X Mid - Dan Durston

[surly 17]

Just got a 1p delivered, came via DHL and Auspost, it took around 3 weeks from being shipped.

[dandurston]

Wondering if we're any closer to getting a partial solid inner for the 1 or 2 p X-Mids?

I was bugging Drop about that this week. Hard to convince them because aren't familiar with the international market and normally focus on their North American audience, but there is a chance. Should know more in a couple months if they're going to go for it.

Also, I'm wondering about the waterproofness/durability of the floor. 2,000mm HH seems a bit scary compared with Hilleberg's 20,000mm. Or even Tarptent's 3,000. I've seen Scarps' floors fail in the same conditions when Aktos didn't. I realise that's part of the bomb-proofness that comes with the extra weight. But in Tasmania, a relatively durable waterproof floor is important. Am I being unnecessarily cautious?

I'm not a big fan of HH specs for new fabric because it's pretty easy to have a coating that tests really high when new, but quickly breaks down (e.g. cracks/abrades) to be far lower. That's why so many rain jackets tests at 10,000 or 20,000mm but still tend to leak quite soon. Theoretically you never need more than about 600mm, but outdoors user are accustomed to wanting much higher specs, which is really guarding against that degradation.

Rather than seeking higher new specs, a better approach is to wear test the material and see how it holds up, which is what we've done. That 2000mm spec that we list is not for the new fabric. Unlike everyone else, we provide a spec for the fabric after simulating about 6 months of continuous wear from high winds and heavy rain onto it via standardized testing (e.g. it is basically churned in a blender with water and objects for a thousands of rotations). It actually tests above 3500mm when new. Degradation from 3500mm to 2000mm might sound like a lot, but it's actually really good and in line the most waterproof fabrics our tester has ever seen. Quite a few lightweight tents use 1200mm coatings which wear test down to about 400mm after moderate use.

Hilleberg does have one floor option that is 20,000mm rated (their outer tents are 5000 - 5500mm) but note that is a far heavier material as it is 100D nylon with a very heavy coating, so not remotely a lightweight fabric, and that is achieved from an exclusively PU coating which breaks down much faster than sil so it needs to start out much higher. I expect their 5500mm triple coated sil outer tent material is actually more waterproof in the long run.

[dandurston]

I finally undertook my first (and second) setup yesterday. First attempt was quite loose, second was better, though still not perfect. Inner felt a little loose along the floor too - not sure if that was my doing or whether it’s by design. I preset the pole length and think I’d be better off adjusting as required...

Yes it's better to adjust as required, rather than measure. Just put the poles in and extend until taut. That should give a nice pitch as long as you've got the base staked both square and tight. If it's wonky or loose, then the pitch won't turn out well.

Having not used a trekking pole tent before, or trekking poles at all, for that matter, I was apprehensive about using the metal tip. As such, I put the rubber tip/stop on the ends, which then meant they couldn’t fit through the grommet. I take it the poles are supposed to have no covers on the tips?

Your pole tips should fit into the grommets (e.g. no covers). It's good to check they seat properly (e.g. aren't too wide to fit in, nor so long they protrude too far) but virtually all trekking poles are compatible (some ski poles aren't).

I was surprised by the seam across the floor. That’s not something I’m used to and is slightly concerning from a ‘moisture seeping in’ point of view. My first venture into what I consider an UL tent so the floor material in itself was a bit of an eye-opener. I can’t see myself taking this out without a ground sheet.

Most fabrics come on a roll that is 130 - 140cm wide. Most 2P tents will have a floor width about 125cm, but then there is also the side walls at 10-15cm each, plus a few cm of fabric used in the edge seams, so commonly a 2P tent has a floor that is too wide to construct out of 1 piece of fabric. That's the case with the X-Mid 2P where the fabric roll isn't wide enough. Thus we put a seam sideways across the floor (rather than lengthwise) to minimize the amount of seam there is. That seam is seam taped and so it shouldn't be an issue.

[Ms_Mudd]

Wondering if we're any closer to getting a partial solid inner for the 1 or 2 p X-Mids?

I was bugging Drop about that this week. Hard to convince them because aren't familiar with the international market and normally focus on their North American audience, but there is a chance. Should know more in a couple months if they're going to go for it.

Awesome, although I do wonder whether Drop would allow just the solid inner to be purchased or if a whole new tent purchase would be necessary? I would like to have the option of owning both interiors on my XMid(s) so that I could swap them out depending on the season.

[Tortoise]

Wondering if we're any closer to getting a partial solid inner for the 1 or 2 p X-Mids?

I was bugging Drop about that this week. Hard to convince them because aren't familiar with the international market and normally focus on their North American audience, but there is a chance. Should know more in a couple months if they're going to go for it.

Thanks for bugging them, Dan. Really hoping they'll listen! And thanks for the very helpful info re waterproofness etc.

[Ms_Mudd]

How long have peoples parcels taken via DHL? Mine showed as leaving the US export facility on August 20th , can only presume it is between there and Sydney now as no updates. I am planning a trip this weekend and didn't dare hope it may be here...but maybe, just maybe....

[Rosscodj]

I've had a couple of US DHL parcels arrive in 3 & 4 days. They're usually pretty quick - granted, that was last year. Fingers crossed you maaaay have yours early/mid week. I guess it'll be more of a customs clearance thing than anything, at the moment.

[Ms_Mudd]

I've had a couple of US DHL parcels arrive in 3 & 4 days. They're usually pretty quick - granted, that was last year. Fingers crossed you maaaay have yours early/mid week. I guess it'll be more of a customs clearance thing than anything, at the moment.

I shall remain hopeful then

[lseries92]

I've had a couple of US DHL parcels arrive in 3 & 4 days. They're usually pretty quick - granted, that was last year. Fingers crossed you maaaay have yours early/mid week. I guess it'll be more of a customs clearance thing than anything, at the moment.

I have had a parcel stuck in customs since Thursday morning (although it has not come via Massdrop/DHL) - it is still there as of this morning. I was warned of delays when chasing it up with the sender early last week ...

[mikeRsyd]

I ordered some things from Slovakia Sunday and it arrived Friday via DHL. No customs charges.
Finally got to set up my 2p in the park yesterday. Such an easy tent.

Hope your delivery comes thru seems you have a 50/50chance

Sent from my Mi 9 Lite using Tapatalk

[Ms_Mudd]

Looks tops mikeRsyd! Total palace from the looks of it

[mikeRsyd]

It seems about the same footprint size as my coleman pop up tent. It's huge. Not sure of that's good or bad yet we will see

Sent from my Mi 9 Lite using Tapatalk

[matagi]

Last thing that came via DHL from the US took 3 weeks.

[north-north-west]

I've had a couple of US DHL parcels arrive in 3 & 4 days. They're usually pretty quick - granted, that was last year. Fingers crossed you maaaay have yours early/mid week. I guess it'll be more of a customs clearance thing than anything, at the moment.

I shall remain hopeful then

The email you got from Drop should include a tracking number. Mine was officially sent on the 17th, and on the 21st status was "processed at export facility". No updates since, but it has been the weekend.

[Neo]

I had an item from Germany that sat at Frankfurt for a couple of weeks before moving.
Had one from Japan that They gave up on and offered a refund.
One from the UK that took three weeks. A current one from the UK has been about five weeks now, free postage no tracking maybe coming by canoe!
Another from Garage Grown Gear in the US (maybe two orders ) they took about three weeks.
All those in Virus times.

Snowys still about three days, awesome as usual using Toll. Similar for Uniqlo and Ultralight Hiker. One Planet about a week Vic to NSW.



Yes have been upgrading/refining stuff!

[Petew]

My shipments from ripstop by the roll usually take a week. I ordered a DCF tent from Bonfus in Mexico, too three days to get to Sydney, 12 days and counting in customs... Sent by UPS

[Franco]

I was told the other day by a Japanese seller that Japan Post is not sending [arcel to Australia at the moment but UPS and FEDEX do.

[Ms_Mudd]

I've had a couple of US DHL parcels arrive in 3 & 4 days. They're usually pretty quick - granted, that was last year. Fingers crossed you maaaay have yours early/mid week. I guess it'll be more of a customs clearance thing than anything, at the moment.

I shall remain hopeful then

The email you got from Drop should include a tracking number. Mine was officially sent on the 17th, and on the 21st status was "processed at export facility". No updates since, but it has been the weekend.

Same as mine, except mine made it to the 'processed at export facility' a day earlier than yours, NNW. It's on!!! An XMId race!!! Although I think I may just win given that I am within 4 hours of Sydney

[north-north-west]

Same as mine, except mine made it to the 'processed at export facility' a day earlier than yours, NNW. It's on!!! An XMId race!!! Although I think I may just win given that I am within 4 hours of Sydney

It probably took them the extra 24 hours to work out where Tasmania is.

[Ms_Mudd]

It probably took them the extra 24 hours to work out where Tasmania is.

The race is already won then

[Zapruda]

If you go here - https://webtrack.dhlglobalmail.com/ and enter the tracking number you received from drop you will also see the Auspost tracking number being used for the item. This will probably give you a better idea of where you tent is when it lands in the country.

[Ms_Mudd]

If you go here - https://webtrack.dhlglobalmail.com/ and enter the tracking number you received from drop you will also see the Auspost tracking number being used for the item. This will probably give you a better idea of where you tent is when it lands in the country.

Thanks Zapruda, that is great. I have book marked the Aus Post page with my tracking number now. Your little snippet of info just added a whole new level of fun to my mail stalking. Now the race will between whose tent gets scanned on Australian soil first, NNW's or mine.

[north-north-west]

That's a neat link, Zapruda. You can even sign up for email alerts whenever there's action on the item. In other words, they do the stalking for you.
Now if only that damn package would get moving ...

[Ms_Mudd]

Cleared and awaiting international departure

JFK ETOE AUA

Date & time Tue 25 Aug • 11:30am

Nooooooooo. Mine is still in the US.

[tazzi]

Cleared and awaiting international departure

JFK ETOE AUA

Date & time Tue 25 Aug • 11:30am

Nooooooooo. Mine is still in the US.

Snap. That's exactly where mine is at too. It will probably take an extra 2 weeks to get to Qld once it makes it into Aus so I would bet that yours will arrive long before mine.

[Ms_Mudd]

Welcome to the race anyway Tazzi, even if I am quietly, smugly confident of my victory

[north-north-west]

25 August 5:10pm, Departed export facility. Given the time difference, it''s probably already landed. Now to get it through Customs.

[Tortoise]

25 August 5:10pm, Departed export facility. Given the time difference, it''s probably already landed. Now to get it through Customs.

Can I check yours out in person when you've used it? Can I? Can I?

[north-north-west]

25 August 5:10pm, Departed export facility. Given the time difference, it''s probably already landed. Now to get it through Customs.

Can I check yours out in person when you've used it? Can I? Can I?

Bring along the poles and we can do the first pitch together. I still have to sort out that side of it. Looking for a cheap, light set of adjustable poles to use with it.

[Tortoise]

25 August 5:10pm, Departed export facility. Given the time difference, it''s probably already landed. Now to get it through Customs.

Can I check yours out in person when you've used it? Can I? Can I?

Bring along the poles and we can do the first pitch together. I still have to sort out that side of it.

Okey doke! I haven't decided what I'd go with yet as far as poles go, but I reckon I'll come up with something. I'm holding out for the partial solid inner that may or may not eventuate. Then I've got to decide whether 1P or 2P. I suspect I'd be a bit cosy in the 1P, if tent-bound for a couple of days, and condensation on the (non-mesh) walls might be a nuisance in the 1P. Or gale-blown rain/ice/snow if I have to go with mesh. i'm really interested in how it goes in less than ideal pitching conditions - ie rough ground. I may need to keep it for more traditional-type tent sites.

Looking for a cheap, light set of adjustable poles to use with it.

Oxymoron?