Free Zip 3P Freestanding Tent
Meet your new go-anywhere, do-anything shelter, the Free Zip 3P! Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, the 3P fits three standard width sleeping pads, or two wide pads with wiggle room. On calm, starry nights, pitch it with zero stakes and guy-lines. When the weather's ready to rumble, anchor it down with up to 10 stakes and laugh in the face of storms.
The Free Zip 3P’s freestanding design means you can set up shop just about anywhere. Pitch on beach sand, snow, granite, tent platforms, or those hard-packed sites that make other tents cry. Whether you're ultralight backpacking, bikepacking, or packing for a canoe or kayak adventure, this tent's got your back.
Our double X frame design is a breeze to pitch and stands strong against high winds. The tough-as-nails Easton Carbon 6.3 poles fold down to just 12 inches, so they’ll fit snugly in small backpacks and bike panniers.
Crafted from Dyneema® Composite Fabric, the Free Zip 3P gives you all the ultralight benefits with the versatility of a traditional freestanding tent. It’s the ultimate combo of simplicity and versatility for any backpacking trip.
Want extra protection? Grab an optional flat groundsheet and you're all set!
The Free Zip 3P is a dedicated freestanding tent which pitches with four included tent poles that are used to create an unique "double X" design. It can be pitched on difficult surfaces like bedrock, compacted dirt, sand, snow or other places that staking is inconvenient.
- The domed shape creates steep angles at the head and foot of the tent, resulting in a ton of of useable space. It is a palace for two hikers with gear, or comfortable for three hikers with standard width pads. Even the tallest hikers will have enough head and foot clearance to avoid brushing the steep walls.
The included Easton Carbon 6.3 tent poles are made with proven technology and are the cutting edge of strength and weight. These poles are thicker and stronger than the Easton Carbon 3.9 poles used on our Duplex Flex shelter. Best of all, the poles fold down to a scant 12" (30.5 cm) allowing them to easily pack with the tent horizontally in small backpacks and bike paniers.
The Free Zip 3P is our best 3 person tent in demanding, high wind situations. The Easton Carbon poles can handle a gale with minimal deflection. The tent body comes down nearly to the ground at the ends to help block cold wind. It pitches with a lower profile and a smaller footprint compared to our non-freestanding tents.
The tent can be picked up and moved around after inserting the poles to find the perfect root-free spot.
The tent can be pitched with zero stakes and zero guy lines on lazy nights in calm weather. The storm doors can be draped loose to block light rain and add privacy without stakes, or stake them out to brace them against the wind. In typical conditions you will likely want to use six stakes to anchor the corners and storm doors.
In high wind, alpine weather four additional included guylines can be looped on to the tie outs located near the middle of each door. A fully staked out set up, utilizing all available attachment points, would require 10 stakes.
Symmetrical design allows three adults to lay next to each other in either direction, creating a superior sleeping experience. Two hikers can sit up side by side facing out either door.
The four storm doors can be left open on nice weather nights for a breeze and great views, and the overhanging canopy prevents light rain or wet trees from dripping into your living space with the doors open. Close the upwind doors to block cold wind, or close all four for 360° rain protection.
Both sides of the tent feature a peak vent to increase air flow and deter condensation when the doors are closed. The peak vents also provide air flow in the event that the perimeter is buried in snow.
Each screen door has a rainbow zipper which allows easy entry regardless of which storm doors are closed, and they give you access to every vestibule area. Each screen door conveniently drops inwards rather than hanging in your way. No need to roll it up or secure it.
All zippers on the tent have been designed to allow the sliders to easily be replaced in the field. Two replacement sliders are included with the tent. Zipper slider replacement instructions can be found here.
This tent has a solid, sewn in 5 inch (12.5 cm) tall bathtub floor. The bathtub floor is a rectangle 60 inches wide by 86 inches long (152 cm x 2.18 m). The floor width will fit three adults side by side on standard width sleeping pads, or the tent is excellent for two hikers to spread out with gear.
Mesh pockets are conveniently located near each screen door so that they can be accessed from inside or outside the tent. They are a good place to store your cell phone, glasses, headlamp, the tent stuff sack, and spare seam tape (included). The pocket is about 8" x 6" (20 cm x 15 cm).
A separate groundsheet is NOT required for this shelter. The floor material is reasonably durable, and all Dyneema® Composite Fabric gear can be easily patched in the field with repair tape. If you do prefer to use a groundsheet as a precaution, Flat Groundsheets are available.
There is screen between the bathtub floor and the walls at the ends of the tarp. The edges of the floor are elevated ensuring the screen slopes downwards away from the bathtub. Any condensation, which single wall shelters may experience, will run down the walls and out through the downward sloping screen, rather than onto the floor. Click here for tips to avoid condensation.
The tent packs down small, around 7” x 12” (18 cm x 30 cm) including the tent poles. It ships in a loose 8” x 13” (20 cm x 33 cm) stuff sack. The poles have their own stuff sack to protect the tent fabric when packed together.
- Dyneema Composite Fabric is naturally waterproof and is not treated with any potentially harmful chemicals such as flame retardants or water repellents. Our shelters are all PFC/PFAs free.
All Zpacks gear has a two year limited warranty against defects in materials or workmanship. Please see our return / warranty policy.
Made in the USA.
Weight:
The total weight displayed near the 'add to cart' button shows the weight of the tent including sewn in linelocs, taped seams, as well as the included:
- Tent Poles - 15.7 oz (446 g)
- Tent Pole Sack - .21 oz (6 g)
The following items are also shipped with this tent:
- Big DCF Stuff Sack - .35 oz (10 g)
- 4x Optional 48" 1.3mm Z-Line Guylines - .22 oz (6.5 g)
- 54" DCF repair tape strip - .14 oz (4 g)
- Two spare zipper sliders - .16 oz (4.5 g)
- Total additional items: .87 oz (25 g)
Up to 10 stakes can be used but are not included. We have a variety of ultralight stakes to choose from.
Exterior Dimensions:
Peak height: 43" (109 cm)
Ridgeline width: 64" (163 cm)
Width including vestibules: 85" (216 cm)
Vestibule space: 13" (33 cm) depth on each side
Length: 92" (234 cm)
Interior Dimensions:
Peak height: 43" (109 cm)
Floor width: 60" (152 cm)
Floor length: 86" (2.18 meters)
Zipper entry height: 36" (91 cm)
Tent Poles:
Tip to Tip Pole Length: 4x 96" (244 cm)
Folded poles size: 3.5" x 12" (9 cm x 30.5")
Packed Size:
Rolled Tight - Including tent and poles together: 6" diameter by 12" tall (15.25 cm x 30.5 cm), 339 cubic inches (5.6L).
Stuff Sack Size: 8" diameter by 13" tall (20 cm x 33 cm) Big.
Tents will be about an inch (2.5 cm) larger in diameter and length when rolled casually. The included stuff sack is intentionally large so that you don't have to fight with your tent in the morning. Roll it casually and let it squish flat in your backpack.
- Our tents are made from Dyneema® Composite Fabric. Dyneema® Composite Fabric has several advantages over other materials:
High strength to weight ratio – the material can handle high wind force and does not tear easily.
Chemical free, PFC free
Waterproof – there is no DWR or coating to worry about wearing out. The material will not absorb significant water that will add water weight to your pack
Stretch-free – the tent will stay taut all night. Nylon material by comparison can stretch and sag, especially if it gets wet.
Taped seams – our seams are sewn for strength then taped water tight. The tie outs have bonded reinforcements for high strength. No seam sealing will be necessary!
Easily repairable – Any damage can easily be fixed in the field with our Dyneema® Composite Fabric Repair Tape.
- This tent is semi-transparent. In bright sunlight, a fuzzy silhouette of a person sitting inside the tent would be visible, but you cannot see any details. It has a suitable amount of privacy for changing clothes.
In lower light (such as in the evening or at night), you cannot see through at all. We also have thicker, darker material available as an upgrade that you can choose. Another nice thing about this material is that you can see the outlines of trees and your surroundings for a more immersed outdoor experience. - This tent has fully enclosed .67 oz/sqyd (22.7 g/m²) insect screen. The holes in this screen are super tiny, so even the smallest insects cannot get through. Our tent screen is about 30% lighter than comparable Noseeum screen with no noticeable decrease in durability.
- The bathtub floor is made from 1.0 oz/sqyd Dyneema® Composite Fabric. This material weight is more than twice as thick as the canopy material and is more resistant to abrasion and punctures. It is also easy to patch with tape.
- Lineloc V adjusters are sewn to all tie outs. Bright yellow 2.0mm Dyneema® Z-Line cord is cut and attached for you. The yellow lines are very easy to see night or day, and Dyneema® has very low stretch.
- 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.
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Made with Bio-Based Dyneema® Fiber Reduce your carbon footprint with bio-based Dyneema® fiber technology. Sourced from renewable, bio-based feedstock, it is the first ever bio-based ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (HMPE) fiber. Commit to sustainability and help reduce our reliance on fossil fuel resources and rely on the trusted performance of the world’s strongest fiber™. Click here to learn more about Bio-Based Dyneema® Fiber. Made in the USA. |
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.55 oz/sqyd Standard Dyneema® Composite Fabric Available in Blue, Olive Drab, and White The default canopy material choice on this tent is .55 oz/sqyd Dyneema® Composite Fabric. It has high tensile strength and can handle strong winds, storms, and all the typical conditions a tent will be in. All Dyneema® Composite Fabric material can easily be repaired in the field with the included repair tape if it were to get a puncture. The material is semi-transparent, allowing you to see the silhouette of trees when looking out. In bright sunlight, you can see the fuzzy silhouette of a person when looking in, but it is opaque in low evening light. Tensile Strength: 63 lb/in (552 N/5cm)Puncture Strength: 1.8 lb (8 N) Water Resistance: 15,000 mmH₂O Made in the USA. |
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.75 oz/sqyd Dyneema® Composite Fabric Available in Burnt Orange, Dirt, and Spruce Green This canopy material has a higher Dyneema® thread count which gives it a higher tear strength. The standard material is already difficult to tear, so this weight is unnecessary. Many thru-hikers like this feature for added peace of mind. It is also a bit thicker and darker than the standard weight. It is less transparent and offers more privacy. Tensile Strength: 104 lb/in (911 N/5cm) Puncture Strength: 3.1 lb (14 N) Water Resistance: 20,000 mmH₂O Made in the USA. |
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.67 oz/sqyd Ultralight Nano-Noseeum Insect Netting Regular "No-see-um" bug netting weighs about 1 oz/sqyd. This ultralight version weighs roughly a third less without a noticeable difference in performance. It has extremely small holes which block even the smallest of insects including mosquitoes, noseeums, etc. Nothing gets through this screen. |
Free Zip 3P Instructions
Click here for a printable version.
Cutting Guylines:
Door guylines are pre-cut to 18" (46 cm) and attached to the sewn in adjustable linelocs for you. Four optional 48" (122 cm) guylines are also provide for use in intense weather.
Setup Instructions:
Insert the the tips of the tent poles into the rings at the corners and peaks of the tent. The center part of the poles will create an "X" shape on each side of the tent. Make sure that the tips at the peaks of the tent are criss-crossed. Crossing the tips at the peak helps keep the tent splayed open.
On each side, clip the 4 exterior wall clips to the tent poles to create a rectangular shape.
On both sides, take the two hooks in the middle of the tent wall and clip them to the outer most pole where the two poles come together to form an "X." The clips should be run on either side of lower pole, helping to stabilize the lower pole.
- If conditions warrant it, stake out the storm doors, the side walls, and the corners. In strong wind use all ten stakes for the best stability.
Storm Doors:
Any of the four doors can be clipped down, or rolled up independently. The storm doors can be clipped down to the front center guylines, or rolled up depending on the weather. Leave at least one down-wind door open for air flow unless the weather is very bad.
Seam Sealing:
All Zpacks shelters have taped seams and bonded tie outs! No seam sealing necessary.
Click here for full instructions on how to wash our Dyneema® Composite Fabric tents and tarps.
