One comment I can add to this: I finally did take it out on an adventure to the high mountains of Wyoming and it performed beautifully. We were at 11,000ft on an exposed face of a mountain covered in wildflowers and 5 waves of a thunderstorm rolled through. I'm not going to try and estimate wind speed, I'm awful at that, but my Montana Mountain Man best friend said he was nervous in his own traditional hubbed pole shelter, which was a non-ultralight truly freestanding BA tent. The other good news: sleeping with heads pointed the same direction proved to be even better than I thought it would be. For 3 nights I took the alternate orientation and it didn't bother me. There was still good enough headroom that the mesh wasn't in my face and my feet weren't jammed against the back wall either. Overall very comfortable. In fact, the X-Mid2p even impressed my older brother, who is a TigerWall2p user, and a firm believer in spreading out all of his stuff. But despite his skepticism at the beginning of the trip ("I dunno Taylor, that packed size is pretty small, I don't think we're going to have enough room"), he later reported that he was quite pleased with it and loved sharing the shelter with me. All around, top marks for that trip I'd say. Once I've used this a few more times, I'd like to do a follow-up long-term review to share my thoughts on it more, but so far, it's looking good. Oh, and as an added bonus, I also used Dan's 40L backpack for the trip and loved it! Very cool having the same design language between two big pieces of gear! I hope to make a video on that backpack as well...just as soon as my own adventures die down a bit!
@@krzyazn If you're talking about while backpacking, then yes, I put my things in the vestibule and in the pockets on the interior, or on the floor to the head and foot of my sleeping pad. If it's raining and the ground is muddy I put my rain kilt down on the ground first so my backpack doesn't get muddy. One of the benefits of Ultralight backpacking is that since you're down to the minimum, there's not a lot to keep track of and so limited internal space isn't much of an issue for tents that lack it (like the one person version of the XMid which still strikes a good balance.) If you're asking where I put my stuff when I'm not on adventures, I rather aggressively organize it in half of my closet in my apartment in the city 😅 I do not have an impressive gear closet, not do I aspire to that end, but I've got enough for myself and another so I'm happy. Keeping stuff organized is a good challenge, but some slim wide bins with dividers work great, and low shelves with adjustable heights work well for me.
I will definitely be watching if you post more gear reviews! I have only set my x-mid2 up in the back yard with my son... but if the weather is not looking good for my solo backpacking trip next month, I may take it with me then instead of my tiny tarp.
@@Jaysus145 Thanks! I hope it performs well! I'm going to take my Deschutes Plus out onto the Superior Trail this week and probably do an early impressions review of it after that. I've got 3 backpack reviews already shot I need to piece together, so I hope to have more stuff up soon, and I've also got a completely non-sequitur video almost done 🙈
hahaha 'because life in quarantine is a never-ending spiral of perpetual time disassociation' 10 extra points for the delivery and timing of that line, perfect.
Dan should hire you, this was a great review not only for the tent itself but actually how you edited the video and how you communicate your points, a very pleasant experience.
Just wanted to say your reviews are amazing. The cinematography, the background noises, your voice overlay, and the great cuts. Not to mention the actual content of the reviews is high quality. Hope you all the success with your channel! You deserve it!
You mentioned 'checking all the boxes." That's exactly what you did and exactly what I want see in a gear review. Nice job with this. Might not have said that if you hadn't done the weather follow-up. But you did. I'm in the market and want this tent. This sealed the deal. Long waiting list so I'm hopeful Dan and the team can ramp up post Covid. This has a sort of "revolutionary" vibe to it. Good job dude. Appreciate it.
Yea the door ties are a bit fiddly but I think that is more than compensated for in 2 ways. 1. They are super reliable, light weight & replaceable if they are damaged. 2. They enable the best trick in the tent, they can be used to pull the inner netting out by threading the clip on the Fly side through the loop on the door tie on the inner part of the tent and cinching tight. This expands the volume of the inner a reasonable amount and still maintains the double wall integrity. This trick works on the 1P as well. The 2nd BKM I have for this tent is a more fool proof way to set it up. The trick to getting the best pitch of the tent (to keep the fly close to the ground, the peak line of the tent tight, and the outside panels wrinkle free) is to stake the 4 corners of the tent with a tight perfect square (all 90 degree angles) with the tent corners cinched in all the way to the stakes. If you do not have an eagle eye for 90 degrees (I certainly don't) then it is possible to use the tent fabric pulled tight as a way to find the location of the 3rd corner you stake down to be exactly in the right position to make a 90 degree angle. The 4th corner pulls tight into a 90 degree angle by default. Lay the tent out as a rectangle where you want to set it up. Stake out one of the short sides of the tent with 2 stakes so it forms a nice tight line. Then take the other 2 corners of the opposite side of the tent and hold them together and pull them tight at about waist level with the center of that side of the tent hanging down near your feet. When the corners form a tight triangle in the air at your waist you have found where the center of that side of the tent should be directly on the ground below it. Holding the corners together with one hand tight in the air (about waist level) use the other hand to stretch the short side of the tent to the ground directly below the tension point in the air above it. Then, holding the center of the edge of the tent on the ground with one hand use the other hand to pull one of the corners of the tent out so it is tight with where you are holding the center to the ground and with the opposite corner of the tent. Place the 3rd stake tightened out so the corner stays right where you have found it should go. Then put the 4th stake so it is tight in both directions. This will get you very close to a perfectly square rectangle if you are on flat ground and will make the pitch nice and tight. With some practice the tent can be pitched tight in well under 5 minutes if you already have the inner clipped to the fly inside. Taking down is simple. Remove the poles & stakes and then reach over and grab the 2 peaks and the inner floor underneath. Fold the peaks together (so the tent folds in half hanging down from your hands) and then fold it in half once more. At this point it will be about the width of the bag. Then simply roll it up and stuff it in the bag. Since it is polyester fabric it does not have to be perfect and is very forgiving when folding and stuffing. This make it easy to unroll and unfold the next time you pitch it and will only be a bit wrinkled. After being pitched tight for a few hours the wrinkles relax out with no problems. I love this tent!
Thanks for the comments! That trick for getting a good pitch is something I stumbled upon a few months ago and I got to test it out when I took this to Wyoming, and it works fantastically! I'll try out your method of taking it down, at this point I kinda just fold it a bit and then roll and it seems to work well, but I'm someone that likes consistency so I'm eager to try it out. I've also tried the door toggle trick to get more interior room, I honestly thought it was intentionally designed like that at first, it's a pretty cool idea!
Absolutely amazing review. I hope your channel grows and companies send you more products to review. Love the honesty in your video. I think this will be my next tent when they come back in stock
Thank you, you're very kind 😁 I hope they come back in stock soon! (Although I saw a few on r/ULGearTrade last week, you might be able to score one early if you hunt!)
A really nice job on this. I'm impressed with how well you covered everything and you also have a perfect voice modulation that is pleasing to listen to.
Good job on this first impression review :) I really like the narration and the beautiful shots. Can't wait for a long-term review of this, I'm considering buying it for next summer.
Haha you're absolutely right 😅 If I ever become friends with a wizard I'm gonna petition them to create a patch of ground with 30mph thunderstorms for a few hours just so I can test tents 😁
Excellent review. I have the xmid 1 person and I love it. The thing is a beast in storms, we tend to be a humid environment so heavy dew is almost always on the outer, never on me though. I give the tent a good shake before crawling out in the morning so it doesn’t run down on me when I get out. Beautiful tent. Plenty of room. Ive never been wet. Easy to pitch. Quick to tear down. I’ve been looking at the 2 person to get for if my wife ever decides to start hiking with me.
Pretzel or Taylor, any condensation on the inside of the fly? I'm in humid area too. On a double wall free standing tent, I would pull the fly off and let it dry before packing or just pack it up wet separately to keep the inner dry. What would you do with this tent to keep the inner dry if the inside of the fly is wet and you want to pack up early?
Great review! I appreciate some of the insights you brought up. I know you can't do anything more while most of the country is shut down, but it would be super helpful if you did an updated review after using it some. No one has done a review after actually using it for a while under various conditions.
I gotta say this is a really nice review of a this tent. Which makes me want to have one even more. I’ve never backpacked but I want to get into it and this tent seems like more interesting than say a Nemo Hornet or Sea to Summit Altos.
Thanks! It's a really solid shelter, my parents just used it this past weekend and I am still impressed with it. If you use trekking poles, it's so nice.
Great video and review. I am sitting on the fence and trying to decide whether to pull the trigger or not. You have pushed me much closer to doing so and getting this tent for 2021. It really does look and sound like a fantastic tent.
Why thank you 😊 It's currently the shelter I believe is the best fit for most backpackers provided they're ready for non-freestanding, and my enthusiasm for it hasn't waned since I got it. However, there's definitely cases where I would probably recommend other shelters over this one, no tent can do it all! Lucky there's a lot of great options out there right now, it's an exciting time to have a love for nature that makes you want to get out for days at a time. If you got questions, I'll do my best to answer!
You are right; it checks all the boxes. True double wall tent for better climate and condensation control, spacious for a 6 foot guy (and if I bring my 5.5 foot wife)), utilizes my 2 adjustable aluminum trekking poles, Side Door entrance with 2 side doors and 2 vestibules, bathtub floor and mesh inner, ability to vent in various ways, and reasonably lightweight. I was down between this and the Double Rainbow by TarpTent, but ... Thanks for video.
You're very welcome 😊 I do love the idea of the Double Rainbow (haven't personally used one), and it certainly has some benefits over the XMid, but not many. Tarptent really knows how to make good shelters though, I hear nothing but the highest praise for them!
Good video man this is top quality all you need is some more experience making videos and then I can definitely see you having hundreds of thousands of subs
Great design and review. Apex vents are a must for me not just because of condensation but airflow when it’s hot, heat rises out and cool air comes in the bottom. A DCF version would be up there with top trekking pole tents out there
Ours got to our mailbox in Wa the day the Canada/US border closed 😞. We finally asked them to mail it to us since we don’t know when the border will open. Hopefully it comes soon!!
Great review. It's hard to find a double-wall trekking pole tent for that weight and price. I have one but haven't been able to take it out and test it yet.
I've heard other people use this a dog successfully, it should definitely be spacious enough. I'd get a foam pad like the GG Thinlight or MLD Goodnight to protect the floor from the dog. Or a Nemo Switchback if you want a bit more insulation / availability.
I was using an old Canon FD 55mm f1.2 lens, although I've just picked up an SLR Magic 35mm f1.2 lens that I love even more for night shots and take with me on some adventures despite it's heavy weight. EDIT: I should also mention a big factor in getting that shot looking clean was using a shutter speed of 1/10 of a second and the relatively clean shadows of HLG3. The A7iii lets you go down that low even with at 24p, which lets in a ton more light than if I was following the usual 180deg rule.
Realy love your review! Thank you very much. I have one last question: the footprints seems very noisy in the video. Would you say the tent is noisy when you move? The Person i would share this tent with is a very light sleeper and is even distractet from the noise of my sleepingpad (seatosummit etherlight xt). Thank you very much for the help!
Haha that's probably due to my overly sensitive microphone. This video was one of the first projects I did with the mic and so perhaps was a bit too eager with it 😅 The tent floor is no noisier than any other tent. The fabric is not crinkly on its own, and I'd say any sleeping pad is going to generate more. Sorry to hear about your partner, the Etherlight is supposed to be really quiet! Only one I know quieter is the Nemo Tensor, but I've not slept on it myself.
After experiencing the 2-P, would you recommend that over the 1-P if you mostly backpack by yourself? or is the additional weight not worth it? thanks!
I'd say the extra weight of the 2p isn't worth it if you're just by yourself. The 1P is a great shelter for 1 person, and I don't think that more rain protected room is a weakness of it. Those vestibules are wonderful. That being said, rain protected room vs bug protected room is an issue with the 1p, and if you're in an area with high bug pressure where you need to get to your pack in the vestibule often, then the 1p might be tricky since the interior doesn't have a lot of storage. I wouldn't jump to the 2p as the solution for that right away, however. There are other shelters that do bug-protected interiors at a lower weight, although to be honest, most are still a bit narrow. The Lunar Solo is probably the best example of good space, but the TT Protrail is also good, or the Deschutes Plus if you can rig up a good bug protected floor and want to try the semi-tarp life. I'll also just throw this out there, backpacking solo with a hammock is wonderful. Being able to set up anywhere there are trees and not worry about flat ground is magical. As a longtime side/stomach sleeper that was initially skeptical, the hammock life was way better than I thought.
Thanks, great review. One question please - the floor of the tent seems quite “loud” whenever you move on it - at least that is the impression I have from the video. Is that correct or is that just due to an overactive microphone?
Thank you 😊 The loud tent floor in the video is just a result of the microphone, in person it's not any louder or quieter than any tent I've used. I overall quite like the floor fabric used, it's not super slippery either, so my pad doesn't drift around on it at night.
@@TaylorPassofaro Many thanks Taylor. Now if I can just get my hands on one ;-) I live in Hong Kong so have to get it over here too. Keep well and will be subscribing to your channel . Thanks!
Thank you 😁 It is possible! The vestibules are generous on this shelter, among the best I've seen, I made coffee in them on the 2nd day out in Wyoming with my Soto Amicus and an Olicamp Mug. However, cooking in a vestibule/tent is always done at your own risk, and is generally not advisable in any tent not just for fire safety reasons, but also as a way to ensure any of your gear doesn't smell appetizing to animals. It's best practice to keep cooking and gear as separate as possible.
Just got mine. Kinda surprised no one has mentioned the size of the stuff sack. The tent fills it to the max straight from X-Mid. Anybody who goes camping knows you don’t fold up a tent nearly as well as in ideal conditions. Small thing but a thing.
I'd agree the stuff sack isn't generous, but I've personally never had a trouble getting it back in. Maybe I've got lucky on my technique for rolling it up though, I have heard that can make a huge difference on getting stuff jammed in. For the record, I find my other tents to be more difficult to get into their stuff sacks than this, so I'd say it's better than normal.
Thanks! I took it out to the mountains of Wyoming and had 5 thunderstorms roll through in one night (so said my friend, who was apparently counting) and despite the rain and wind, that thing held up great and I didn't even use the peak guylines.
Great review of this tent! Is there a footprint available? Alo, I went to Amazon .ca and .com, and they won't ship one to here is BC, and its not available right now. Is there another option?
I don't think there's an official footprint available, usually ultralight backpackers will make their own footprint out of polycryo or tyvek. Gossamer Gear sells polycryo footprints that are well reviewed, although in my personal experience, I don't think I'll be using a footprint with this tent unless I'm car-camping with it, and then I'll probably just throw down a blue utility tarp and fold the edges in. The tent is originally sold on Drop.com for $280. Amazon just recently started stocking it, although at a higher price, so your best bet is to go through Drop. Additionally, you can occasionally find used ones on r/ULGearTrade or r/GearTrade, which are nice used gear subreddits that I've had great luck with in the past.
I've wondered the same christina, apparently Dan is working on a matching footprint to be released in 2021. They'll be sold via his website Durston Gear.
In general, I don't think it's necessary. The 20D silpoly floor is strong enough for most surfaces, however, if you're regularly camping on granite slabs, or gravel pads, then a footprint would be a good idea. I haven't used the 1p or the 2p version enough to really put the floor through the ringer, but I haven't used a footprint on either and have been pleased overall.
Thank you for replying! I’m especially curious how the floor holds up in heavy rain. Would be great to see another video once you’ve put some more mileage on the tent. Thanks again
@@jorisvanlaar As soon as I can get more mileage on it, I'd love to do a follow-up review to address those things. For now though, I'm enjoying the unique world of hammocking in the summer :D
Haha judging by the timing of this comment, I take it you weren't successful in the recent batch of tents? (Jan10th/13th 2022) My apologies, but I'm quite happy with this particular tent, even if I rarely find someone to share it with, I'm a solo hiker most adventures. However, my parents used this when I took them on their first backpacking adventure and they liked it so much my dad insisted that he wanted to buy the exact same tent. I had to regrettably inform him of the supply issues for the foreseeable future.
@@TaylorPassofaro you are absolutely right man. Did not manage to get it for both drops ! Thank you for the reply man, reaching out thru youtube seems like thr best chance I've got 😁 cheers !
I'm wearing Kuhl Renegade Rock pants, they just fit my body really comfortably, and they're my go-to for everyday life and adventures. The fleece is a Marmot Reactor, it's also my go-to for warm trips when I wouldn't bring a down jacket. I do have a rather irrational fondness for that blue color 😁
Thanks very much man. Your video is a very high quality I was genuinely shocked when I seen you only had 1.2k thought you'd have 100k ish keep it up and you'll get there 👍🏻
Ohhh that's a good point! I should have mentioned the trekking poles. I'm terrible and didn't really look at the height 😅 I just extended until there was tension! I know that Dan has mentioned what length works in his blogs / backpackinglight posts, but I can't remember what he said.
Just seeing this video.. Can you confirm if that tent material is really that noisy while your laying/moving around on it? Seems like a really bad chip bag. Can you confirm?
I definitely boosted the audio levels in the shots and I was using an xlite pad which is crinkly (though not as bad as first gen xlite pads). The tent floor is not noisy, the silpoly is a generally quiet material in my experience.
@@TaylorPassofaro Good to know. Couldn't tell if that was the pad or the tent....But if that was the tent... Definitely a deal breaker on buying that one.
I'm a tall person, at 6"5' (1.95 m), looking for a tent for the PCT, and this one looks pretty good. Would I fit in this tent? Would it help if I slept diagonally?
It is a little larger than other 1p tents, that's a common downside, however, I personally haven't encountered trouble with it. Dan Durston has some great diagrams showing the footprints of this tent and others overlaid to give you a comparison. If you're truly after something you can cram into tighter places, the TT Protrail is an awesome shelter for that! Or honestly a bivy, but that's a bit extreme. EDIT: Sorry sorry sorry, I thought this was a comment on my 1p review! That's why I mentioned the TT Protrail, didn't mean to cause confusion. I do not think the XMID 2p is substantially larger than other 2p tents, but Dan has diagrams for this as well floating around out there that are much more helpful than my anecdotal comments.
@@TaylorPassofaro Thanks...I'm upgrading my first tent which was a little amazon cheapo deal. Had zero head room. I'm just wondering if the xmid 1P would've been plenty for a 6'1" guy, and if I've purchased more tent than necessary.
I didn't think my long term review would add much more than other people have said, but in summary it's still a fantastic tent. I wish I used it more often but I'm a solo backpacking a lot, however it's impressed me in all ways, and it's still my go-to 2 person shelter, and my recommendation for most people. If you can get one, it's fantastic.
On the diagonal, I think you'd have plenty of room. Looking at at top down view, the two areas by the poles are at opposite corners, so you'd have good clearance for both head and feet. I'm not exactly sure what the upper limit of a tent like this is for height, but I'd imagine someone could go even taller than 6'5" and still be comfortable, but that's just a guess on my part. durstongear.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/X-Mid-2P-Top-Dimensions.png
Taylor Passofaro I’d be fine with limited height. I’ve spent hours upon hours to find a lightweight tent that would fit 2x25” sleeping pads and be long enough for a tall guy like me. The struggle is real!
The Duplex is in many ways a different tent for different people and the price is the main difference. $600 vs $250 is huge. Realistically the Duplex is meant for thru hikers and people that are commiting to months if trail time out of the year. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual user, but it would be one of my top choices for thru hikers and people who want the absolute lightest gear. All around though, the XMid is going to perform better in almost every metric except weight. It's more durable (in theory, though long term use has yet to be determined), easier to set up, requires less stakes, has much more room, is double wall, full zippers, non-rainbow door, better vents, and isn't mildly see-through. If you're debating between the duplex and the XMid, you're probably not concerned about price, in which case go for both. Take the duplex out thru hiking, and the XMid for everything else.
@@lionkill666 Not at all. I call it spacious for a 2 person backpacking shelter, and it is! But compared to any other 2 person shelter it's not that much bigger of a footprint. I think Dan has some images of the footprint of this overlaid on top of other footprints to show relative size, it should pop up with a Google search of XMid 2p footprint I think. In my experience, I haven't found it's footprint size a concern, but I'm not an AT hiker, which is where I hear that concern more often. That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to take this on the Superior Trail, which is also cramped for space. However, if you're primarily concerned with off-trail use I don't think this will perform any worse (or better) than other tents. It's still a roughly two person sized piece of fabric you gotta find room for. That's actually one of the reasons I switched to hammocking in the summer, I got frustrated with not finding level or cleared ground and surprisingly found I loved hammocking. I'm gonna try and get my brother into it since he's a die hard Tiger Wall 2 fan at the moment and I'd love to have the freedom to wander with him.
Not one built in! I think I strung some paracord across the top of it so I can hang a LuciLantern from a paperclip, but it's been a few months since I took this shelter out (only been soloing recently) so I can't remember what I did. You can see at 03:48 that Dan included D rings at each peak, so it's pretty easy to rig something up yourself, or just hang a lantern from that!
Personally, the only time I'd use the 2p solo is if I were winter camping, and that's because weight is slightly less a concern in those environments. Otherwise, the 1p is pretty great for all situations in my experience.
Haha I do still have both! And I love them both, so unfortunately I'm not in the market to sell. My best advice is to hit up r/Ulgeartrade to get lucky. But I know how hard it is to score one these days 😅
When the 1p first came out there was a lot of debate about the design because it's similar to the stratospire, and also the notch, and also the High Route 1p. However, as people actually got a look at it, and especially once Dan explained his design a bit more, it became more clear that this was not a copy at all, any more than the high route, or other similar dual trekking pole tents, and that the design and it's optimization for volumetric efficiency was pretty unique and innovative. However, I do understand the confusion, they do look kinda similar!
I'm aware that Dan is making a single wall DCF version and the goal of said shelter, however, one piece of gear alone does not define an ultralight system, nor does the material of construction define it. A silnylon tarp that weighs 13oz may be lighter than a 19oz DCF shelter, but both fit into an ultralight system well enough depending on the needs of the person and the environment they're going into. If the 10lb base weight is all one cares about, a 36oz shelter for two can easily work with that 10lb limit; it's something I've done in the past without issue. However, the ultralight philosophy of backpacking does not exist to shame people into buying lighter gear, it's meant to guide backpackers towards more enjoyable outdoor experiences through the idea that lighter packs enable better trail time. How you get there is different for everyone. The fact that someone else has a lighter pack should not diminish the enjoyment for anyone. One can argue that a 12oz XLite sleeping pad is not ultralight because 1/8in thinlight pads exist. Or that a fleece isn't ultralight because a Sierra Sniveller quilt exists. Or that a person cannot be ultralight unless they give up their stove and cold soak everything. On top of all this, money should not be a gatekeeper to enjoying the outdoors in an UL way. DCF is super expensive, what Dan has done by designing a superbly high-quality shelter for a reasonable price allows far more people to dip their toes into the UL waters than before. Yes, DCF shelters are lighter, it's absolutely the superior material in so many ways. Yes, I'd personally love to own one someday. But a 36oz two person shelter is absolutely within the bounds of ultralight. Now...if you were talking about superultralight, I'm totally with you there 😅 In that case, bust out the torso thinlight, Deschutes Zero G, Sierra Sniveller, Talanti jar, and see how far you can push the boundaries!
@@TaylorPassofaro Yeah, the definition of 'ultralight' has been evolving quickly. I'd still disagree with you on calling it ultralight, but for a 2-person double well shelter made of nylon material? yeah in that category, sure ultralight. Great video by the way. This design gets me really pumped for the DCF version as it checks boxes that my Duplex fails on.
This tent is about the same quality as the tents sold at K-Mart. The Dyneema versions are undoubtedly better with the understanding that they are probably going to sweat like a Philly teamster on crack.
Haha I actually think it's been a few years since I slept in a KMart tent, had those when I was a kid, do you have a comparison between an XMid and a KMart tent? Or rather, what are the aspects about this tent that show it's of the same quality? I am pretty hyped about the dyneema XMid, but shouldn't the ventilation should be the same as the regular XMid since they have the same size peak vents? plus you can raise and lower the fly to improve ventilation and leave doors open a bit. Did you manage to order a dyneema version? Also, the poly XMid is better in some ways, namely modularity, comfort, and price by a long mile. Plus it blends in better!
@@TaylorPassofaro I'm just talking about products that have more time and effort involved in making them to be inexpensive rather than more durable or a better design. Dyneema is an amazingly good product for rain protection but still pricey since so few vendors are able to afford to retool to use it. I'd hope that the Pro versions vent well but Dyneema changes the whole game since it's a 100% waterproof material. I have always found that a separate tent and rain fly offer way more options, who wants to set a tent for lunch when it's pissing down rain? I also like not having to stow a water-logged tent, Dyneema takes up more room when packed but that's less a problem for me than anyone backpacking. After looking at all the options available at the time I chose the MLD TrailStar and think it's still the best all-around shelter for any weather or wind conditions. Hang it, or use poles to set it at any height, large footprint, the versatility has made it my go-to shelter for 5 years now when I'm sleeping on the ground. - TrailStar: photos.app.goo.gl/M1zCpfrbnBdd9Pii9
@@brianbassett4379 I think you should take some time and read up on the design process of the XMid. The whole reason why the ultralight community was stoked about this tent was because the designer is a thru hiker like us who started from scratch with an innovative design and then committed to making it durable to the needs of thru hikers. That's why it uses 20d silpoly instead of silnylon, even though silnylon would be technically stronger at first. However, once you factor in UV exposure, the silnylon strength will drop to where the silpoly is, and silpoly also doesn't stretch when wet and Dan knew that matters. The zippers are #5 instead of #3 even though #3 would be lighter because Dan knew that zippers are a huge point of failure (especially in the desert) and also made them waterproof zippers to avoid storm flaps that can leak. Plus, the design itself went through so much evolution to optimize the volumetric efficiency. Check this out for a read, it's fascinating if you're interested in tent design: intocascadia.com/2019/01/08/the-volumetric-efficiency-of-trekking-pole-shelters/ And on top of this, the whole reason why this tent is so inexpensive is because Dan's not taking a huge cut and it's shipped factory to consumer with no marketing. Hardly any markup. This is another thing Dan talks about at length because a lot of people - like you - see the price point of the tent and assume there's something wrong with it, but it's made in the same factory as MSR tents. I don't mean to fanboy this tent with my comments, it's not perfect, I don't take it on every adventure, it's just a tent. But tents should be discussed accurately, and assuming that it wasn't designed well just because it's inexpensive comparatively is an assumption. I mean, I own this, I own other tents, and from objectively looking at it and using it the XMid is as well constructed as any I've used or seen. My brother has a Big Agnes tent, my friend favors Nemo, I also own an REI Quarter Dome, and the XMid's sewing / overall quality is absolutely at the same level as all of those, but with better zippers, vents, and fabric. The reason this is inexpensive is because Dan knew he was going to avoid the markup and marketing. So he set out to make the most well rounded 2 person thru hiking shelter he could think of. On the note about Dyneema, yes, it's the best tent fabric. I think we all understand that. I want an Altaplex so bad. And I want the XMid Pro so bad as well. But even with all of Dan's optimizations, the XMid Pro was still really expensive for a tent, even if it probably is the best 2p shelter you can buy. Dyneema is just out of reach for a lot of people financially. Thankfully, other fabrics exist. With all that said, I'm also a pretty big fan of the TrailStar, the first time I ran into one on trail (the silnylon version) I fawned over it because I've heard so much about them and everyone loves them. And honestly if I was looking for that style of shelter, I'd probably pick one up, it's just so versatile and solid. I hope it brings you through many wonderful adventures, MLD definitely makes quality stuff!
@@TaylorPassofaro I don't think tents should be 100% Dyneema. It's not something you want to be walking on, or to come into contact with stones, or pay for the additional cost. My lightweight Dyneema stuff sacks inside panniers require patching all the time. A "perfect" tent for me is a super inexpensive bug net enclosure with a good zipper and an extremely durable floor, something you can set quickly and fall asleep bug-free under the stars on dry nights, I am using a Sensbug pop tent. Couple that with a great Dyneema tarp that can be used in multiple configurations for more than a single sleep system. I paired an Amok hammock, Dyneema bivy, Sensbug pop tent with an MDL TrailStar tarp, and a Hammock Gear Dyneema Palace fiber tarp all use a single insulated air mattress. Not an option for walkers. I agree that zippers can be problematic and that's exactly why I don't want one incorporated into a single-piece tent. I've found that a little chapstick goes a long way in keeping zippers functional and smooth for years if it's applied regularly.
One comment I can add to this: I finally did take it out on an adventure to the high mountains of Wyoming and it performed beautifully. We were at 11,000ft on an exposed face of a mountain covered in wildflowers and 5 waves of a thunderstorm rolled through. I'm not going to try and estimate wind speed, I'm awful at that, but my Montana Mountain Man best friend said he was nervous in his own traditional hubbed pole shelter, which was a non-ultralight truly freestanding BA tent.
The other good news: sleeping with heads pointed the same direction proved to be even better than I thought it would be. For 3 nights I took the alternate orientation and it didn't bother me. There was still good enough headroom that the mesh wasn't in my face and my feet weren't jammed against the back wall either. Overall very comfortable.
In fact, the X-Mid2p even impressed my older brother, who is a TigerWall2p user, and a firm believer in spreading out all of his stuff. But despite his skepticism at the beginning of the trip ("I dunno Taylor, that packed size is pretty small, I don't think we're going to have enough room"), he later reported that he was quite pleased with it and loved sharing the shelter with me. All around, top marks for that trip I'd say.
Once I've used this a few more times, I'd like to do a follow-up long-term review to share my thoughts on it more, but so far, it's looking good.
Oh, and as an added bonus, I also used Dan's 40L backpack for the trip and loved it! Very cool having the same design language between two big pieces of gear! I hope to make a video on that backpack as well...just as soon as my own adventures die down a bit!
Sorry new to backpacking but where do you put your backpack and rest of gear?
@@krzyazn In the vestibules (entrances).
@@krzyazn If you're talking about while backpacking, then yes, I put my things in the vestibule and in the pockets on the interior, or on the floor to the head and foot of my sleeping pad. If it's raining and the ground is muddy I put my rain kilt down on the ground first so my backpack doesn't get muddy. One of the benefits of Ultralight backpacking is that since you're down to the minimum, there's not a lot to keep track of and so limited internal space isn't much of an issue for tents that lack it (like the one person version of the XMid which still strikes a good balance.)
If you're asking where I put my stuff when I'm not on adventures, I rather aggressively organize it in half of my closet in my apartment in the city 😅 I do not have an impressive gear closet, not do I aspire to that end, but I've got enough for myself and another so I'm happy. Keeping stuff organized is a good challenge, but some slim wide bins with dividers work great, and low shelves with adjustable heights work well for me.
I will definitely be watching if you post more gear reviews! I have only set my x-mid2 up in the back yard with my son... but if the weather is not looking good for my solo backpacking trip next month, I may take it with me then instead of my tiny tarp.
@@Jaysus145 Thanks! I hope it performs well! I'm going to take my Deschutes Plus out onto the Superior Trail this week and probably do an early impressions review of it after that. I've got 3 backpack reviews already shot I need to piece together, so I hope to have more stuff up soon, and I've also got a completely non-sequitur video almost done 🙈
hahaha 'because life in quarantine is a never-ending spiral of perpetual time disassociation' 10 extra points for the delivery and timing of that line, perfect.
I am so glad someone appreciated that 😁😁
@@TaylorPassofaro i did too
@@TaylorPassofaro also, i pulled the trigger on this tent after watching your review, so we can call it 15 extra points :D
I love the way you talk, you’re so nice to listen to. No fake excitement or unnecessary loudness.
Thank you so much, this made my day 😊
Dan should hire you, this was a great review not only for the tent itself but actually how you edited the video and how you communicate your points, a very pleasant experience.
Why thank you, that's a wonderful thing to say 😊
Just wanted to say your reviews are amazing. The cinematography, the background noises, your voice overlay, and the great cuts. Not to mention the actual content of the reviews is high quality. Hope you all the success with your channel! You deserve it!
Thanks so much! Haha this was the first review video I'd ever made and I just had so much fun making it, I'm glad it turned out
Really top quality review. Well shot, interesting points, acknowledging what you don't know or couldn't test - excellent. Subbed.
This was an excellent video. The “overhead outline” was very helpful.
You mentioned 'checking all the boxes." That's exactly what you did and exactly what I want see in a gear review. Nice job with this. Might not have said that if you hadn't done the weather follow-up. But you did. I'm in the market and want this tent. This sealed the deal. Long waiting list so I'm hopeful Dan and the team can ramp up post Covid. This has a sort of "revolutionary" vibe to it.
Good job dude. Appreciate it.
Thanks Tee Jay!! I hope production ramps up soon for everyone on the waitlist, can't wait to see more people rocking these out in the wild!
Just had a notification from Kaviso that they shipped this Duratan tent to me today- I’m in Scotland 😊I’m so excited to try it out👏👏
That's wonderful! I hope it works well for you. Years later I'm still pleased with mine!
Yea the door ties are a bit fiddly but I think that is more than compensated for in 2 ways. 1. They are super reliable, light weight & replaceable if they are damaged. 2. They enable the best trick in the tent, they can be used to pull the inner netting out by threading the clip on the Fly side through the loop on the door tie on the inner part of the tent and cinching tight. This expands the volume of the inner a reasonable amount and still maintains the double wall integrity. This trick works on the 1P as well.
The 2nd BKM I have for this tent is a more fool proof way to set it up. The trick to getting the best pitch of the tent (to keep the fly close to the ground, the peak line of the tent tight, and the outside panels wrinkle free) is to stake the 4 corners of the tent with a tight perfect square (all 90 degree angles) with the tent corners cinched in all the way to the stakes. If you do not have an eagle eye for 90 degrees (I certainly don't) then it is possible to use the tent fabric pulled tight as a way to find the location of the 3rd corner you stake down to be exactly in the right position to make a 90 degree angle. The 4th corner pulls tight into a 90 degree angle by default.
Lay the tent out as a rectangle where you want to set it up. Stake out one of the short sides of the tent with 2 stakes so it forms a nice tight line. Then take the other 2 corners of the opposite side of the tent and hold them together and pull them tight at about waist level with the center of that side of the tent hanging down near your feet. When the corners form a tight triangle in the air at your waist you have found where the center of that side of the tent should be directly on the ground below it. Holding the corners together with one hand tight in the air (about waist level) use the other hand to stretch the short side of the tent to the ground directly below the tension point in the air above it. Then, holding the center of the edge of the tent on the ground with one hand use the other hand to pull one of the corners of the tent out so it is tight with where you are holding the center to the ground and with the opposite corner of the tent. Place the 3rd stake tightened out so the corner stays right where you have found it should go. Then put the 4th stake so it is tight in both directions. This will get you very close to a perfectly square rectangle if you are on flat ground and will make the pitch nice and tight. With some practice the tent can be pitched tight in well under 5 minutes if you already have the inner clipped to the fly inside.
Taking down is simple. Remove the poles & stakes and then reach over and grab the 2 peaks and the inner floor underneath. Fold the peaks together (so the tent folds in half hanging down from your hands) and then fold it in half once more. At this point it will be about the width of the bag. Then simply roll it up and stuff it in the bag. Since it is polyester fabric it does not have to be perfect and is very forgiving when folding and stuffing. This make it easy to unroll and unfold the next time you pitch it and will only be a bit wrinkled. After being pitched tight for a few hours the wrinkles relax out with no problems.
I love this tent!
Thanks for the comments! That trick for getting a good pitch is something I stumbled upon a few months ago and I got to test it out when I took this to Wyoming, and it works fantastically! I'll try out your method of taking it down, at this point I kinda just fold it a bit and then roll and it seems to work well, but I'm someone that likes consistency so I'm eager to try it out.
I've also tried the door toggle trick to get more interior room, I honestly thought it was intentionally designed like that at first, it's a pretty cool idea!
Sometimes pictures or video speak a thousand words lol
Another great review by you, concise and honest, thanks again for your time and effort. Kind regards Peter Bennett, Victoria, Australia.
Absolutely amazing review. I hope your channel grows and companies send you more products to review. Love the honesty in your video. I think this will be my next tent when they come back in stock
Thank you, you're very kind 😁 I hope they come back in stock soon! (Although I saw a few on r/ULGearTrade last week, you might be able to score one early if you hunt!)
Thanks for your report. I have one on the way.
A really nice job on this. I'm impressed with how well you covered everything and you also have a perfect voice modulation that is pleasing to listen to.
That's a very nice thing to say, thank you, I'm flattered!
Excellent first impression, you touch on details that other reviewers do not. I look forward to seeing it on trail. Subbed!
Thanks for the great review. Ordered this and it arrives tomorrow!
Good job on this first impression review :) I really like the narration and the beautiful shots. Can't wait for a long-term review of this, I'm considering buying it for next summer.
Thank you! I really hope I can use it more often to get a proper feel for it, but so far it's been excellent.
If you ask me "perfect weather" for testing a tent is not " perfect weather for testing a tent. Love this review and very well done!
Haha you're absolutely right 😅 If I ever become friends with a wizard I'm gonna petition them to create a patch of ground with 30mph thunderstorms for a few hours just so I can test tents 😁
Excellent review. I have the xmid 1 person and I love it. The thing is a beast in storms, we tend to be a humid environment so heavy dew is almost always on the outer, never on me though. I give the tent a good shake before crawling out in the morning so it doesn’t run down on me when I get out. Beautiful tent. Plenty of room. Ive never been wet. Easy to pitch. Quick to tear down. I’ve been looking at the 2 person to get for if my wife ever decides to start hiking with me.
Pretzel or Taylor, any condensation on the inside of the fly? I'm in humid area too. On a double wall free standing tent, I would pull the fly off and let it dry before packing or just pack it up wet separately to keep the inner dry. What would you do with this tent to keep the inner dry if the inside of the fly is wet and you want to pack up early?
Your reviews are so well done. I already have the X-Mid 1 but after your review, I would have bought it again. Now I want an X-Mid 2.
Thanks for a top quality review. I've ordered my X-Mid 2P, looking forward to testing it out.
This was a great video, you really need to do more of this type of thing..
Great review! I appreciate some of the insights you brought up. I know you can't do anything more while most of the country is shut down, but it would be super helpful if you did an updated review after using it some. No one has done a review after actually using it for a while under various conditions.
I'd like to do an updated review, I've really only taken it out on one serious trip so I don't know if that warrants a follow up yet...
I gotta say this is a really nice review of a this tent. Which makes me want to have one even more. I’ve never backpacked but I want to get into it and this tent seems like more interesting than say a Nemo Hornet or Sea to Summit Altos.
Thanks! It's a really solid shelter, my parents just used it this past weekend and I am still impressed with it. If you use trekking poles, it's so nice.
This was a well made video. Keep up the good work! 😁
Great video and review. I am sitting on the fence and trying to decide whether to pull the trigger or not. You have pushed me much closer to doing so and getting this tent for 2021. It really does look and sound like a fantastic tent.
Why thank you 😊
It's currently the shelter I believe is the best fit for most backpackers provided they're ready for non-freestanding, and my enthusiasm for it hasn't waned since I got it. However, there's definitely cases where I would probably recommend other shelters over this one, no tent can do it all! Lucky there's a lot of great options out there right now, it's an exciting time to have a love for nature that makes you want to get out for days at a time. If you got questions, I'll do my best to answer!
@@TaylorPassofaro Thanks...you may just hear from me again.
You are right; it checks all the boxes. True double wall tent for better climate and condensation control, spacious for a 6 foot guy (and if I bring my 5.5 foot wife)), utilizes my 2 adjustable aluminum trekking poles, Side Door entrance with 2 side doors and 2 vestibules, bathtub floor and mesh inner, ability to vent in various ways, and reasonably lightweight. I was down between this and the Double Rainbow by TarpTent, but ... Thanks for video.
You're very welcome 😊 I do love the idea of the Double Rainbow (haven't personally used one), and it certainly has some benefits over the XMid, but not many. Tarptent really knows how to make good shelters though, I hear nothing but the highest praise for them!
Very nicely done high-quality review.
Good video man this is top quality all you need is some more experience making videos and then I can definitely see you having hundreds of thousands of subs
Great design and review. Apex vents are a must for me not just because of condensation but airflow when it’s hot, heat rises out and cool air comes in the bottom. A DCF version would be up there with top trekking pole tents out there
This is the tent I want thank you for your great review!!!
Thanks for the kind words Nancy 😊
Ours got to our mailbox in Wa the day the Canada/US border closed 😞. We finally asked them to mail it to us since we don’t know when the border will open. Hopefully it comes soon!!
LOVE this tent!!
Great review. Many thanks
Excellent review. Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks for the video!
Good review. Very informative and helpful.
Great review. It's hard to find a double-wall trekking pole tent for that weight and price. I have one but haven't been able to take it out and test it yet.
I'm thinking of getting this tent as a one person to use a two person tent with dog. What do you think?
I've heard other people use this a dog successfully, it should definitely be spacious enough. I'd get a foam pad like the GG Thinlight or MLD Goodnight to protect the floor from the dog. Or a Nemo Switchback if you want a bit more insulation / availability.
This video is so well produced! What lens were you using to get that night shot?
I was using an old Canon FD 55mm f1.2 lens, although I've just picked up an SLR Magic 35mm f1.2 lens that I love even more for night shots and take with me on some adventures despite it's heavy weight.
EDIT: I should also mention a big factor in getting that shot looking clean was using a shutter speed of 1/10 of a second and the relatively clean shadows of HLG3. The A7iii lets you go down that low even with at 24p, which lets in a ton more light than if I was following the usual 180deg rule.
Excellent review!
Thank you! I appreciate it 😁
Realy love your review! Thank you very much. I have one last question: the footprints seems very noisy in the video. Would you say the tent is noisy when you move? The Person i would share this tent with is a very light sleeper and is even distractet from the noise of my sleepingpad (seatosummit etherlight xt). Thank you very much for the help!
Haha that's probably due to my overly sensitive microphone. This video was one of the first projects I did with the mic and so perhaps was a bit too eager with it 😅 The tent floor is no noisier than any other tent. The fabric is not crinkly on its own, and I'd say any sleeping pad is going to generate more. Sorry to hear about your partner, the Etherlight is supposed to be really quiet! Only one I know quieter is the Nemo Tensor, but I've not slept on it myself.
After experiencing the 2-P, would you recommend that over the 1-P if you mostly backpack by yourself? or is the additional weight not worth it? thanks!
I'd say the extra weight of the 2p isn't worth it if you're just by yourself. The 1P is a great shelter for 1 person, and I don't think that more rain protected room is a weakness of it. Those vestibules are wonderful. That being said, rain protected room vs bug protected room is an issue with the 1p, and if you're in an area with high bug pressure where you need to get to your pack in the vestibule often, then the 1p might be tricky since the interior doesn't have a lot of storage. I wouldn't jump to the 2p as the solution for that right away, however. There are other shelters that do bug-protected interiors at a lower weight, although to be honest, most are still a bit narrow. The Lunar Solo is probably the best example of good space, but the TT Protrail is also good, or the Deschutes Plus if you can rig up a good bug protected floor and want to try the semi-tarp life.
I'll also just throw this out there, backpacking solo with a hammock is wonderful. Being able to set up anywhere there are trees and not worry about flat ground is magical. As a longtime side/stomach sleeper that was initially skeptical, the hammock life was way better than I thought.
@@TaylorPassofaro Thank you! great review by the way.
Good job
Thanks :)
Thanks, great review. One question please - the floor of the tent seems quite “loud” whenever you move on it - at least that is the impression I have from the video. Is that correct or is that just due to an overactive microphone?
Thank you 😊
The loud tent floor in the video is just a result of the microphone, in person it's not any louder or quieter than any tent I've used. I overall quite like the floor fabric used, it's not super slippery either, so my pad doesn't drift around on it at night.
@@TaylorPassofaro Many thanks Taylor. Now if I can just get my hands on one ;-) I live in Hong Kong so have to get it over here too. Keep well and will be subscribing to your channel . Thanks!
Hello. That was a good review. Is it possible to cook/make a drink in the vestibule ?
Thank you 😁
It is possible! The vestibules are generous on this shelter, among the best I've seen, I made coffee in them on the 2nd day out in Wyoming with my Soto Amicus and an Olicamp Mug. However, cooking in a vestibule/tent is always done at your own risk, and is generally not advisable in any tent not just for fire safety reasons, but also as a way to ensure any of your gear doesn't smell appetizing to animals. It's best practice to keep cooking and gear as separate as possible.
Great review! Curious to know what poles you used as well!
I used the Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber poles, and I really like them. Strong, affordable, and lightweight, they're the best deal in poles.
Just got mine. Kinda surprised no one has mentioned the size of the stuff sack. The tent fills it to the max straight from X-Mid. Anybody who goes camping knows you don’t fold up a tent nearly as well as in ideal conditions. Small thing but a thing.
I'd agree the stuff sack isn't generous, but I've personally never had a trouble getting it back in. Maybe I've got lucky on my technique for rolling it up though, I have heard that can make a huge difference on getting stuff jammed in. For the record, I find my other tents to be more difficult to get into their stuff sacks than this, so I'd say it's better than normal.
Nice Vid!!! I'm curious how it handles weather....
Thanks! I took it out to the mountains of Wyoming and had 5 thunderstorms roll through in one night (so said my friend, who was apparently counting) and despite the rain and wind, that thing held up great and I didn't even use the peak guylines.
Great review of this tent! Is there a footprint available? Alo, I went to Amazon .ca and .com, and they won't ship one to here is BC, and its not available right now. Is there another option?
I don't think there's an official footprint available, usually ultralight backpackers will make their own footprint out of polycryo or tyvek. Gossamer Gear sells polycryo footprints that are well reviewed, although in my personal experience, I don't think I'll be using a footprint with this tent unless I'm car-camping with it, and then I'll probably just throw down a blue utility tarp and fold the edges in.
The tent is originally sold on Drop.com for $280. Amazon just recently started stocking it, although at a higher price, so your best bet is to go through Drop. Additionally, you can occasionally find used ones on r/ULGearTrade or r/GearTrade, which are nice used gear subreddits that I've had great luck with in the past.
I've wondered the same christina, apparently Dan is working on a matching footprint to be released in 2021. They'll be sold via his website Durston Gear.
Great review, Taylor.
One question - have you weighed this tent? I've read some reports where people say it's heavier than the specs.
That's a good point, I hadn't yet!
Tent with Stuff Sack: 38.1oz
Tent with Stuff Sack + Stakes: 40.5oz
So my version is almost exactly on spec.
Rockstar video
Would you recommend using a footprint with this tent?
In general, I don't think it's necessary. The 20D silpoly floor is strong enough for most surfaces, however, if you're regularly camping on granite slabs, or gravel pads, then a footprint would be a good idea. I haven't used the 1p or the 2p version enough to really put the floor through the ringer, but I haven't used a footprint on either and have been pleased overall.
Thank you for replying! I’m especially curious how the floor holds up in heavy rain. Would be great to see another video once you’ve put some more mileage on the tent. Thanks again
@@jorisvanlaar As soon as I can get more mileage on it, I'd love to do a follow-up review to address those things. For now though, I'm enjoying the unique world of hammocking in the summer :D
Hey Taylor, wondering if you are still using this tent one year on? Would love to buy it off you if you are not using it anymore!
Haha judging by the timing of this comment, I take it you weren't successful in the recent batch of tents? (Jan10th/13th 2022)
My apologies, but I'm quite happy with this particular tent, even if I rarely find someone to share it with, I'm a solo hiker most adventures. However, my parents used this when I took them on their first backpacking adventure and they liked it so much my dad insisted that he wanted to buy the exact same tent. I had to regrettably inform him of the supply issues for the foreseeable future.
@@TaylorPassofaro you are absolutely right man. Did not manage to get it for both drops ! Thank you for the reply man, reaching out thru youtube seems like thr best chance I've got 😁 cheers !
What are the trousers and blue fleece you are wearing?
I'm wearing Kuhl Renegade Rock pants, they just fit my body really comfortably, and they're my go-to for everyday life and adventures. The fleece is a Marmot Reactor, it's also my go-to for warm trips when I wouldn't bring a down jacket. I do have a rather irrational fondness for that blue color 😁
Thanks very much man. Your video is a very high quality I was genuinely shocked when I seen you only had 1.2k thought you'd have 100k ish keep it up and you'll get there 👍🏻
Excellent review! subbed. Also, what's the height of the trekking pole? Mine is a nonadjustable 110cm pole, not sure if that works.
Ohhh that's a good point! I should have mentioned the trekking poles. I'm terrible and didn't really look at the height 😅 I just extended until there was tension! I know that Dan has mentioned what length works in his blogs / backpackinglight posts, but I can't remember what he said.
The ideal height is 120-123cm (47-48"). so that pole would probably be too short.
Just seeing this video.. Can you confirm if that tent material is really that noisy while your laying/moving around on it? Seems like a really bad chip bag. Can you confirm?
I definitely boosted the audio levels in the shots and I was using an xlite pad which is crinkly (though not as bad as first gen xlite pads). The tent floor is not noisy, the silpoly is a generally quiet material in my experience.
@@TaylorPassofaro Good to know. Couldn't tell if that was the pad or the tent....But if that was the tent... Definitely a deal breaker on buying that one.
@@kevinr4285 Haha I feel you, noise would definitely need a deal breaker, but thankfully this tent is just like most other silpoly or silnylon tents.
I'm a tall person, at 6"5' (1.95 m), looking for a tent for the PCT, and this one looks pretty good. Would I fit in this tent? Would it help if I slept diagonally?
I think diagonally you would fit pretty well! The good thing is that the mesh would keep you from touching the walls anyway in case it was close.
Hey @RQFLS: Did you end up getting the tent? If so, was there room? (6’9” guy - 2.06m - asking)
is the footprint of this tent as big as it looks....i'm just wondering if you'll every encounter situations where there isn't enough space to set up
It is a little larger than other 1p tents, that's a common downside, however, I personally haven't encountered trouble with it. Dan Durston has some great diagrams showing the footprints of this tent and others overlaid to give you a comparison. If you're truly after something you can cram into tighter places, the TT Protrail is an awesome shelter for that! Or honestly a bivy, but that's a bit extreme.
EDIT: Sorry sorry sorry, I thought this was a comment on my 1p review! That's why I mentioned the TT Protrail, didn't mean to cause confusion. I do not think the XMID 2p is substantially larger than other 2p tents, but Dan has diagrams for this as well floating around out there that are much more helpful than my anecdotal comments.
@@TaylorPassofaro Thanks...I'm upgrading my first tent which was a little amazon cheapo deal. Had zero head room. I'm just wondering if the xmid 1P would've been plenty for a 6'1" guy, and if I've purchased more tent than necessary.
do you have a long term review?
I didn't think my long term review would add much more than other people have said, but in summary it's still a fantastic tent. I wish I used it more often but I'm a solo backpacking a lot, however it's impressed me in all ways, and it's still my go-to 2 person shelter, and my recommendation for most people. If you can get one, it's fantastic.
Hey there,
Do you think this would work for a guy who's 6'5?
Cheers,
Chris
On the diagonal, I think you'd have plenty of room. Looking at at top down view, the two areas by the poles are at opposite corners, so you'd have good clearance for both head and feet. I'm not exactly sure what the upper limit of a tent like this is for height, but I'd imagine someone could go even taller than 6'5" and still be comfortable, but that's just a guess on my part.
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Taylor Passofaro I’d be fine with limited height. I’ve spent hours upon hours to find a lightweight tent that would fit 2x25” sleeping pads and be long enough for a tall guy like me. The struggle is real!
Hey @ChrisNigul: Did you end up getting the tent? If so, was there room? (6’9” guy asking)
Nick Van Herk, Na, I ordered the zpacks triplex. Should get it by next month
How does it compare to the Duplex?
The Duplex is in many ways a different tent for different people and the price is the main difference. $600 vs $250 is huge. Realistically the Duplex is meant for thru hikers and people that are commiting to months if trail time out of the year. I wouldn't recommend it to a casual user, but it would be one of my top choices for thru hikers and people who want the absolute lightest gear. All around though, the XMid is going to perform better in almost every metric except weight. It's more durable (in theory, though long term use has yet to be determined), easier to set up, requires less stakes, has much more room, is double wall, full zippers, non-rainbow door, better vents, and isn't mildly see-through. If you're debating between the duplex and the XMid, you're probably not concerned about price, in which case go for both. Take the duplex out thru hiking, and the XMid for everything else.
@@TaylorPassofaro Thx, I am worried that it looks like it takes up a lot of room, and would be hard to fit places off trail. Do you find it massive?
@@lionkill666 Not at all. I call it spacious for a 2 person backpacking shelter, and it is! But compared to any other 2 person shelter it's not that much bigger of a footprint. I think Dan has some images of the footprint of this overlaid on top of other footprints to show relative size, it should pop up with a Google search of XMid 2p footprint I think. In my experience, I haven't found it's footprint size a concern, but I'm not an AT hiker, which is where I hear that concern more often. That being said, I wouldn't hesitate to take this on the Superior Trail, which is also cramped for space.
However, if you're primarily concerned with off-trail use I don't think this will perform any worse (or better) than other tents. It's still a roughly two person sized piece of fabric you gotta find room for. That's actually one of the reasons I switched to hammocking in the summer, I got frustrated with not finding level or cleared ground and surprisingly found I loved hammocking. I'm gonna try and get my brother into it since he's a die hard Tiger Wall 2 fan at the moment and I'd love to have the freedom to wander with him.
No lantern hook??
Not one built in! I think I strung some paracord across the top of it so I can hang a LuciLantern from a paperclip, but it's been a few months since I took this shelter out (only been soloing recently) so I can't remember what I did. You can see at 03:48 that Dan included D rings at each peak, so it's pretty easy to rig something up yourself, or just hang a lantern from that!
Please review something else, that was great!
Thank you! I decided to review the 1p since I also have that, uploading it now, hopefully it's well-received
I love how you enunciate your "t"s lol
...Do I do that?? Haha, I never noticed it 😅😁
Question to anyone who wants to respond, would you do the 1p tent for 1p or the 2p tent for 1p? Pros and Cons...go :)
Personally, the only time I'd use the 2p solo is if I were winter camping, and that's because weight is slightly less a concern in those environments. Otherwise, the 1p is pretty great for all situations in my experience.
Do you still have the X-Mid tent? If so, would you be interested in selling it to me?
Haha I do still have both! And I love them both, so unfortunately I'm not in the market to sell. My best advice is to hit up r/Ulgeartrade to get lucky. But I know how hard it is to score one these days 😅
I think that may be a copy of the Tarp Tent Stratospire.
When the 1p first came out there was a lot of debate about the design because it's similar to the stratospire, and also the notch, and also the High Route 1p. However, as people actually got a look at it, and especially once Dan explained his design a bit more, it became more clear that this was not a copy at all, any more than the high route, or other similar dual trekking pole tents, and that the design and it's optimization for volumetric efficiency was pretty unique and innovative. However, I do understand the confusion, they do look kinda similar!
Noise e pad, aye
At 36 oz total, this is NOT ultralight. Their UL DCF version comes out Fall 2021. It looks like they're aiming for sub 24 oz.
I'm aware that Dan is making a single wall DCF version and the goal of said shelter, however, one piece of gear alone does not define an ultralight system, nor does the material of construction define it. A silnylon tarp that weighs 13oz may be lighter than a 19oz DCF shelter, but both fit into an ultralight system well enough depending on the needs of the person and the environment they're going into. If the 10lb base weight is all one cares about, a 36oz shelter for two can easily work with that 10lb limit; it's something I've done in the past without issue. However, the ultralight philosophy of backpacking does not exist to shame people into buying lighter gear, it's meant to guide backpackers towards more enjoyable outdoor experiences through the idea that lighter packs enable better trail time. How you get there is different for everyone. The fact that someone else has a lighter pack should not diminish the enjoyment for anyone. One can argue that a 12oz XLite sleeping pad is not ultralight because 1/8in thinlight pads exist. Or that a fleece isn't ultralight because a Sierra Sniveller quilt exists. Or that a person cannot be ultralight unless they give up their stove and cold soak everything.
On top of all this, money should not be a gatekeeper to enjoying the outdoors in an UL way. DCF is super expensive, what Dan has done by designing a superbly high-quality shelter for a reasonable price allows far more people to dip their toes into the UL waters than before. Yes, DCF shelters are lighter, it's absolutely the superior material in so many ways. Yes, I'd personally love to own one someday. But a 36oz two person shelter is absolutely within the bounds of ultralight.
Now...if you were talking about superultralight, I'm totally with you there 😅 In that case, bust out the torso thinlight, Deschutes Zero G, Sierra Sniveller, Talanti jar, and see how far you can push the boundaries!
@@TaylorPassofaro Yeah, the definition of 'ultralight' has been evolving quickly. I'd still disagree with you on calling it ultralight, but for a 2-person double well shelter made of nylon material? yeah in that category, sure ultralight. Great video by the way. This design gets me really pumped for the DCF version as it checks boxes that my Duplex fails on.
This tent is about the same quality as the tents sold at K-Mart. The Dyneema versions are undoubtedly better with the understanding that they are probably going to sweat like a Philly teamster on crack.
Haha I actually think it's been a few years since I slept in a KMart tent, had those when I was a kid, do you have a comparison between an XMid and a KMart tent? Or rather, what are the aspects about this tent that show it's of the same quality?
I am pretty hyped about the dyneema XMid, but shouldn't the ventilation should be the same as the regular XMid since they have the same size peak vents? plus you can raise and lower the fly to improve ventilation and leave doors open a bit. Did you manage to order a dyneema version?
Also, the poly XMid is better in some ways, namely modularity, comfort, and price by a long mile. Plus it blends in better!
@@TaylorPassofaro I'm just talking about products that have more time and effort involved in making them to be inexpensive rather than more durable or a better design. Dyneema is an amazingly good product for rain protection but still pricey since so few vendors are able to afford to retool to use it. I'd hope that the Pro versions vent well but Dyneema changes the whole game since it's a 100% waterproof material. I have always found that a separate tent and rain fly offer way more options, who wants to set a tent for lunch when it's pissing down rain? I also like not having to stow a water-logged tent, Dyneema takes up more room when packed but that's less a problem for me than anyone backpacking. After looking at all the options available at the time I chose the MLD TrailStar and think it's still the best all-around shelter for any weather or wind conditions. Hang it, or use poles to set it at any height, large footprint, the versatility has made it my go-to shelter for 5 years now when I'm sleeping on the ground. - TrailStar:
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@@brianbassett4379 I think you should take some time and read up on the design process of the XMid. The whole reason why the ultralight community was stoked about this tent was because the designer is a thru hiker like us who started from scratch with an innovative design and then committed to making it durable to the needs of thru hikers. That's why it uses 20d silpoly instead of silnylon, even though silnylon would be technically stronger at first. However, once you factor in UV exposure, the silnylon strength will drop to where the silpoly is, and silpoly also doesn't stretch when wet and Dan knew that matters. The zippers are #5 instead of #3 even though #3 would be lighter because Dan knew that zippers are a huge point of failure (especially in the desert) and also made them waterproof zippers to avoid storm flaps that can leak. Plus, the design itself went through so much evolution to optimize the volumetric efficiency. Check this out for a read, it's fascinating if you're interested in tent design: intocascadia.com/2019/01/08/the-volumetric-efficiency-of-trekking-pole-shelters/
And on top of this, the whole reason why this tent is so inexpensive is because Dan's not taking a huge cut and it's shipped factory to consumer with no marketing. Hardly any markup. This is another thing Dan talks about at length because a lot of people - like you - see the price point of the tent and assume there's something wrong with it, but it's made in the same factory as MSR tents.
I don't mean to fanboy this tent with my comments, it's not perfect, I don't take it on every adventure, it's just a tent. But tents should be discussed accurately, and assuming that it wasn't designed well just because it's inexpensive comparatively is an assumption. I mean, I own this, I own other tents, and from objectively looking at it and using it the XMid is as well constructed as any I've used or seen. My brother has a Big Agnes tent, my friend favors Nemo, I also own an REI Quarter Dome, and the XMid's sewing / overall quality is absolutely at the same level as all of those, but with better zippers, vents, and fabric.
The reason this is inexpensive is because Dan knew he was going to avoid the markup and marketing. So he set out to make the most well rounded 2 person thru hiking shelter he could think of.
On the note about Dyneema, yes, it's the best tent fabric. I think we all understand that. I want an Altaplex so bad. And I want the XMid Pro so bad as well. But even with all of Dan's optimizations, the XMid Pro was still really expensive for a tent, even if it probably is the best 2p shelter you can buy. Dyneema is just out of reach for a lot of people financially. Thankfully, other fabrics exist.
With all that said, I'm also a pretty big fan of the TrailStar, the first time I ran into one on trail (the silnylon version) I fawned over it because I've heard so much about them and everyone loves them. And honestly if I was looking for that style of shelter, I'd probably pick one up, it's just so versatile and solid. I hope it brings you through many wonderful adventures, MLD definitely makes quality stuff!
@@TaylorPassofaro I don't think tents should be 100% Dyneema. It's not something you want to be walking on, or to come into contact with stones, or pay for the additional cost. My lightweight Dyneema stuff sacks inside panniers require patching all the time. A "perfect" tent for me is a super inexpensive bug net enclosure with a good zipper and an extremely durable floor, something you can set quickly and fall asleep bug-free under the stars on dry nights, I am using a Sensbug pop tent. Couple that with a great Dyneema tarp that can be used in multiple configurations for more than a single sleep system. I paired an Amok hammock, Dyneema bivy, Sensbug pop tent with an MDL TrailStar tarp, and a Hammock Gear Dyneema Palace fiber tarp all use a single insulated air mattress. Not an option for walkers. I agree that zippers can be problematic and that's exactly why I don't want one incorporated into a single-piece tent. I've found that a little chapstick goes a long way in keeping zippers functional and smooth for years if it's applied regularly.
the initial stake-out needs to be taut. otherwise the pitch will be shit. read the instructions before making a video, lol. come on, dude.
Yet another tent review with glowing reviews on how much room there is yet the reviewer neglects to say how tall he is.
Haha, I mention in the video twice that I'm 6'0" even. Once at 03:37 and again at 04:22.
Is it possible that the reviewers mention their height in every video, & you just don't listen? 😂 lol