ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6 ZF Tent (Very Reliable)

ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6 ZF Tent is freestanding, easy to use, with 2 doors and 2 windows, and very reliable with its durable floor and zippers. So keep reading.

Key features & benefits

What this is about

This Meramac series has been on the market for a number of years already. But the tents with the letters ZF in the name are a modified version, so you still have the previous Meramac 6 tent on the market together with this ZF version.

The letters ZF stand for a bigger zipper (hence the letter Z) and a much thicker and heavier floor (hence the letter F). Note that the manufacturer also uses the letter FG in the name and this simply means ‘fiberglass’, referring to the tent’s pole material.

In any case, this is a fully freestanding tent with a fly which is full length on the sides. There are no vestibules and you have an easy access to the tent. But this also means that there are no storage areas.

The shape is a very typical dome-type with two poles shown below that support the tent, and this is a simple square space with 2 doors on the opposite sides and each of them with a window. The peak height is 72 inches (183 cm) so it is tall, but as you can imagine the volume in such a dome structure is not particularly large.

The poles

The poles are shock-corded fiberglass with short aluminum ferrules visible in the picture above, which serve as connectors between the fiberglass segments. The poles are 11 mm thick so this is a strong construction. There are 3 poles, two create the dome and one short ridge pole that supports the fly above the two doors and it creates small awning above the doors. They come in their stuff sack shown in the picture below.

The fabric

The fabric is very strong here. So the fly is 75D 185T polyester and as they claim it is UV-resistant. It is with 1500 mm waterproof rating. The floor is extremely thick 210D 110T nylon Oxford with 1500 mm multi-pass urethane coating; now you realize the meaning of the mentioned letter F in the name. All seams are factory-sealed.

They use extra-large #10 zippers on the doors; this makes it different from ‘ordinary’ Meramac tents where you have #8 zippers. There is not much more except for mesh storage pockets inside, and a gear loft (shown below) which is included to keep your gear organized.

Who is it for

Capacity-wise: The declared capacity is 6 people, and the floor plan below shows what the manufacturer suggests for using the space. So the area is 100 ft² (9.3 m²) and this gives 16.7 ft² (1.5 m²) per person. This is not much but it is indeed possible to put 6 pads on the floor as they suggest. For a family camping, I would say this is a tent for parents with one kind maximum.

Weight-wise, this tent is not particularly lightweight with its 16 lb 14 oz (7.65 kg), but you will see from the comparison table below that such a weight is quite typical.

The packed size is (L x D) 26 x 8.5 inches (66 x 22 cm), so this is a tent for places with a motorized access. If you need something to carry on the trail, check our list with best 6-person backpacking tents.

Seasons-wise & climate-wise, this is a 3-season tent. The picture above without the fly shows that the inner tent is not completely mesh, but there are enough mesh sections for ventilation. The two doors on the opposite side will create enough cross-airflow.

There are no vents on the fly, but this is not a big issue with such small awnings. You can always keep the windows with mesh only, and there are mesh sections close to the floor. This will create vertical airflow as well.

But this is not a tent for a cooler climate. If this is what you need, either check dome tents with the full-coverage fly, or check our separate list with tents for cold weather camping.

Specifications

• Weight: 16 lb 14 oz (7.65 kg).
• Dimensions: 10 x 10 ft (305 x 305 cm).
• Area: 100 ft² (9.3 m²).
• Area per person: 16.7 ft² (1.5 m²).
• Peak height: 72 in (183 cm).
• Packed size (L x D): 26 x 8.5 in (66 x 22 cm).

ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6 ZF Tent vs Core Dome 6 & Big Agnes Titan 6

This tent has a structure somewhat similar to the Core Dome 6 and Big Agnes Titan 6 tents, so I thought it would be useful to see them compared side by side. The Big Agnes tent is with aluminum poles and this is a lighted tent as well.

The Meramac 6 offers more space, and this is why it is a bit heavier than the other two tents. The packed size is similar. There are big differences in prices, you will realize this if you follow the links.

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

There are reports by customers on Amazon and the tent has scored a very high rating. This is not surprising for such a good tent. See my own rating below, I use my set of criteria and apply them consistently to all the tents here in the site for an easy comparison:

ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 6 ZF

8.5

Area per person

7.8/10

Weight

8.5/10

Packed size

7.8/10

Protection

9.0/10

Ease of use

9.4/10

Features

8.5/10

Pros

• Very easy setup.
• Tall for a dome tent.
• Very durable floor.
• Windows on the doors.

Cons

• Fiberglass poles.
• Small area for the declared capacity.

Check at Amazon

Check at Campmor

If you need a smaller tent, you should know that they have the Meramac 5 from the same ZF series, with similar features. You might want to compare this tent also with this NTK Cherokee GT 5/6 Person Tent built in the same style. See also the NTK Indy GT XL 5/6 Person Tent with a full-coverage fly and floored porch.

Note that this is not a sponsored text and I am not paid by the brand. What do you think about this tent? Please share your thoughts, there is a comment box below. I wish you a nice day.