Durston X-Mid 1P

Excellent value in an innovatively designed, lightweight, and well thought-out solo tent by UL hiker Dan Durston.

This solo tent is a good option for folks seeking a good balance of light weight, space, simple/fast pitch, and strength in various conditions. I think the design is very innovative, allowing poles to be placed to the side so that entry/exit is not obstructed by poles.

The floor has a diagonal shape inside a rectangular-based fly. The separate mesh inner clips into the fly at the peaks and the four corners of the fly, allowing it to be pitched separately or remaining clipped so that both inner and fly can be pitched as one.

Before setting out on my first trip with it I set it up in the yard (see photos) to familiarize myself with the shapes (diagonal inner inside the rectangular fly) and sequence of steps to get a good taught pitch. This is pretty straightforward once you get a feel for it. In flat sites it pitches easily but can be more complicated on uneven or irregular sized sites, due to the size of the rectangular fly.

The size of the diagonal floor is 87" long (max.) but fairly narrow in width (28"), compared to many tents, but headroom is good (43"). Floor area is 17sq ft overall. The dimensions of the rectangular fly are 67 x 100".

The total weight of the tent, stakes, and stuff sack is about 28 ounces. Not the lightest tent out there, but a very good option given its excellent functionality and versatility, and relatively low cost ($200).

A larger two-person model is also available.

Background

I have other single wall and double-wall tents. This is my first trekking pole tent. Used it this season on trips in Washington's Olympics and Cascades.

I bought it based on it being lightweight at 28 ounces, ease of setup, and low investment at $200. Thanks, Dan for bringing this to market. It's now my go-to shelter on the one or two backpacking trips I squeeze in a month in mostly Ohio and West Virginia. I'm an avid, but not hardcore, hiker who likes a lightweight pack while enjoying the outdoors.

I've backpacked and camped with this tent a dozen times over the last year. It has travelled well for over 300 miles in dry and wet, hot and cold conditions. No leaks, tears, or mildew. No condensation due to the neat vents in the ridgline.