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We're working out what we think - we'll add our view here!
Durston says:
The X-Mid 1 Solid is a variant of the X-Mid 1 oriented more towards use in colder conditions including winter use and trekking in windswept areas like Northern Europe and Patagonia, while still being an excellent all around backpacking tent. Like the regular X-Mid 1, its shape is developed from the first principles of geometry to create the ideal balance of weight, simplicity, and weather protection. With a weight of just 31 oz (890 g) while being stormworthy, user friendly, and spacious, it won numerous awards for best tent including from The Trek, Outdoor Gear Lab, and Section Hiker.
STORMWORTHY
Many ultralight tents are designed for fair weather conditions and thus make major concessions in stormworthiness in pursuit of weight savings. That includes questionably thin fabrics, weak pole structures, thin coatings that are barely waterproof, and trimming away vents, guyout points, and even areas of the fly.
With the X-Mid the focus is on creating a tent that is ultralight while still thriving in tough conditions. To create a tent that is both light and capable, we focus on saving weight through efficient design with our X-Mid geometry that makes more efficient use of fabrics and structural elements.
The result is a tent that protects with its fly first pitch, full doublewall design, non-sag poly fabric, robust coatings, large adjustable vents, factory waterproofed seams, full-coverage fly (blocks rain splatter and drafts), stormworthy shape, tough #5 zippers, and protected entryways. No other tent can claim that list.
USER FRIENDLY
Simplicity and user friendliness are a major focus for the X-Mid because when a storm rolls in the last thing you want is a tent that is a hassle to use. The X-Mid improves your experience with a design that is rooted in simplicity and refined through extensive backcountry use and obsessive attention to detail.
The ease of use starts with the X-Mid's ultra simple 4 stake pitch that has no mandatory guylines, no odd angles to estimate, and no need to measure anything. With a bit of practice, it can be pitched in under a minute with just 4 required stakes and 2 poles that are extended without measuring.
Once pitched, the ease of use continues with large doorways that aren’t blocked by poles, vestibules that are large and put the main area beside the door instead of blocking it, magnetic door toggles that are quick to operate, intuitive pockets, and one handed operating zippers with dual sliders on the fly doors.
SPACIOUS
The X-Mid geometry is the most space efficient use of two poles possible. It does this using a diagonal ridgeline and opposite diagonal floor so the two poles can be positioned further apart for increased headroom and volume.
The result is a nicely sized 1P tent with ample headroom throughout the length of the tent so you can sit up anywhere and easily move from laying down to sitting up without hitting the walls.
We recommend the X-Mid 1 Solid for hikers up to 6'4" (193 cm) thanks to the generous 93" (2.36 m) length combined with steep end walls that increases the useable length. The floor width is a comfortable 33" (84 cm) that fits all pads with room to spare, while the dual vestibules are generously sized and will easily fit the largest pack beside the doorway.
QUALITY
Our focus on creating a highly functional and stormworthy tent means we also focus on quality. It's imperative that you can trust the build of your tent when you're headed into uncertain conditions.
To achieve this, the X-Mid 1 Solid is crafted the most experienced tent factory in the world who have built nothing but tents for over 60 years. There our tents are assembled using premium components, double stitching, double folded edges, and generous bartacking.
We’re not aware of any other trekking pole tent that uses double stitching to the extent that we do. While this premium quality gives the X-Mid a higher cost of production than comparable tents, we price it affordably because we sell it to you directly with only a modest markup.
PATENTED GEOMETRY
The X-Mid shape has been developed from the first principles of geometry to be as weight efficient, simple, and functional as possible.
The X-Mid manages to avoid all the common pitfalls of trekking pole shelters such as a complicated pitch, mandatory guylines, poles blocking the doorways, and a lack of interior volume.
As an incredibly stormworthy, spacious, and user friendly shelter, the X-Mid 1 Solid is the ideal lightweight tent for everything from walks in the UK's Hill District to a crossing of Sweden’s wind-swept Sarek National Park.
Our Verdict
We're working out what we think about Durston's X-Mid 1 Solid Tent, we'll add our comments here in due course.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Optimal Geometry - Patented X-Mid geometry with offset poles provides excellent stormworthiness and ease of pitching for less weight than any other geometry..
- Spacious - The diagonal (offset pole) ridgeline increases headroom and interior volume over other dual pole shelters.
- Non Sag Fabric - The X-Mid has been a pioneer of lightweight polyester fabric because it doesn't absorb water and sag like nylon, so the shelter retains its structural integrity in wet conditions. Our passionate advocacy for polyester was initially met with resistance from many established companies using nylon, but has since led to polyester becoming widely recognized as a better material and with many competitors now following our lead.
- Stormworthy Shape - The X-Mid shape is an ideal all around shape for stormworthiness (balancing wind and snow shedding). It does this via consistently moderate panel slopes where all the panels are an ideal 50 - 55 degrees, while most tents contain an inconsistent mix of shallower panels (worse for snow shedding) and steeper panels (worse for wind performance).
- Full Coverage Fly - The fly extends low to the ground to block drafts and rain splatter, but can also be raised higher for increased ventilation.
- Doublewall - Full doublewall design with separate fly and inner components avoids potential contact with fly condensation and allows for modular use, including pitching the inner only in fair weather and using the fly as a tarp shelter for 1 or 2 occupants (ideal for ski touring).
- Dual Vestibules - Dual vestibules are large, tall and put the main area beside the door instead of blocking it. A backpack fits easily in the main area.
- Dual Doorways - Dual doorways are large, not blocked by trekking poles, allow for cross ventilation, and have a protected design so the inner stays dry when the doors are open.
- Dual Vents - Dual adjustable peak vents minimize condensation yet can close during harsh conditions.
- Optional Guyouts - Optional peak and side panel guyouts plus eight additional stake points around the base allow the shelter to be solidly reinforced for harsh conditions.
- Protected Setup - A protected setup pitches fly first to keep the floor and inner tent dry during setup in the rain. The inner tent can be added later or kept clipped inside the fly.
- Simple Pitch - Ultra-simple pitch with just four stakes. The inner tent can be added separately or left clipped inside for a quicker setup.
- Small Packed Size - With light fabrics and no tent poles or struts, the X-Mid packs very small and into any shape. We supply a stuff sack that makes the tent short enough to store horizontally in any pack.
- Magnetic Door Toggles - Magnetic toggles allow the fly and interior doors to be closed easily with one hand.
- Dual Pockets - Dual interior peak pockets allow for storage and provide a convenient way to suspend a light for reading in the tent.
- Collapsible Vestibules - Vestibules can be collapsed to fit the tent into small sites.
- Fully Waterproofed Seams - Unlike many trekking pole shelters, our seams are factory waterproofed so user seam sealing is not required. We use a mix of seam taping and proprietary waterproof seam technology.
Specifications
- Flysheet + Inner weighs: 873g
- Total weight: 873g(excludes pegs & bags)
Durston Specs
- Fly: 18.7 oz / 530 g
- Inner Tent: 12.7 oz / 360 g
- Complete Tent: 31.4 oz / 890 g
- Stuff Sack: 0.4 oz / 12 g
- Stakes (Included) 8 DAC J Stakes: (4 x 6" @ 7 g; 4 x 8" @ 16 g)
Dimensions
- Floor Length: 93" / 2.36 m
- Floor Width: 33" / 84 cm
- Floor Area: 21.3 sq ft / 2.0 sq m
- Peak Height: 47" / 119 cm
- Fly Footprint: 65 x 100" / 165 x 254 cm
- Vestibule Area: 10.2 sq ft x 2 / 1.0 sq m x 2
- Packed Size: 12 x 5" / 30 x 13 cm
Material & Construction
- Canopy Fabric: 20D Sil/PE Polyester 3500mm HH in Sage
- Floor Fabric: 20D Sil/PE Polyester 3500mm HH in Grey
- Inner Fabric: 15D Ripstop Nylon in White
- Fly Zippers: YKK #5 AquaGuard (water-resistant) with buckles
- Inner Zippers: YKK #3
