Durston – X-Mid 1 Solid – Tent

The Durston X-Mid 1 Solid is the version of the X-Mid 1 that I would take when the forecast looks grim. The inner tent is fully solid instead of mesh, so cold wind, blowing snow and condensation drips stay outside while the big adjustable vents keep the air moving. It pitches in a couple of minutes, it shrugs off storms and it is still very light for a double wall tent. That makes it a good fit for winter trips, shoulder season hikes and exposed places like northern Europe and Patagonia. Honestly, it also works fine as an all-round three season tent if you often camp in wind.

Like every X-Mid, the Solid is built from first principles geometry. Dan Durston designed the shape to get the best balance of weight, simplicity and storm resistance out of a trekking pole tent. At 825 grams it gives you real weather protection, a lot of usable space and a pitch that you can do with cold hands.

Bad weather is not a problem for the X-Mid Solid

Many ultralight tents save weight by cutting corners on storm resistance: thin fabrics, minimal waterproofing or stripped down designs. The X-Mid takes a different route and treats ultralight and weatherproof as equally important.

The efficient X-Mid geometry keeps the weight down without giving up durability. You get a fly-first pitch, a full double wall design, polyester fabric that does not sag when wet, robust waterproof coatings, large adjustable vents, factory sealed seams, a fly that reaches the ground, a storm-shaped profile, durable #5 zippers and protected doorways that keep rain out when you open up.

The result is an ultralight tent that is happy in rough conditions and offers the durability and storm resistance of much heavier tents.

X-Mid Solid: smart design, easy pitch and attention to detail

The X-Mid is designed to be simple, so you can pitch it without fuss after a long day or in bad weather. Unlike most trekking pole tents it has a rectangular footprint. Stake the four corners, add the two poles and it stands. No mandatory guy lines, no awkward struts and no fiddling with exact pole heights.

Once it is up, the ease of use continues: big unobstructed doorways, vestibules placed next to the door instead of in front of it, magnetic door tie-backs (as a gear nerd I love these, they are so handy), intuitive pockets and zippers that you can work with one hand.

The X-Mid 1 Solid suits hikers up to 193 cm thanks to the 230 cm floor length and steep end walls that keep the usable length long. The 79 cm floor width takes even the widest sleeping pads with room to spare and the two vestibules are big enough for a large pack next to the door.

Specifications Durston X-Mid 1 Solid

Weight

• Fly: 510 g
• Inner tent: 315 g
• Complete tent: 825 g
• Stuff sack: 12 g
• Normal set-up: 875 g (tent, stuff sacks, 6 stakes)

Dimensions

• Floor length: 2.3 m
• Floor width: 79 cm
• Height: 117 cm
• Fly footprint: 170 x 254 cm
• Packed size: 30 x 13 cm

Materials

• Fly fabric: 20D Sil/PE Polyester 3500mm HH in Alpine Sage
• Floor fabric: 20D Sil/PE Polyester 3500mm HH in Grey
• Inner fabric: 15D Ripstop Nylon in White
• YKK #5 AquaGuard with buckle outside, YKK #3 inner zippers

What you get

• Outer rain fly
• Inner tent
• 6 DAC stakes (4 normal, 2 small)
• No poles: use your own trekking poles or add the Durston Z-Flick poles (you need two)

Read everything about this tent on the Durston Gear website.