Ok, so I was playing around with this today. First…I wanted to mention that I have fully adopted Bigfoot’s duplex setup instructions ->

Basically…you stake 2 corners (on the same side), just like zpacks shows (stake 1, then stake the other corner fairly loosely), and then go to the opposite side apex with your trekking pole, pull tight (its easy to get it centered and pulling on both corners equally), and stake.

Then you setup the second trekking pole by pulling the ridgeline taut ->

Finally the two opposite corners…making sure the guylines are diagonally in line with the opposite side apex.

You’ll get a perfect pitch everytime…and never need to move a stake anymore, and I pull only about 1/2″ on linelocs.

Anyway…I tried overlapping the apexes…but…if you pull on the apex “on top” so you can make a taut ridgeline for that ‘plex, it will slip right off.

So I’m not sure exactly what is happening on zpack’s picture…maybe if you do hook the doors to the mid panel loops (where flex poles connect)….that is giving the “tension” needed when pulling the ridgeline taut for the ‘plex you are trying to connect?

Anyway….maybe I’ll email zpacks and ask..and play around with it more tomorrow.

For today…I just looped the toggles from one plex to the loops on the other ->

and pulled the guyline from one plex through the lineloc on the other ->

It does create a gap…but…the connection is fairly solid so you can pull both plexes tight to get a taut ridgeline.