrated clothesline is really clever. Thanks for the review! Interested in adding this to my list if I consider getting another tent.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I thought so too! It's a pretty cool Shelter!

[@thehailmaryproject8949]

Good stuff. You're a pro with the videos these days.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Ted Staples thanks Ted. Appreciate it!

[@tony_r_pierce]

Thanks for the review, Chris.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

[@RESTLESSOUTDOORS]

Awesome first look Chris! This truley will give the Duplex a run for it's money... and I say this as a Duplex owner! Would love to see these 2 tents side by side! 🖒

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

That would be a great video! Both quality tents!

[@tobeaprepper3864]

Nice honest review, one concern I have, the height of the floor with it connecting to your poles looked less than 2 inches, rain splash is a possibility. Love the cloths line, so simple but oooooooo so useful, thanks again for the review.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I noticed that too. In all honesty I probably wouldnt even use the connection points to the floor. I think splash would be ok though even when using the floor attachment. The doors come down nearly to the ground which should definitely curb most splash back I would hope. The real low to the ground doors are different than I have experienced with my Solplex for instance. Either way would like to take this thing out and get it wet lol.

[@fishingwithphil2582]

Great video a little steep for me but I understand the ul movement. You however are hilarious I would enjoy having a drink with you and talking gear love the sarcastic humor!! Hike on!!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Fishing with Phil haha thanks Phil!

[@SShrum589]

I'm really thinking about getting this tent rather than spending the extra $200-ish for the Zpack Duplex; would love to see a side-by-side comparison. Thanks for posting and I love your content- keep them coming!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Thanks for watching! Perhaps a comparison in the future!

[@AugustHawk]

It would be interesting to see the review include spraying water on the tent (simulating rain) with a more realistic AT terrain (often slanted whereas the water is streaming downhill). Many of my friends have had these rain streams make their way through their tents with such a low-lying floor plane. I was wondering how the Gossamer Two compared. (I've seen other reviewer's put the product to test with simulated elements of nature - a fan blowing on the tent or spraying water on it. ) Thanks for the review and having such concise, informative, and entertaining videos. Well done!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Thanks for watching sir! Would love to get the water thing going but I live in a major city and oddly access to a hose for me is rare lol. I actually have to travel a little just to find a quiet spot to film these videos. Its kind of lame. Will see what I can arrange next time though!

[@renaecummings8068]

Yes! The first review on this tent. Had the same concern about condensation. Other than that it looks great and the price to not bad for UL. Any concerns on durability of materials being that it’s not Cuben fiber? Thanks so much.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Renae Cummings materials seem like they would hold up pretty well. I was not gentle at all with my cuben stuff and never had any real issue. Would love to give this thing a run through a long distance hike to see how it holds up tho!

[@GARYMANDIEVAN]

Very nice I like it

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

It's a pretty solid tent Gary! Thanks for tuning in!

[@jwsnma]

As with all your gear videos, nicely done

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Thanks Joe! Appreciate it!

[@drbryanbikes]

Chris, thanks for video! I have other Gossamer Gear products and good quality. However, after buying the Zpacks Duplex, I'm never going back to Sil Nylon. The Duplex is super roomy and won't sag and well worth the price. Lighter as well!!! I previously bought the Goodheart Duo tent that looks similar to the GG, but EBay 'd it as not easy to set up and too heavy. I would get the Duplex, my man, as look back on your review!!!! .

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+drbryanbikes that's why I keep going back and forth. I recall the sag issues of non cuben. One of my favorite parts of the solplex was not having to worry about that. I have been looking back and forth on the review I made. We will see!

[@drbryanbikes]

Thanks for the reply!! I give you credit for doing six months in the Solplex!!! I'm smaller then you and the Duplex feels like a palace!! Plus, as you said, no sagging and more durable!!! Love the videos, but please do one just dedicated to the outstanding merits of Cheetos!!!!!

[@kungpow108]

You've reviewed the duplex as well. How does it compare to the gossamer gear the two?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Hi gary! Answered this in another comment down below but will paste what I put there in case it vanishes in the shuffle They are very similar. The doors are different but thats a preference thing. Also the connection of floor to tent I believe is the biggest difference. Some people may prefer the no mesh between floor and tent that this tent offers as it helps eliminate splash back. However if condensation runs down the tent at night it has nowhere to escape to. I also found the door clips to be easier to close on this tent one handed than on the zpacks stuff. Not a big deal but worth mentioning. I have heard that this material may sag a little as well when wet but cannot confirm. I think using the additional wall guylines would help combat this. Cuben does not sag. Thats all I can think off the top of my head tho!

[@yakitoriPB]

I would think there will be issues with a wet footbox from condensation that cannot escape. As well as the fact that most people use an inflatable sleeping pad. That's going to put your feet in contact with the tent wall. The duplex is an all around better design and we'll thought out. Zpacks has made I incremental improvements to the design over the years. I'd imagine you need a groundsheet with this tent as well since it is nylon. If you can spend 400 on a tent plus additional for a groundsheet...then u can spend 600 on the duplex. You will be glad you did.

[@ASTHECROWFLIESHIKING]

Chris, I know this is an older video, but, was wondering if you still have this tent and do you recommend it. I am thinking about purchasing this tent from Gossamer Gear. It seems like a viable option over the price of the similar -Zpacks Duplex tent. Your thoughts?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I actually sold the tent. I feel like its just way too big for the Whites. Clear camp spots are hard to come by here and this baby takes up some real estate haha. I used it once or twice and it performed well. My only gripe really was the line the goes to the ground where the trekking pole is runs under the doorway. Its hard to explain but it makes it trickier for setup in tight locations. Other than that it seems like a solid option at a good price. If you buy the two I believe the coupon TREK15 is still working for 15% off

[@ASTHECROWFLIESHIKING]

Chris, what are you currently using? Duplex? Plexamid? Or something else?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Im still using the Solplex. I messed around with a few things but keep coming back to it. Super small foot print, cant beat it weight wise with what you get as far as ease of setup / coverage. The tent with an additional pole for the rear and all stakes comes in at like 19oz. Unfortunate they dont make the solplex anymore. I wouldnt pick up the plexamid personally. Seems there are continued issues with the struts snapping

[@erinanderson1018]

Hey Chris, any advice on setting up guylines for the two? I took mine out this weekend and needed a bit of inspiration to figure it out. Thanks!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I actually never even set the guylines up on mine. If I did though I would probably pick up a few additional line loc 3s and tie them on to the guy out points. Could also have some fun with knots but meh those arent much fun to me haha

[@innadikoun6737]

i made up my mind. Can you please advice what poles are the best ? Foldable in 3 and as long as possible? Also, how many 'seasons' is this tent?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

any trekking pole should work as long as it can be set around 52 inches in height. I would say this is a best for 3 season tent. Could you use it in calm winter weather? Probably. But I wouldnt use it in heavy snow

[@petersherman2552]

Suspiciously similar to a duplex. I'll bet the awkward side zippers are all about making it different enough, so they hope

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

They are a pretty similar design. There are some key differences I listed down in one of the comments. I would prefer a rainbow door personally but I gotta admit the zippers on this tent are wonderful. Thanks for watching!

[@icejunki]

For a lot of people the price tag and weight will be a big reason to choose this in place of a cuban fiber tent.

[@bretthikez6567]

Looks similar to the DUPLEX i have..the velcro on the door is pretty cool..is the bathtub floor as good as the z packs tents?it looks a little low?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+brett hikez its a pretty similar design as the duplex. I think the floor was so low because I used the connectors on the floor to set it up. The pics of the tent online show the floor much higher up. I'm wondering if I took them out if it would've gave it more floor height. I still have the tent may check it out to make sure!

[@bretthikez6567]

Ive never seen one on trail yet but, im gonna keep my eye out this winter and next season...GG makes good stuff .i love my kumo bag..gear reviews are one of my favorite videos ,good one dude.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Thanks Brett! I heard rumors I think on reddit ultralight about a possible redesign of the Kumo which is why its been listed as sold out on their website for a while. Will be interested to see!

[@bretthikez6567]

I saw one on a couple of insta stories and another you tubers page..its a great pack so thats cool they made it better..

[@Wondering_Fireball]

What is the bath tube floor hight?

[@m14708]

Hey Chris congrats on your thru hike... i met you when you were going thru Pine Grove st park in Pa.. just wondered how you liked your Altra shoes.... and how did they hold up thru the hike.. Ps lovin the videos with Big Mama....

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+m14708 I remember that! altras worked incredibly for me. Arguably saved my hike. I believe we talk about footwear in one of the last q&a videos I will be posting. There's probably going to be about 10 total! Thanks for watching!

[@cwoods1132]

Gossamer 'G'-door... You can have that Gossamer ;)

[@toadflax636]

How much does the Gossamer 2 weigh?

[@timbrown177]

Great video Chris am hoping to through hike 2019 now got me thinking about shelters my first choice was duplex kinda pricey , now I see Gossamer gear tent looks nice plus 200 dollars cheaper . Thanks again for your review am definitely getting arc haul backpack looks like it worked great for and many others can't wait for other video's bud ( dynamic duo) HYOH

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Loved my Arc Haul for the Thru. Performed flawlessly for me. Having your load sit comfortable on your back is such a crucial step. Hope it works out for ya!

[@huycao9788]

I love the design of this tent. However, I'm a little worried about the durability of the material. The roof is 7d which is fine. The floor is 10d though. I'm not an material expert at all but that seems kinda thin. Time will tell.

[@billtidey]

I used last years model of The One on my AT thru hike this year. The floor held up great. I didn't use any kind of ground sheet the entire trip. The bug mesh is a little thin and I did get a few small holes in it, but, I think that can happen to just about any tent taking 100+ days of abuse.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Ya I could certainly see the concern. For what its worth I had people tell me having a cuben tent was stupid and that it was going to be destroyed during my thru. Thing is still in near perfect condition and I did not take care of it. I feel like tents in general are much more durable than we give credit. As long as your fairly mindful on placement I think this tent would do just as well. Seems Bill also thinks similar!

[@wiadv]

Awesome tent but that price was like a kick to the face. Granted I am not a distance ultralight hiker and still sporting my Half Dome Plus from 2002.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Steve A I feel you steve. The ultralight stuff certainly isn't very cheap. It's a definite trade off. The extra weight savings for the extra money / maybe slightly less durability in the long run. For me it's worth it as I end up carrying a lot of weight in camera gear. Each person will definitely have to break down if it's worth it to them! Thanks for watching!

[@scottiebumich]

Can this set up with 115cm poles? Also, is the tent packable--the stuff sack looked enormous.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Don’t think so. Says on their site 125cm poles. You maybe able to finagle it tho just don’t know how taut the pitch would be. Tent can definitely be compressed more. The stuff sack is oversized to make it easier to get the tent back in

[@dabaird12]

I like this tent but alright have zpacks duplex, but I would own one of them if not already have a great tent👍

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Duplex is solid gear. Feel like the tents are pretty similar besides material choices / price points. I have been debating on staying with this or rebuying the duplex I made a video of and ended up returning for the Solplex. Too many choices!

[@oldunion]

A little graphite on the zippers helps them along.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+tnprime these ones weren't too bad. The ones on my solplex are a little ahhh sticky. They are also very Tiny tho. Coat em in some pencil!

[@vinnyvox7173]

Is the tent green? Or Grey ? Alll the ones I’ve seen for sale are grey

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

It is green, I think its just the color the camera is putting out this day is off. If you look up my "owls head" hike video I use the tent in that video and show it a bit more

[@MTBIKEXC]

That looks like a great design! Are there any vents at the top?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Brad Herder no vents at the top. Should be able to leave a door or two open in even light rain tho which should help with ventilation!

[@MTBIKEXC]

Yeh - I just wrote to them, asked them to make a "The Three"... we hike with our dog so it would be nice to have a 3 person version. Really really like this a lot though. We have an MSR Carbon Reflex 3 which I believe weighs 4 lbs 9 oz. due partially to the 3 poles, full netting and separate fly. I like it all in one piece. I bet they could make a 3 lb version of their tent for 3 people. That'd save a pound and a half. Hope they'll do it now that I asked. :-)

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

That would be pretty excellent! I am sure they have the ability!

[@lastadolkgGM]

Whats the material? Dyneema composite or silnylon? Looks like a simple and effective design :D can fit many cheeto bags inside :o

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

This is SilNylon I believe with a poly coating for waterproofing. Could fit a plethora of Cheetos in this bad boy!

[@nathanaelkolb4024]

thumbs up!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Cheers sir!

[@kepdog2]

Dude. I just turned on alerts for your channel. I've seen some of your videos, but for some reason, you kicked extra ass on this one.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Hah thanks man! Appreciate you tuning in!

[@kepdog2]

Have you tried any other trekking pole tents? I currently have the Big Agnes Scout Plus UL2. It's nowhere near a 2 person tent and is a pain to get into to. This tent you demo'd looks a lot like the Z-Packs one, but way cheaper. Anyhow, curious if you have any other trekking pole tents you researched and liked/disliked?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I've used and have videos on both the zpacks solplex and duplex. They are great tents albeit pricey. The two is a nice middle ground. Tarptent makes some good looking stuff too. They just announced today they will be making a cube man version of one of their more popular tents too. If you want extra room for two actual people I would look into 3 person models. Most 2 person tents I've used work for two but it's definitely a tight fit!

[@Truth-Seeker75]

Would love to know how tall you are...

[@consumedesign]

Mail it back? Huh. That's odd I would assume they would want to to use it for a good year or two.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+consumedesign hmm maybe they do. When I initially reached out I mentioned wanting to just make a setup / initial impressions video on it but they said no time table when to get it back. I emailed them tho. Will see what happens. Wouldn't mind putting it through its paces on some camping trips!

[@kevinwilson7575]

checking in... what did you end up doing with the tent? More testing, send it back, keep it?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I do still have the tent. Have only used it a handful of nights tho. They offered it to me at a fairly large discount if I wanted to hang on to it. So I picked it up at that discounted price. In all honesty for the areas o camp in its fairly challenging finding a spot big enough to set it up properly which is why it has seen such limited use. Has been solid on the nights used tho!

[@kevinwilson7575]

thanks for the quick response on an older video :-) Think you may do an opinion comparison of The Two and the Duplex since you have actually taken it out a few times? Still almost no vids of The Two out there and I really appreciate this one. I like many of the features of the The Two but the weight of the Duplex is hard to beat.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Very true. I had the duplex for a while and sold it. I should've done a comparison when I had both. I've mentioned in one of the comments the biggest differences I noticed. But the duplex is such a great combo of size weight durability and ease of setup. It's definitely one of those tents that most other tents get compared to for good reason. Will see if I can muster up a duplex at some point for a full on comparison!

[@AdamsGarageLife]

Nice video! How tall are you so I can get an idea if my frame can fit in there as comfortably as you?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

im 6ft tall adam. I believe most taller folks will have no problems fitting in this tent. Gossamer Gear kind of prides these tents on being good for tall people. I think the owner is something like 6'5 or something and made them accordingly.

[@michael7324]

I'd take this over the ZPack tent any day. #1 the price. #2 that annoying cuben material sound.

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

I feel you on the price but for what it's worth anyways cuben does get much much more quiet with extended use. Either way this is a pretty solid option. Thanks for watching!

[@zmduff]

The GG website says the total weight is 29 oz, but doesn't say if that includes the stakes or not. What would you estimate the weight is including tarp, bathtub/bug-net, lines and stakes? Lighter or heavier than the ZPacks Duplex? Thanks!

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

On my scale the gossamer gear two weighs in at 30oz on the dot (full tent, lines, and stuff sack) stakes in my case would be about another 2.5-3oz more. So it weighs in more than the duplex by about 8-9 oz (without stakes)

[@austindory7788]

Looks like it's been a while since your last post and just wondering if you've come to any further conclusions as to a preference between the GG2 and Duplex for long distance hiking. Been considering the Duplex for a while but the new GG2 reminds me of an intriguing DIY tent I came across while deliberating the purchase of a Duplex kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6rbkomjjJKEZ6s I'm also a follower of Homemadewanderlust and Dixie indicated that her Duplex now has lots of "pin holes" after finishing the PCT, probably from not using the stuff sack and just forcing it down in to the bottom of her pack (she guesses). So it appears that cuben "cracks" and gets thinner over time depending on hard use. For hard use I've personally been quite pleased with my ULA Circuit back pack which is silnylon. Man is that thing lightweight/tough, so I'm also sorely tempted to stay with silnylon for a tent or move up to the thicker versions of cuben if that would be the more durable route. So, setting aside the price issue for the moment and setting durability as priority 1 and weight as priority 2 what's your best guess as to a tent that could survive high mountain top winds, hale stones and other sundry torture testing? : )

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

Hey, sorry this comment went to spam because of the link in the message. I plan to use the two this summer. I picked it up right when I got back from the AT but did not use it on any trips since. I used the solplex on the AT and it did develop some pin holes in the cuben. They are very easily repairable with cuben repair tape. I was unsure how they developed but someone commented on my review of the tent that it was more than likely embers from a camp fire landing on the tent and that actually makes a lot of sense to me. I dont think it was actually an issue with the material used. I think the Two would do you well. But for really high winds you may want to consider a mid. I know a lot of people rave about MLDs mids. They are available in silnylon and cuben. I would give them a look. Not sure how well anything will hold up to some serious hale haha.

[@jonathankuhn2180]

@@ChrisGoesOutdoors How has his tent worked out for you? Is the condensation an issue? How about the streams of water working their way up and into the tent? Thanks!

[@trailslippah]

Isn't it time to get off the ground and get a hammock?

[@ChrisGoesOutdoors]

+Hiking Herbivore haha you're I believe the 4th person between here and Instagram to say that! One day. One day I will check out these hammocks!