X Mid - Dan Durston

[Ms_Mudd]

I carry 4x S2S ground controls, with the cordage and plastic tube loop things removed, then carry 2-4 other assorted stakes of the less robust kind, eastons or the ti sheperds. I find if the 4 corners are solid, you are good. I do peg out the 2 x peak guy lines in bad weather, but don't need to use a heavier peg for that if my original pitch is good.

[cancan]

choosing tents is so hard... after a foggy weekend of waking up damp in the Bivvy decided a 1 person tent was in order, narrowed it down to the Nemo Hornet, contacted a friend with one and he loved it then another friend chimed in about his tarptent and then I switched to the Moment DW although still couldnt work out best way to carry the poles on my drop bar gravel bike... then found the X Mid, it offered all the benefits that I liked of the Moment (manly duel door and double vestibule but with the advantage of using carbon poles that break down smaller... but Amazon AU price is now $380 plus 2 poles werent cheap, then the Nemo went on special for 20% off.. in the end I ruled the Nemo out, buying it because its on special when it doesnt tick the boxes didnt add up, Then I found some poles from Intent in NZ which are only NZ$45, slightly heavier than others but end of the day not enough to stress about and my partner is currently back in NZ for ease f getting them home, although $9 delivery to Canberra v $6 Auckland easier to have them sent here ... so jumped on Amazon and noticed gift voucher at checkout, jumped on my banks rewards program and 3% discount on Amazon gift cards... it all adds up so order placed delivery tomorrow they reckon, now to plan the next weekend trip... will be nice to be back in a tent after the last 3 years of being in a bivvy.

[FNM]

choosing tents is so hard... after a foggy weekend of waking up damp in the Bivvy decided a 1 person tent was in order, narrowed it down to the Nemo Hornet, contacted a friend with one and he loved it then another friend chimed in about his tarptent and then I switched to the Moment DW although still couldnt work out best way to carry the poles on my drop bar gravel bike... then found the X Mid, it offered all the benefits that I liked of the Moment (manly duel door and double vestibule but with the advantage of using carbon poles that break down smaller... but Amazon AU price is now $380 plus 2 poles werent cheap, then the Nemo went on special for 20% off.. in the end I ruled the Nemo out, buying it because its on special when it doesnt tick the boxes didnt add up, Then I found some poles from Intent in NZ which are only NZ$45, slightly heavier than others but end of the day not enough to stress about and my partner is currently back in NZ for ease f getting them home, although $9 delivery to Canberra v $6 Auckland easier to have them sent here ... so jumped on Amazon and noticed gift voucher at checkout, jumped on my banks rewards program and 3% discount on Amazon gift cards... it all adds up so order placed delivery tomorrow they reckon, now to plan the next weekend trip... will be nice to be back in a tent after the last 3 years of being in a bivvy.

haha! You're not wrong cancan ... I swore never to spend so much time choosing a tent again after settling on and purchasing the X-mid 2p .... and now I've just started a thread re Zpacks Triplex/Tarptents and am literally going through the process all over again!! Ah well - helps to pass the lockdown time. Just yesterday I got thinking how cool it would be to have a backpacking tent "museum" if one had the space ... after mentioning it to my non-outdoorsy gf, I realised the market would probably be very very small At least I'd enjoy it!

[Ms_Mudd]

So, just saw on the Durston Gearfreaks page that the new XMid 1ps are going to be BIGGER and come in around the same specs. I own one of the original run XMid 1p's so mine comes in slightly heavier than current spec. I find the 1p to be generously sized as is, but if it were slightly larger and potentially lighter than my current tent, then I would not have a lot to complain about. The 2p was way too roomy for me, so I sold it. This gives me a purchasing dilemma. I was looking to nab the DCF version which will be smaller than the current 2p, but maybe I want the standard new 1p offering. Decisions, decisions.
I have taken to the idea of using an UL bug bivy under my XMid fly to save a bit more weight, now I have even more shelter options coming my way. Oh the indecision!

Btw, I finally joined FB after many years of resisting, FOMO is real.

[Alana84]

Ms Mudd,

Do you recall the dimensions of the new 1p? I had a look at the Facebook page but couldn't find the post.

I'm very interested as I found the original 1p a touch narrow, but the 2p is overkill for hiking solo.

Also eagerly awaiting the xmid pro!

[Ms_Mudd]

Ms Mudd,

Do you recall the dimensions of the new 1p? I had a look at the Facebook page but couldn't find the post.

I'm very interested as I found the original 1p a touch narrow, but the 2p is overkill for hiking solo.

Also eagerly awaiting the xmid pro!

Dan Durston
+2
FYI, the next batch of the 1P (arriving in ~12 weeks) is substantially more spacious. Still nothing like the 2P, but a nice increase over the current 1P.

Just cut Dan's comment on the thread here. I hope that is ok? I don't think it would be a problem to reproduce it here as it was originally in a public forum. I only caught the comment as I was timewasting on night shift and was looking at a sale listing for an XMid in the group, that is where the conversation was. Dan said the new 1p will come in at a similar weight to the current 1p. So more room and not any weight penalty. Joy! It sounds like it will hit that sweet spot for a lot of people who find the 2p excessively large for solo use, but the 1p a little too cosy. I am a short female so fiund the 1p plenty roomy enough, but still am attracted to the idea of more room but potentially less weight. I own an original 1p and their specs have them a bit heavier than the later batches.
I was (am) holding out for the Pro, but now I have something else to consider too!

[keithy]

FYI, the next batch of the 1P (arriving in ~12 weeks) is substantially more spacious. Still nothing like the 2P, but a nice increase over the current 1P.

Just cut Dan's comment on the thread here.

Thanks for posting that Ms_Mudd. I am also on the mail list for the Pro, but I'd be keen to check out the larger new batch 1P as well. I'd be keen for the increased floor space. Also felt the 2P was a little too big if going solo.

I miss that larger floor from my Axeman tent viewtopic.php?f=63&t=28191 although the benefits of my X-mid (head height and double side doors) probably outweigh the larger floor space of the Axeman.

With my 1P I have some spare Tyvek 443r fabric floating around, so I'm thinking of making a wrap around the mesh inner to try using it for the snow this year.

[stry]

It seems that are a few of us who found the 2P a little too space consuming for solo use, but would love a little more room in my 1P, particularly in the inner.

I'd love to see a floor plan of the new 1P before jumping in a queue

[Ms_Mudd]

Yes me too!
The newer 1p has me rethinking jumping on the DCF Pro- I have to remember I onsold my 2p for a reason -
It was too giant for me- and that reason will still exist in a DCF version of even a teeny bit smaller, no matter how UL it is.
The new 1p being a smidge bigger would be okay I think, potentially lighter than my current version also not inappealing either. I know I could sell my 1p to fund a new 1p too, the demand seems to be there. Would want to come out significantly better for me though, so yes Stry, I also want to see some plans/stats before committing

[Joynz]

Dan Durston X-mid on the Larapinta - staking with rocks?

I’m planning on doing the Larapinta trail in June 2022.

It sounds like it’s hard to use pegs in the rocky ground and some people recommend staking out using rocks (‘Little rock big rock’ method).

I’d appreciate any feedback on your experience with this and how it works with the x-mid.

[norts]

I havent used my Xmid on the Larapinta but have used a Tarptent Moment on the trail and also on the PCT in alot of dry arid areas, sand and hard ground. I just put extra cord on the on the short pieces. I then can use deadmans anchor style with pieces of stick and rocks piled on it.
I have already put new longer cord on my X mid but havent had to use the deadmans anchor style yet.

[Orion]

I've gone on trips without pegs just to save weight with both a tent like the Moment and a rectangular pyramid. The Moment style tent only requires two points so is way easier to set up with rocks. The pyramid, like an X-Mid, requires four, and so takes at least twice the effort. And I found that slippage was more of an issue. My guess is that you'd be happier on the Larapinta with a free standing tent. That's what I took.

My X-Mid is a few years old and has only been set up in the garage a couple of times. The inner tent is just too small to be practical. I doubt I will ever use it.

[Joynz]

The x-mids are in high demand just now - you could probably sell it pretty easily. There was a post on the FB buy swap and sell site about someone wanting one for their son’s birthday.

[Joynz]

Thanks for the feedback Norts and Orion.

[Orion]

Hs anyone seen the new 1p version? I like the X-mid idea but found the inner tent so narrow that the netting was usually against my skin or sleeping bag. No extra room for gear.

I did a 2 1/2 week trip this year and once again set up my X-Mid to evaluate it and once again left it at home in favor of a homemade tent that is based on the TT Moment design. My MYOG tent has way more room inside, has a smaller footprint, doesn't require my hiking poles, and sets up with just two pegs or rocks. But it does weigh an additional 8 oz.

So I can't help but wonder about the size of the new 1p inner.

[Joynz]

Yes, I’d like a slightly wider inner for the 1p too.

The narrow inner does mean more room for gear on each side.

I make it feel roomier by putting the loops on the mesh doors over the tent door toggles, once I’m inside for the night. This stretches the sides of the mesh inner out wards and is much more pleasant.

[Warin]

Everyone wants a TARDIS tent. The Time Lords are not cooperating.

[Hiking Exped]

I have heard a lot about these, but not had the chance to try one as yet. Did meet someone on Mt Stirling using one last year who raved about it. I am not an ultralight hiker, but with old knees I am always looking at ways to sensibly shave off weight without too much compromise.

I have also not transitioned to hiking poles fully as yet, using just one on longer hikes for some weird reason.

Time to try and get Into two pole hiking and get an X Mid I think. However, never the trend setter probably hard to get hold of one now, especially with COVID.

[Ms_Mudd]

Everyone wants a TARDIS tent. The Time Lords are not cooperating.

They are not

[Orion]

Time to try and get Into two pole hiking and get an X Mid I think. However, never the trend setter probably hard to get hold of one now, especially with COVID.

There are walks where two poles aren't really necessary or just don't work that well. Then an X-Mid means you're carrying an extra pole just for the tent.

I'd sell you my almost brand new X-Mid but the shipping would probably be too expensive.

[Orion]

The narrow inner does mean more room for gear on each side.

I make it feel roomier by putting the loops on the mesh doors over the tent door toggles, once I’m inside for the night. This stretches the sides of the mesh inner out wards and is much more pleasant.

That's a clever hack.

I guess I think about all of the times I've been besieged by mosquitoes or March flies and been grateful for a tent with enough room to cook dinner inside. That would be quite difficult with an X-Mid. And when the bugs aren't an issue who needs an inner tent? I did a bunch of trips with an 8oz Cuben pyramid. Has anyone tried the X-Mid without the inner?

[Zapruda]

Joynz, I’ve pitched the Xmid quite a bit just on granite using rocks as anchors as well as snow. No dramas at all. I’d happily take the fly on the Larapinta.

Orion, I think I’ve used the Xmid without the inner more than with it. Notably on ski trips and shoulder season in the high country. Works well.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Any word on the dcf/pro version pre-sale...thought it was due about now? (I'm on the mailing list but haven't heard anything)

Sent from my SM-G977B using Tapatalk

[CBee]

X-mid 1P small inner, the right size to turn the pitch to a bivvy, virtually on any terrain (especially on uneven terrains), if you master the position and by adjusting the height of the poles. For me a real plus. If you think in colder weather you can ditch the inner mesh for the sake of saving few grams, then try to wake up in the morning covered in leaches. The only thing I can criticise about this tent, is the lack of stability in real strong winds.

[Hiking Exped]

That’s a great point regarding using just 1 pole.

No sure where you are to calculate postage, are you not happy with it?

D

Time to try and get Into two pole hiking and get an X Mid I think. However, never the trend setter probably hard to get hold of one now, especially with COVID.

There are walks where two poles aren't really necessary or just don't work that well. Then an X-Mid means you're carrying an extra pole just for the tent.

I'd sell you my almost brand new X-Mid but the shipping would probably be too expensive.

[Orion]

No sure where you are to calculate postage, are you not happy with it?

I'm in the U.S. It looks like pandemic-time shipping is more than $100 AUD.

I've set it up at home a couple of times and that's as far as it's traveled. The inner tent is just too small for my style. I've thought about using the fly by itself but it weighs more than twice as much as my MYOG Cuben pyramid. So I can't really envision a circumstance where I'd decide to actually take it on a trip.

[Joynz]

Are you sure about the shipping cost Orion?

I just got a pair of second hand shoes on ebay that were posted from the US and it was Aus $47. The shoes are probably a similar weight - perhaps slightly heavier than the Dan Durston tent.

And some sellers were quoting a lot cheaper postage for similar shoes.

[Orion]

Probably you can send it cheaper. I used the online cost calculators for USPS, DHL, and UPS and they were all really high.

There's a shipping website called "easyship" that finds the best method. It claims a 2 day delivery via UPS Worldwide Expedited for about $50 USD. But when I go through the USPS cost calculator it says that the same service would take a week and would cost $193 USD. I guess I'd have to go down to the UPS store (or the local post office) and ask them in person as that's how I'd send it.

So much easier to let it slowly compost in my closet. I still have my parachute rig from 25 years ago. I should have sold it a long time ago.

[Hiking Exped]

Hi Orion,

Thanks for letting me know postage costs. Postage is very high at the moment and worse it seems to be taking forever. I’m not in a rush for any shelters, I have so much kit I should be divorced by now. Like you I have an old parachute and other military gear hanging around from 25 years ago. I’m currently working out how much I would use this and if I wait and go a little larger for more room and multi use. Like you said the 1 person is a bit tight. Got some other stuff to look at, but I’ll reach out to see if it is still composting in your cupboard in a few weeks or if you sold it.

Thanks buddy..

[Joynz]

Oh, I see. My shoes didn’t arrive that fast. Sounds like your service is express.

My shoes took about 3 weeks - and I would have been happy to wait longer for even cheaper postage!