SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
The Gossamer Gear DCF One is a one-person, single-wall ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 15.3 oz and costs $539. It has an all-mesh front door and vestibule and requires two trekking poles to set up. While it has a Dyneema DCF rain fly, the floor is made with a 7 denier Sil/PU coated nylon, an innovative combination that makes it less bulky to pack, while still giving you the sag-free performance and superior waterproofing associated with DCF rain flies.
Gossamer Gear DCF One Tent
Comfort
Ease of Setup
Weather Resistance
Durabilty
Weight
Packed Size
Ultralight DCF Tent
The Gossamer Gear DCF One is an innovative one-person, single-wall, trekking pole tent that breaks the ultralight DCF tent paradigm by cleverly coupling a DCF rainfly with a nylon floor. The result is a tent that’s significantly less bulky which is important if you want to carry a lower volume ultralight backpack.
Specs at a Glance
- Weight: 15.3 oz (433g) – includes guylines
- Dimensions (bathtub floor) –
- Length – 81″
- Head Width – 31″
- Foot Width – 21″
- Height – 45″
- Minimum number of stakes required: 6
- Trekking poles required: 2 (regular carbon fiber poles also available for purchase)
- Packed Size: 14″ x 4.5″
- Materials:
- Rainfly: 0.51 oz/yd2 Dyneema DCF
- Bathtub floor: 7D sil/pu nylon ripstop
- Guylines: 1.8mm reflective nylon sheath 1 mm dyneema core
- Vestibule zippers: #3, waterproof
- Tensioners: lineloc 3 tensioners on all main tie-outs
- For complete specs, visit Gossamer Gear
Tent Design
The Gossamer Gear DCF One has a hybrid construction with a Dyneema DCF rainfly and 7d Sil/PU coated nylon waterproof floor instead of being made entirely of Dyneema DCF like the Zpacks Plexamid or the Tarptent Aeon Li. This has a number of benefits, not the least of which is reduced cost because only half of the tent is made with Dyneema DCF, which is quite an expensive material.
In addition to its light weight, people buy Dyneema DCF tents because they don’t sag when they get wet and because DCF is vastly more waterproof than tents made with conventional fabrics. However, the downside of all-DCF construction is that tents that are made exclusively with it are surprisingly bulky to pack. By combining the materials, DCF and Sil/PU coated nylon, the DCF Two rolls up comparatively small, making it much more manageable to carry in a low volume, ultralight backpack.
The DCF One has a single door and vestibule which is split down the middle with a waterproof zipper, allowing you to roll back one or both halves of the vestibule for ventilation. In a break with convention, the ridgeline guylines run inside the vestibule when it’s zipped shut, rather than over it, with one half of the vestibule clipped to the base of the guyline with a buckle that decouples it from the tension on the ridgeline.
The other half of the vestibule does not connect directly to the ridgeline but is held in place by the zipper connecting the two halves of the vestibule. If you just want to roll back half of the vestibule, you can only roll back the side corresponding to the left (head end) of the tent because it doesn’t have anything to hold it closed and staked out if the half with the buckle is rolled back. This isn’t the end of the world, but it’s important to know that the two halves of the vestibule behave differently, since it’s a key point of differentiation with the Zpacks Plexamid.
The waterproof vestibule zipper is a size #3 which is a potential source of concern because it’s so small. Mountain Laurel Designs and Seek Outside now use more robust #8 zippers on all their zippered shelters for increased reliability. I also raised this point in my Gossamer Gear DCF Two Review. It’s a concern because the vestibule panel without the zipper can’t be staked closed if the zipper becomes inoperable.
The DCF One requires 6 stakes to pitch, 4 in the corners and 2 for the ridgeline guylines. It also requires two trekking poles to set up, one for the front vestibule and one for the back of the tent. Both of these poles are angled out so you get more shoulder height width. The tips of your trekking poles insert into grommets along the sides of the bathtub floor while the handles fit into the tent’s two reinforced peaks. You might think that this makes the tent harder to pitch but it really doesn’t. It’s actually a piece of cake. This tent requires very little fiddling with guylines or adjustment to set up.
The back wall of the tent is a solid wall of DCF, except for a small mesh window near the peak that enhances cross ventilation. Behind that wall, on the exterior of the tent, there’s an inaccessible, but covered area where you can store extra gear. It’s too bad that it can’t be accessed through a hatch from inside the tent.
Interior Space/Livability
The DCF One has a tapered bathtub floor that’s wider across the shoulders (31″) than the feet (21″) and 81″ long. This is smaller than the non-DCF versions of the One from 2020 and 2021, something to be aware of if you’re trying to decide between the different versions.
- Comparison of dimensions (head width x foot width x length; weight)
- 2021 DCF One – 33″ x 21″ x 81″; 15.3 oz
- 2021 One – 33″ x 21 x 84″; 17.7 oz
- 2020 One – 36″ x 24″ x 88″; 19.9 oz
While the tops of my feet don’t touch the ceiling of the DCF One when I’m lying on a 4″ inflatable sleeping pad, the ceiling is just a few inches over my face and a little closer than I prefer. I’m 5′ 11″. If you’re a tall hiker looking for a long tent, I’d snatch up a 2020 One before they’re gone forever. I reviewed a 2016 model of “The One” in the past and the 88″ length made the tent a dream to use. The bathtub floor length of “The One” has been reduced in the 2021 models, presumably to shave weight.
The current version of the DCF One does not have panel tie-outs above the head and feet to help increase foot and head clearance (like the DCF Two), although this is planned in the next manufacturing run, according to Gossamer Gear. They recommend the current 81″ long DCF One for people who use an inflatable sleeping pad and are up to 6′ in height or who use a foam sleeping pad and are up to 6′ 1″ in height, which sounds about right based on my experience.
Height-wise, there’s plenty of room to sit up inside the DCF one, change your clothes, and hang out without contortions. Getting in and out of the D-shaped door is easy, although you’ll want to zip and unzip it with two hands because there’s so much give in the lightweight 7D floor material.
Internal ventilation is also good because the tent has a band of mesh that connects the head and foot ends of the floor to rainfly, in addition to the mesh window on the back wall and the all mesh front wall inside the vestibule. Internal condensation is caused by a temperature differential between the inside of a tent and the outside and this extra venting at the bottom of the fly is a great idea. While the extra ventilation can make the tent feel cooler, it helps reduce any temperature differential and evaporate any condensation on your gear that might occur.
The only livability issue with The One is the translucency of the DCF rainfly fabric. While it is opaque enough to block anyone from seeing clearly into the tent, the canopy lets a lot of light into the interior. This can be good or bad, depending on your to light sensitivity. If you like to wake up at first light and get an early start, the translucent fabric will be a win. But if moonlight lighting up the inside of your tent bothers you, you may be less thrilled. Just be aware that it’s a potential issue with this tent, and with most DCF shelters.
Durability and Maintenance
The DCF One is very well made with seam-taped seams and excellent sewing. But it is gossamer thin on purpose and you’ll want to treat it kindly and maintain it after each use. For instance, the 7 denier floor is very thin and I’d recommend using a lightweight footprint with this tent if you camp one on the packed-earth or rock dust tent sites commonly found on prepared tent sites. Gossamer Gear sells a plastic sheeting called polycryo for footprints that is super lightweight but extremely tough and I’d recommend getting a 1 or 2-pack if you buy a tent from them. You’ll quickly become a convert for life. The stuff is incredibly useful.
I’d also avoid putting too much tension on the #3 zipper on the vestibule door when staking out the ridgeline and recommend cleaning and lubricating periodically, and more frequently if you camp in sand. Gear Aid sells a great zipper lubricant stick for this purpose and it lasts forever. I’ve been using the same one for over 10 years and it’s still going strong.
Comparable One Person, DCF Ultralight Tents
| Make / Model | SW/DW | People | Vestibules | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gossamer Gear DCF One | SW | 1 | 1 | 15.3 oz |
| Gossamer Gear DCF Two | SW | 2 | 2 | 20.8 oz |
| Tarptent Aeon Li | SW | 1 | 1 | 15.8 oz |
| Tarptent Notch Li | DW | 1 | 2 | 21.5 oz |
| Zpacks Plex Solo | SW | 1 | 1 | 15.3 oz |
Recommendation
The Gossamer Gear DCF One is an innovative one-person, single-wall, trekking pole tent that breaks the ultralight DCF tent paradigm by cleverly coupling a DCF rainfly with a nylon floor. The result is a tent that’s significantly less bulky which is important if you want to carry a lower volume ultralight backpack. If the 81″ long bathtub floor sizing is appropriate for your height, I think that you’ll really enjoy using the DCF One. It’s much easier to set up and get a tight pitch than the Zpacks Plexamid and packs much more compactly than the Tarptent Aeon Li. But all of these tents have their pros and cons depending on your priorities and most people would be happy to own any of them.
Disclosure: Gossamer Gear loaned the author a tent for this review.
7D material is more than half the cost so I would assume the One should be a lot cheaper. How is it any cheaper than other DCF tents with DCF floors that you don’t need to add a footprint with adding another 3-oz? I think it was a mistake for GG to do it with that floor.
It packs way smaller than a DCF tent. I actually think it’s brilliant. All DCF tents are awkwardly bulky.
What you’re seeing in terms of pricing is the initial go-to-market price, which is the same as the Tarptent Aeon-Li and $10 less than the Zpacks Plexamid. That’s smart on their part. No need to compete on price initially. But because the DCF One costs less to make, Gossamer Gear has much more flexibility in terms of discounting than those other guys. GG can drop the price and offer many more sales on the DCF One than their counterparts as a result. They can also sell the tent through wholesale while Zpacks and Tarptent can’t because their raw material cost is too high. That matters internationally, especially in Japan where Gossamer Gear has a big following, and to a lesser extent in the UK and Europe.
So let’s see that price right now. Why not blow away the others with a $400-450 price tag? I recently snagged a Tarptent Protrail Li and couldn’t be happier with it. DCF floor, very roomy compared to my Plexamid amazing build (compared to the sloppy seamstresses at Zpacks), packs up tiny, sets up with 4 stakes and $500.
Because there’s no need to discount products when demand outstrips supply.
I have a ProTrail Li Too, but the DCF One packs to half its size.
Demand might be high out of the gate but I highly doubt it will sell out. It’s getting so so attention online, most people are turned off by the floor, having to use a footprint, sizing (smaller than the non DCF), etc… We’ll see, I can wait to pick one up used for under $300 a year from now.
“an innovative combination that reduces the price of the shelter” yet it isn’t reduced in price compared to other DCF shelters with DCF floors. Awesome idea at $400, cool idea at $400, meh at $500+. Too many other options out there.
The benefit of having that price-point is that they can adjust it down based on demand. If what you say is true, that people are rejecting the idea of a nylon floor, then they can just adjust the price down to increase demand. That’s the benefit of starting at a higher price point instead of a low one. They are trying to make a living after all. But if it makes you happy, I’ll remove that phrase and put it back in when they drop the price.
“They” is a bunch of rich kids who play with their phones all the time and never hike. I think the non-DCF version looks great and plan to buy that.
I don’t understand your whining The Heck. A product isn’t the price you want it to be. So what, move on. BTW, you’re way off base in your product demand assessment. There is a lot of positive buzz about this tent. The small packed size is a boon for UL hikers. Polycryo ground sheet should be used regardless of floor material as it has many uses like cowboy camping. The One of any vintage is rarely seen on used gear for sale. Compare that to the DCF Plexamid of which many used ones are for sale. Lastly, Phil gave you a free economics lesson to which you turned your nose. Perhaps you prefer gear companies be poorly run, offer low prices and then go out of business? There is quite a list of those, starting with GoLite.
I don’t find the Plexamid difficult to pitch. Here’s how you do it. Stake out the two rear corners. Insert the pole. Then stake out the front two corners and the rear. Doing it this way, I almost always get a good pitch first time around without any fiddling or readjusting.
Sounds like Bigfoot and Darwin’s version. I use it for my Pocket Tarp and Duplex.
Works great. Better than the factory’s recommendation.
I still prefer the more advanced shape of the double wall Tarptent Notch Li (gen. 2) that I have. It’d more wind-worthy, has 2 doors and vestibules and with the semi-solid inner tent it’s good for all but the most extreme winter weather. Not so with the single wall GG The One.
To my mind Tarptent is THE leader in DCF designs and now the leader in DCF build quality.
81″ length? Too short for a tent that mosts people would want to buy? … said a 6′ person.
For $539-Get the Duplex. I bought a new 2019 THE ONE and used it for only one night and hated it. I am only 5’8″ and 140 pounds and it was WAY TOO SMALL. Plus, the left side of the tent is solid causing claustrophobia. The Head and Foot mesh vents are where the bath tub floor SHOULD BE and rain will bounce right in wetting your head and feet. It is only a Little better than just a Tarp and floor. Sorry……But I have NEVER sold a tent until that one. I still have my 2010 Tarptent Moment SW-2019 Duplex-2019 SilPoly Lunar Solo – 2 tarps and 2 bivy’s and of course…A GREEN LANSHAN 2. Another GREAT review Philip .
Another excellent review, thanks.
Regarding the price, The Heck has a point but I doubt the cost of materials is a high percentage of the cost of production anyway. I’d like to know how much Dyneema costs per sq foot.
Extreme testing I know, but thru-hikers have had differing experiences concerning the fabric’s durability.
There seems to be no significant difference between microlite tents, I don’t think there’s anything about this tent that would make someone switch from a competitor’s; these companies have their diehard fans.
They’re all overpriced (IOW: more than I will pay).
What I want is a tent weighing 16oz, the internal size of a duplex, the durability of my Bibler I tent (still going strong after 29 years) all for $250-300 (which is what I paid in 1991!!).
Is that really too much too ask? HaHa!
Minor point: I think the photo showing the clearance at the foot would be better with you in the sleeping bag, you’re missing the expanded height of the bag. It may be only a 2-3 more inches, but on a fit this tight that’s significant. I doubt I could turn over without making contact. With the improved ventilation perhaps that’s not a problem.
“OK. OK, OK” as Joe Pesche would say, I admit to being a Tarptent fanboy (having owned 5 of them).
BUT, after re-reading/viewing this article I have to say GG’s “The One” DCF tent is about the best non-Tarptent DCF solo tent design I’ve seen and I’ve heard very good things about their quality.
This tent has a good sized vestibule and door “awning”, good interior space for a 5′ 11″ guy like me and certainly packs down small and light. The support pole does not get in the way of the door and the double pole ridgeline is nicely catenary for a taut pitch. And finally GG has installed a needed upper vent at the rear of the tent. With lower ventilation under the fly this gives a good air flow that is much needed in a single wall tent.
I thought my Notch Li was narrow but I see that so is “The One”. I’m in good company with the new GG “The One” owners. (“Misery loves company.” ;o)
As I’ve said about my Notch Li, “There’s just enough room inside to change your mind – but maybe not your clothes.”
I concede Tarptent fanboydom to you. I only have three, which speaks more to budget than wants.