X Mid - Dan Durston

[andrewa]

US shipping is a joke. Sadly we just seem to have to cop it, but I was quoted $66US tonight to post a 100mmx 6mm knife pin, valued at $10

A

[tazzi]

Sold out now anyway. I was considering the revised pack but shipping combined with the current exchange rate puts that way out of my range.

[Sjatas]

I managed to order one - the solid inner version, postage was $46.50 US, shipping method is "USPS First Class Int'l Duties and Taxes Excluded (Due on Delivery)" which was the cheapest. Total price $385.5 US, about $550 AU.

[Mark7260]

FWIW, my shipping for the Kakwa was $142 USD and according to kaviso, the highest anyone paid in the world, to ship to Tasmania.... most of that is attributed to "in Australia" costs..Kaviso did offer to reduce it for me but I stayed with Fedex. Shipping on my Solid 1p was $46 Usd.

[Joynz]

X-mid on the Larapinta Trail - June 2022.

Here’s a photo of my x-mid pitched on top of Brinkley Bluff in June 2022.

It shows the ‘Little rock big rock’ method of pitching without tent pegs used (due to the rocky surfaces common on this track). Because it’s windy up there, I used rocks to anchor the guy ropes too.

I pitched it successfully with this method on sand as well - and tended to use all the anchor points (not the guy ropes though) every time to keep the fly well away from the mesh inner.

At times I did wish I had a nemo or similar free standing tent as it definitely took other hikers less time to pitch their tents. But, overall I was very happy with how it performed - especially once I started using ‘limpet’ mode (pitching the fly close to the ground).

I found moisture on the bottom of my quilt a few times and think it must have dripped from the roof as the inner was held well away from the fly.

[Chris Denyer]

Hi all,

I'm about to buy my first ultralight tent and am after some help.

I've heavily researched ultralight tents over the last week or so, and have decided I'll choose between the Durston Gear X-Mid 1 or Tarptent Protrail.

But I am leaning heavily toward the Durston Gear X-Mid 1P. I understand they are near impossible to get one before they sell out......but should I be lucky enough to buy one I need recommendations for some trekking poles.

And full disclosure, I'm not so much a bushwalker for the sake of bushwalking; I bowhunt and that means walking through the bush.

[norts]

Do you actually need trekking poles?
I have the XMid 1P, I use it for hiking and use my walking poles with it but when I go bikepacking , I use a couple of poles I made up from spare tent poles I got from a bushwalking shop.
I only say this because I would have thought it would be hard to bow hunt when both hands had poles in them and it might be better to try that.
Also my home made poles are lighter than trekking poles.

Roger

[Baeng72]

Do you actually need trekking poles?
I have the XMid 1P, I use it for hiking and use my walking poles with it but when I go bikepacking , I use a couple of poles I made up from spare tent poles I got from a bushwalking shop.
I only say this because I would have thought it would be hard to bow hunt when both hands had poles in them and it might be better to try that.
Also my home made poles are lighter than trekking poles.

Roger

Correct. You need poles.
Hikers/Bushwalkers often have trekking poles, so they do double duty.
Even tent manufacturers sell poles for those who don't use trekking poles. https://zpacks.com/collections/tent-poles
Sticks will do, about 120cm or whatever your height is, as long as it fits, all good.

[Warin]

Just for fun enter the weight and size of the parcel into the Australian Post site pretending you are sending it from here to the USA and see what you get.

Back in the old days .. there was an option with Ozie post to send things by sea.. much cheaper .. and a lot slower... Well things are not fast now either yet the costs are high .. modern times.

[Chris Denyer]

Do you actually need trekking poles?
I have the XMid 1P, I use it for hiking and use my walking poles with it but when I go bikepacking , I use a couple of poles I made up from spare tent poles I got from a bushwalking shop.
I only say this because I would have thought it would be hard to bow hunt when both hands had poles in them and it might be better to try that.
Also my home made poles are lighter than trekking poles.

Roger

I don't use any poles for bowhunting. I typically set up camp, grab my bow,day pack and bino harness and head out.
Now that I plan to buy an ultralight tent (most likely the x mid 1) I will need either collapsible tent poles or alternatively trekking poles.
Sorry I wasn't clearer in my post.

[Mark7260]

I have just bought the adjustable poles from tarpatent to use with my X mid 1 Solid. Also, Dan is releasing custom poles(not trekking) in October if I recall. I am using fizan poles from Kaviso with my X Mid Pro2.

[Joynz]

The new Dan Durston adjustable poles just opened for preorders now (delivery in October). Get in quick!

However, I have been using the 3-fold Six Moon poles with no issues (lighter than the new Durston but not adjustable so you sometimes have to angle them a bit. I have only used the Six Moon poles for base camping when I want to use my walking poles during the day without the tent collapsing.

Postage for the items I purchased (x-mid 1P groundsheet and a pair of the adjustable poles) was US $12.

[Chris Denyer]

The new Dan Durston adjustable poles just opened for preorders now (delivery in October). Get in quick!

However, I have been using the 3-fold Six Moon poles with no issues (lighter than the new Durston but not adjustable so you sometimes have to angle them a bit. I have only used the Six Moon poles for base camping when I want to use my walking poles during the day without the tent collapsing.

Postage for the items I purchased (x-mid 1P groundsheet and a pair of the adjustable poles) was US $12.

I ordered a pair of the Durston Z-Flick Tent Poles yesterday. Not bad at 88 grams each and they pack to 31.115 cm packed.

[WestcoastPete]

Hi. I'm interested in people's take on the solid vs mesh inner for Tassie conditions. It sounds like people have done just fine in mesh tents rain wise. I've never had a solid inner tent so I don't know much about whether they can be warmer than mesh only. When I can though, I'll sleep with a door open, and it's nice to be able to see through the mesh to whatever the view is. This wouldn't work with a solid inner, but maybe in winter in WOJ, it would be more comfortable

Ta

[north-north-west]

The issue isn't so much rain as condensation and wind. Pitch on even slightly damp ground and there will be condensation on the inside of the fly; if there's enough breeze to rustle the tent, that will be driipping on you. A solid inner is an extra line of protection - and it is warmer.
I thought there was a mesh panel on the door - you still get a bit of the view from inside.

[stry]

And not only from moist ground. Lush grass can give off a great amount of vapour and greatly increase condensation.

That's why I cut Tyvek footprints big enough to cover the ground in the vestibule(s). Makes for a large footprint, particularly with the generous vestibules of an X-Mid, but the benefit is worth the little extra weight

[Joynz]

Yes, my tyvek is cut to fit the whole fly area, not just under the inner tent. And it keeps everything clean too.

However, I’ve just ordered an x-mid footprint. Will be interesting to see if I like it given the smaller coverage.

[Tortoise]

Hi. I'm interested in people's take on the solid vs mesh inner for Tassie conditions. It sounds like people have done just fine in mesh tents rain wise. I've never had a solid inner tent so I don't know much about whether they can be warmer than mesh only. When I can though, I'll sleep with a door open, and it's nice to be able to see through the mesh to whatever the view is. This wouldn't work with a solid inner, but maybe in winter in WOJ, it would be more comfortable

Hi Pete,
I've used both, with the solid inners similar to the solid X-Mid. In the pics on the website, though, the solid inner fabric goes less than halfway up the door with the X-Mid, whereas the ones I've used have more than half the height in solid fabric. What I didn't like with full mesh was the spindrift of snow and icy drafts that came in under the fly and straight onto me. Dan mentions the solid inner is slightly warmer than the full mesh. But it also would cut out a lot of the extra drafts. As nnw said, it's still possible to get a view through the partial solid door. Now I think about it, my experience of icy blasts and snow in a full-mesh inner tent in the WOJ was one December.

[Warin]

I had an end entry tent... I found cold drafts blowing through the entry way - even when fully closed. I made a sylnylon sheet with velcro attachments to the end entry inner .. that made things much less breezy.

[WestcoastPete]

I've had a quick search but I can't work out where the mid panel tie outs have been added to the V2 tents. Looks like I'm getting a V1!

Ta

[Warin]

I've had a quick search but I can't work out where the mid panel tie outs have been added to the V2 tents. Looks like I'm getting a V1!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k3sM4GhamY

tie outs at 13:16, however the entire video is worth watching for the information that it will give you.

[WestcoastPete]

Great thanks!

[Joynz]

Has anyone ordered the new Dyneema x-mid 1?
It’s been selling online for the last couple of days and, apparently, almost sold out.

Single skin, US$606 (AU$852).
Standard set up (6 stakes and the stuff sack) weighs 544g compared to 875g for my sil-poly version.

Tempting. But I wonder about the condensation if used in Vic though.

[bernieq]

A night on Mt Speculation, many years ago, dispelled any lingering doubt about single skin tents in the Victorian climate.

I was in an MSR Hubba with a full mesh inner. Early in the night, heavy rain driven by gusting winds forced a fine spray through the fly and the mesh inner - uncomfortable indeed. Later that hight, rain stopped & wind dropped but buckets of moisture began to condense on the inner of the fly. It started running down the inner, frequently bounced off by wind gusts. Much of it went through the inner as though the mesh wasn't there. It was a long night.

Condensation is unavoidable - can be reduced by tent placement & ventilation but not eliminated. In a single skin tent, there's a high risk of the condensation finishing up on you.

[DuskyBay]

A comparison of the X-Mid 1P against the X-Mid Pro 1P makes for an interesting analysis:

X-Mid 1P
Weight: 875g
Packed volume: 4.0L
Price: 416 (AUD, incl. pegs & freight)

X-Mid Pro 1P
Weight: 544g
Packed volume: 2.4L
Price: 892 (AUD, incl. pegs & freight)

So, if selecting the Pro, that's 331g in weight saving at an additional cost of $476 ie $1.44 for each gram of weight saving.

I suspect that it's much cheaper for many walkers to save 331g of weight somewhere else within their gear list (or perhaps to reduce their body weight by this amount).

Although DCF offers some obvious advantages over polyester: lightness, higher strength, non-reliance on waterproof coatings and increased UV resistance being the main ones, it also has some significant disadvantages: much higher cost, poorer resistance to abrasion, being noisier and less opaque.

Additionally, as the Pro is a hybrid tent (not quite a single skin) rather than a double skin its packed volume is actually lower, even though DCF is considered to be bulkier than polyester. However, it has an increased risk of condensation issues.

Overall, it's not a clear-cut decision - there are many factors to consider. People need to decide which are more important to them.

[Joynz]

I like the idea of people shedding 331g of their own body weight!

[Hiking Exped]

A pre hiking expedition laxatives routine could save you far more than that

[Joynz]

Reminds me of the Jupiter Hikes video ‘think of the weight savings’! And do you really need two straps on your backpack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oxpObyS4DE

[Mark7260]

Duskyboy,
My X-Mid 1p Solid packs down into a 2.5lt dcf stuff sack easily.
Sure it weighs more, but I won't have the condensation issues And I can simply un click the inner out and pack up inside the tent whilst its raining, then just stuff the outer in the outer pocket of my Kakwa. It's the practical use like that, that means more to me than a few hundred grams, although it's always good to save where you can. :}

[Kickinghorse]

On another tack have just been in contact with Dan D re a question as to whether he may provide an interchangeable after market solid inner for the X-Mid 2. And yes he plans for this to happen around the end of the year. My thinking being that I’ve found the X-Mid experiences a fair amount of condensation under some conditions. Nevertheless a great tent re weight and ease of setup.
Was impressed by Dan’s same afternoon reply which would have been after hours in Canada.

Phil