Thanks for the video Will. Glad you were able to get this fixed up. This will be helpful for other people with a first batch X-Mid 1 and that narrow tip style of poles. To add a bit more info on this peak issue, the grommets themselves are pretty industry standard in the sense that a lot of other tent brands use the exact same grommet (e.g. Tarptent). What was different in the first run of the X-Mid is that the grommet was fairly close to the fly and the reinforcement we used (that black material) was fairly stretchy, so if a pole tip did protrude too far it would push on the fly and the reinforcement would just stretch to leave the less stretchy fly fabric with the strain. I chose that reinforcement material primarily to handle abrasion (which is does very well) and didn't anticipate longer tips like this would also add a stretch challenge (I wasn't familiar with this style of pole tip, as all the poles I've ever used have been the other style). All pole protrude a little bit and if there is a bit of pole tip protrusion everything will be fine, but if it gets too much then it exceeds how much the outer fabric can stretch so it can cause it to split. In comparison, if you look at Tarptent their grommet is the same grommet but set a bit lower. It's actually quite similar position, but the key difference is that the reinforcement material they use is a stiff rubber that doesn't stretch, so if a tip does protrude that rubber can hold the pressure without it passing the stretch to the fly material. To resolve this, we lowered the grommet slightly in fall 2019 (second batch) and also adding webbing on top of the grommet which is lower stretch than the black fabric so it holds the pressure instead of passing it to the fly fabric. We starting using a regular webbing in fall 2019 which virtually eliminated all issues like this, and then for 2022 we found an even lower stretch webbing that adds extra safety. For the repair, the outside of the fly is sil coated, so if someone is using Tenacious Tape the 'sil' version sticks better than regular Tenacious Tape. For the mod for first batch tents, this does work well for people who have the narrow tips like yourself, but it can be dangerous if someone has wider regular tips, because the wider tips may not fit into the rubber grommet well enough. I've seen a few reports of people using wider tips with grommets where the tip pops out of the grommet because doesn't seat far enough. So the grommet is a nice fix for people with narrow pole tips, which should be the only people with this issue. We also increased the length of the warranty for 2022 from 1 year to 2 years. Also the resale price for X-Mid's is pretty crazy these days, with a lot lately selling for $400-$500! Our 2022 version of the X-Mid 1 has a ton of nice updates since the original version, where even with your repairs you could probably sell your original one for enough $ to buy a new 2022 one when they are back in stock. We'll have a batch with the new solid fabric inner in July and then finally much better supply of all models starting this fall.
The fact that Dan interacts with his customers that have issues like this is such a testament to the products offered imo. The care and respect as well as willingness to accept that sometimes issues may arise is top notch. And the willingness to help to remedy those issues however small they may be as well as work to fix those issues in future products is what I consider to be a sign of an Awesome outdoor products company. I'm so excited to get my hands on an XMid 2 when they become more readily available.
Thanks Will. My quick fix would have been to bring some Bic pen lids and put them on the trekking pole tips to keep the carbide tips from coming in contact with the tent material. Yours is a better long term solution.
Great video! Very clear and to the point. I especially appreciate the 'b-roll' of you actually doing the mod/fix. Subbed and looking forward to watching more of your videos. I was lucky enough to get an order in for the X-Mid Pro 2 and have been anxiously waiting for it.
I asked Dan about going handle up and he told me it is possible with a handle adapter that Tarptent sells. I imagine it would work for the early XMid versions as well.
Nice Job man👍 Thanks for the info and insite! I've been looking a new tent for a while now and I've pretty much settled on the X Mid 2 as it seems pretty impressive. So when it becomes more readily available I'll be getting one. Gotta say, Impressive DIY repair work on your part!
That could work but a simple gear aid tenacious tape patch would probably be just as effective if not better in some ways because the point where you have the puncture may not get stressed and stretched as much. The tear aid material I used can become cloudy and discolored over time.
Thanks for warning! Mine has hole in mesh from airborne hot ash-keep this tent far from fires!Also I can never get mine as taut as i see in yt videos...
Believe it or not, I have been wanting to get samples of mesh to for a different issue with an original Xmid. Which fabric did you end up choosing from RBTR to match the existing mesh?
I had an x-mid and generally liked it but I sold it. It’s foot print was too big, it was a pain in the but to put up(yes that’s a me issue) and after a handful of uses I decided I don’t like using my trekking poles.
I agree about the footprint size which can make it more challenging to find enough level space for it in some areas. Trekking poles aren't for everybody. I have a friend who doesn't like them either.
@@WasatchWill I should have finished my thought better. I love using trekking poles. I just don't like using them to hold my tent up. I've never broken one but I was always paranoid that I'd break my pole and then be SOL.
Ahh... gotcha. That makes sense too, especially if you're on a trip where you set up a base camp and want to wander around away from camp to explore and what not and want to keep your poles for more stability and such when away from camp.
Standard Tear Aid won‘t stick on sil material for a long time. You can peal it off very easy. On the PU side it works perfect. The PU/Sil material is the weak point at MSR and it‘s the weak point at Durston. Sil/sil has so much more strength, it‘s nearly impossible to rip, even when it has a cut! Durston made the wrong decision in my opinion. The design is so great, I wish they‘d have used sil/sil nylon or sil/sil polyester. Proofing the seams is so easy, everyone can do it. No one needs the seamtape. After failings of my MSR Material I bought only tents with sil/sil from Hilleberg and VauDe and I made two tents of my own designs and never looked back to the sil/pu materials. The only reason for the Durston and MSR choice it‘s cheaper an easier to make. Sorry Dan, sorry MSR!
Thanks. I'll keep an eye on that tear aid patch and replace if it as needed. I actually use my Sil Notch way more often. I can fit it in tighter spaces and set my phone up to watch movies inside and it has more ventilation options, and so on. But I agree, sil-sil would be best, especially for the fly. Seam sealing is easy. I can respect the pu on the interior side of the inner for a less slippery floor.
Thanks for the video Will. Glad you were able to get this fixed up. This will be helpful for other people with a first batch X-Mid 1 and that narrow tip style of poles.
To add a bit more info on this peak issue, the grommets themselves are pretty industry standard in the sense that a lot of other tent brands use the exact same grommet (e.g. Tarptent). What was different in the first run of the X-Mid is that the grommet was fairly close to the fly and the reinforcement we used (that black material) was fairly stretchy, so if a pole tip did protrude too far it would push on the fly and the reinforcement would just stretch to leave the less stretchy fly fabric with the strain. I chose that reinforcement material primarily to handle abrasion (which is does very well) and didn't anticipate longer tips like this would also add a stretch challenge (I wasn't familiar with this style of pole tip, as all the poles I've ever used have been the other style). All pole protrude a little bit and if there is a bit of pole tip protrusion everything will be fine, but if it gets too much then it exceeds how much the outer fabric can stretch so it can cause it to split.
In comparison, if you look at Tarptent their grommet is the same grommet but set a bit lower. It's actually quite similar position, but the key difference is that the reinforcement material they use is a stiff rubber that doesn't stretch, so if a tip does protrude that rubber can hold the pressure without it passing the stretch to the fly material.
To resolve this, we lowered the grommet slightly in fall 2019 (second batch) and also adding webbing on top of the grommet which is lower stretch than the black fabric so it holds the pressure instead of passing it to the fly fabric. We starting using a regular webbing in fall 2019 which virtually eliminated all issues like this, and then for 2022 we found an even lower stretch webbing that adds extra safety.
For the repair, the outside of the fly is sil coated, so if someone is using Tenacious Tape the 'sil' version sticks better than regular Tenacious Tape.
For the mod for first batch tents, this does work well for people who have the narrow tips like yourself, but it can be dangerous if someone has wider regular tips, because the wider tips may not fit into the rubber grommet well enough. I've seen a few reports of people using wider tips with grommets where the tip pops out of the grommet because doesn't seat far enough. So the grommet is a nice fix for people with narrow pole tips, which should be the only people with this issue.
We also increased the length of the warranty for 2022 from 1 year to 2 years.
Also the resale price for X-Mid's is pretty crazy these days, with a lot lately selling for $400-$500! Our 2022 version of the X-Mid 1 has a ton of nice updates since the original version, where even with your repairs you could probably sell your original one for enough $ to buy a new 2022 one when they are back in stock. We'll have a batch with the new solid fabric inner in July and then finally much better supply of all models starting this fall.
That sure is tempting! Thanks for reaching out and the additional clarifications.
Hello dan. Was this issue fixed for the x-mid 2? Or do the early batches of 2 also have this?
@@Discalle112 As mentioned in my video, this was never an issue with the 2. Only the first shipment of the 1.
The X-Mid 2 always had the updated design with webbing. We’ve improved it slightly since then, but even the first batch of that 2P was fixed
The fact that Dan interacts with his customers that have issues like this is such a testament to the products offered imo. The care and respect as well as willingness to accept that sometimes issues may arise is top notch. And the willingness to help to remedy those issues however small they may be as well as work to fix those issues in future products is what I consider to be a sign of an Awesome outdoor products company. I'm so excited to get my hands on an XMid 2 when they become more readily available.
Thanks Will. My quick fix would have been to bring some Bic pen lids and put them on the trekking pole tips to keep the carbide tips from coming in contact with the tent material. Yours is a better long term solution.
Thanks for showing us the mods and your mistake. It'll help out the community and those new to backpacking.
Easy and detailed solution for a serious problem.. nice job on the demonstration.
Great video! Very clear and to the point. I especially appreciate the 'b-roll' of you actually doing the mod/fix. Subbed and looking forward to watching more of your videos. I was lucky enough to get an order in for the X-Mid Pro 2 and have been anxiously waiting for it.
Thanks for the sub. I'm sure you'll love that tent.
I asked Dan about going handle up and he told me it is possible with a handle adapter that Tarptent sells. I imagine it would work for the early XMid versions as well.
Excellent presentation.
Thanks!
I have the 1st batch and cheap skinny tipped trekking poles. Doing this mod and subbed.
Yup, I had the same problem and wore a hole through the top. Thanks for the grommet dimensions.
You're welcome! Good luck with your own repair.
Nice Job man👍 Thanks for the info and insite! I've been looking a new tent for a while now and I've pretty much settled on the X Mid 2 as it seems pretty impressive. So when it becomes more readily available I'll be getting one. Gotta say, Impressive DIY repair work on your part!
Thanks!
Yesterday I had a tree branch fall in my durstan. It punctured the nylon NY the door zipper. Would you recommend one of these tapes to patch it?
That could work but a simple gear aid tenacious tape patch would probably be just as effective if not better in some ways because the point where you have the puncture may not get stressed and stretched as much. The tear aid material I used can become cloudy and discolored over time.
Could you provide a link to purchase the rubber grommets that you used? I don't have a Lowe's or Ace Hardware near me.
This one looks like it should work: amzn.to/3Sbl4mv
Thanks for warning! Mine has hole in mesh from airborne hot ash-keep this tent far from fires!Also I can never get mine as taut as i see in yt videos...
How can I tell if I have the old or new grommet system?
If you purchased yours in 2019 through Drop or Massdrop or whatever it was back then, then you have an original model.
Can you use the poles reversed tip into the ground handle into tent?
You can, but it could be harder to get a tighter pitch because of the potential for the pole handles to slip out of alignment.
Have you ever patched a bike tire ??
Sure have.
Believe it or not, I have been wanting to get samples of mesh to for a different issue with an original Xmid. Which fabric did you end up choosing from RBTR to match the existing mesh?
Looking back at my purchase history, it was the .67 oz noseeum black mesh.
I had an x-mid and generally liked it but I sold it. It’s foot print was too big, it was a pain in the but to put up(yes that’s a me issue) and after a handful of uses I decided I don’t like using my trekking poles.
I agree about the footprint size which can make it more challenging to find enough level space for it in some areas. Trekking poles aren't for everybody. I have a friend who doesn't like them either.
@@WasatchWill I should have finished my thought better. I love using trekking poles. I just don't like using them to hold my tent up. I've never broken one but I was always paranoid that I'd break my pole and then be SOL.
Ahh... gotcha. That makes sense too, especially if you're on a trip where you set up a base camp and want to wander around away from camp to explore and what not and want to keep your poles for more stability and such when away from camp.
Tarptent carbon adjustable. 8oz for both.
It would be nice if they offered an option for those who don't use poles to get to carbon fiber or other light weight poles.
I believe Dan has been referring folks to Tarptent for a set of poles like that available through them that work well with the Xmids.
I use the tarptent carbon fiber adjustable poles. They are 8oz total.
Standard Tear Aid won‘t stick on sil material for a long time. You can peal it off very easy. On the PU side it works perfect. The PU/Sil material is the weak point at MSR and it‘s the weak point at Durston. Sil/sil has so much more strength, it‘s nearly impossible to rip, even when it has a cut! Durston made the wrong decision in my opinion. The design is so great, I wish they‘d have used sil/sil nylon or sil/sil polyester. Proofing the seams is so easy, everyone can do it. No one needs the seamtape. After failings of my MSR Material I bought only tents with sil/sil from Hilleberg and VauDe and I made two tents of my own designs and never looked back to the sil/pu materials. The only reason for the Durston and MSR choice it‘s cheaper an easier to make. Sorry Dan, sorry MSR!
Thanks. I'll keep an eye on that tear aid patch and replace if it as needed. I actually use my Sil Notch way more often. I can fit it in tighter spaces and set my phone up to watch movies inside and it has more ventilation options, and so on.
But I agree, sil-sil would be best, especially for the fly. Seam sealing is easy. I can respect the pu on the interior side of the inner for a less slippery floor.