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We're working out what we think - we'll add our view here!
Durston says:
The X-Mid 1 has been developed from the first principles of geometry to achieve the most weight efficient, simple to use, and stormworthy design for a trekking pole shelter. The result is a double wall tent that is incredibly user friendly, capable and spacious while weighing just 26 oz (745 g). As a result, it has become one of the most awarded tents in recent years including awards for best tent from The Trek, Outdoor Gear Lab, Section Hiker and numerous other respected outlets.
STORMWORTHY
Many ultralight tents are designed more as fair weather shelters and thus trade important protection for weight savings. This includes less waterproof coatings, cutting away areas of the fly to leave you more exposed, and omitting important features like peak vents and guy out points.
With the X-Mid, we focus on saving weight through efficient design such as minimizing seams, narrow high precision seam tape, and maximizing the volume:surface ratio, so we can create a tent that is both light and capable in tough conditions. The X-Mid excels in rough weather with its fly first pitch, full doublewall design, non-sag poly fabric, large adjustable vents, factory waterproofed seams, full-coverage fly (blocks rain splatter and drafts), stormworthy shape, and protected entryways that prevent rain falling inside. No other tent can claim that list.
USER FRIENDLY
Simplicity and user friendliness are a major focus for the X-Mid because the last thing you want in bad weather or at the end of a long day is a tent that is a hassle to use. We avoid complexity and improve the user experience with our focus on first principles design, combined with obsessive attention to detail and extensive real-world validation.
Unlike most trekking pole tents, the rectangle based X-Mid offers a simpler 4 stake pitch. There are no mandatory guylines, no struts that are harder to pack up and store, and no measuring pole heights or estimating odd angles. It goes up quickly with just 4 required stakes and 2 poles that can be extended without measuring.
Once pitched, the user friendliness continues with large doorways that aren’t blocked by poles, vestibules that put the main area beside the door instead of blocking it, magnetic door toggles, 4 intuitive pockets, and one hand operated zippers. Notably, the X-Mid uses polyester fabric for the fly which doesn't sag and absorb water like nylon so your pitch stays tight and the tent dries quickly. Polyester was controversial when we launched the X-Mid with it in 2018 but our passionate advocacy for it has since led to an industry wide shift.
SPACIOUS
The X-Mid geometry maximizes the space possible from two poles by using a diagonal ridgeline that positions the two poles further apart, while avoiding placing the poles near the edges that would detract from wind performance.
The result is a spacious 1P tent with best in class headroom. The two poles give headroom throughout the length of the tent so you can sit up anywhere in the tent and easily transition from laying down to sitting up without hitting the tent ceiling.
The floor is a generous 93" (2.36 m) length which is combined with steep end walls to provide suitable length for hikers up to 6'4" (193 cm), while the floor width is a comfortable 33" (84 cm) that accommodates the widest pads. Also generous are the dual vestibules, which are spacious, tall, and easily hold even large packs.
QUALITY
In addition to the highest performance design, the X-Mid boasts the highest quality.
The tent is crafted at arguably the best and most experienced tent factory in the world using premium fabrics, full double stitching, double folded edges, and generous bartacking.
While this premium quality gives the X-Mid a higher cost of production than comparable tents, the X-Mid 1 is priced affordably simply because we sell it to you direct 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.
That includes avoiding 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 well rounded, spacious, and capable shelter, the X-Mid 1 is the ideal ultralight tent for everything from a long thru hike to a remote adventure in Alaska. That's why the X-Mid 1 has become both the most popular and highest rated 1P tent on all three triple crown trails (Applachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail) according to hiker surveys by The Trek and Halfway Anywhere.
Our Verdict
We're working out what we think about Durston's X-Mid 1 Tent, we'll add our comments here in due course.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Optimal Geometry - Patented X-Mid geometry with twin offset poles provides best in class headroom, living space, stormworthiness, and ease of pitching.
- Spacious - The diagonal (offset pole) ridgeline increases headroom and interior volume by 15-25% compared to a perpendicular ridgeline, and by 30-50% compared to a single pole shelter.
- Non Sag Fabric - The X-Mid has been a pioneer of lightweight polyester fabric. Polyester 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 other established companies using nylon, but has since led to polyester becoming widely recognized as a more practical material and with many others now following our lead.
- Stormworthy Shape - The X-Mid shape provides consistently moderate panel slopes which balance wind and snow shedding to provide excellent all around performance. All the panels are an ideal 50 - 55 degrees, while most tents contain a less consistent mix of shallower panels (worse for snow shedding) and steeper panels (worse for wind performance).
- Full Coverage Fly - A full coverage fly extends low to the ground to block drafts and rain splatter, but can also be raised higher for increased ventilation.
- Doublewall - A 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 - The 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 - The 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 - The 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 (fly first) setup keeps the floor and inner tent dry during setup in the rain.
- 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 remarkably small and can be packed 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.
- Four Pockets - Two interior peak pockets allow for storage and provide a convenient way to suspend a headlamp for reading in the tent, while two more pockets besides the doors provide convenient lower storage, such as for phone charging.
- Collapsible Vestibules - The 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.
- Robust Zippers - More ultralight tents use lighter duty #3 zippers but zippers are the most common failure/wear point on a tent, so the X-Mid uses more robust #5 YKK zippers.
Specifications
- Flysheet + Inner weighs: 808g
- Total weight: 808g(excludes pegs & bags)
Durston Specs
- Fly: 16.2 oz / 460 g
- Inner Tent: 10.0 oz / 285 g
- Complete Tent: 26.2 oz / 745 g
- Stuff Sack: 0.3 oz / 10 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: 15D Sil/PE Polyester 3500mm HH in Sage
- Floor Fabric: 15D Sil/PE Nylon 3500mm HH in Grey
- Fly Zippers: YKK #5 AquaGuard
- Inner Zippers: YKK #3
