Durston X-Mid Pro 1 Review

The Durston X-Mid Pro 1 may be expensive, but quality is paramount, with each feature thoughtfully considered before it was integrated into this tent. If you want to experience some of the wilder parts of the world, you'll want to invest in a shelter like this that rises to the occasion. The X-Mid Pro 1 is designed for people who want to maximize their time on the trail.

Livability

The organization-forward design of the X-Mid Pro 1 makes it one of the most livable ultralight tents on the market. Instead of having parts pull double- or triple-duty, each discrete part of the tent has a clearly defined role. The exterior door, vestibule area, and adjustable vent are separate, making it easier to store gear and manage ventilation.

Even though it's a 1-person tent, the X-Mid Pro 1 still has two large doors, two separate vestibules, two adjustable vents, and finally, two pockets! Of course, this adds a little weight, but all of these make this tent much more livable for two people sharing this tent on the trail.

The distinctive layout of the X-Mid Pro 1 is larger than it appears. The tent floor is offset to the vestibules, so that you lie diagonally across the tent. As a parallelogram, this affords additional storage space because the triangular vestibules fill out the rectangular tarp. We loved this design because we could keep our gear on one side and cook on the other, sheltered from the wind.

The ceiling height is close to 45 inches, which is impressive for an otherwise low-profile tent. And because the trekking poles are at opposite sides, this peak height is sustained across the entire living space, rather than at a single point in the middle. This subtle design drastically improves livability.

The 32-inch wide bathtub floor affords plenty of room for a 25-inch-wide sleeping pad. The tent is 90 inches long and, with reasonably steep sides, can comfortably accommodate people over 6 feet tall.

Perhaps the only detail of the X-Mid Pro 1 that didn't bowl us over was the magnetic toggles for both the exterior and interior doors. Magnetic toggles allow easy, one-handed operation, but they can easily unclip if you brush up against them, causing the door to unravel. (Ultimately, we kept a few small binder clips in our kit to lend a helping hand.)

A magnetic toggle to hold the exterior doors open.   Credit: Justin Simoni

A magnetic toggle is used on the interior doors to hold fast the rolled up door.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Weight

Like many other single-wall tents on the market, the X-Mid Pro 1 achieves significant weight savings by using your trekking poles instead of relying on its own pole. This tent also uses astoundingly lightweight Dyneema fabric for the body. The net weight comes in at 20.9 ounces (593 grams).

Here's the full breakdown of everything included:

• Tent body: 15.8 oz (447 g)
• Tent stuff sack: 0.3 oz (8 g)
• Tent stakes (8): 3.3 oz (94 g)
• Tent stake stuff sack: 0.1 oz (4 g)
• Extra guy line and linelocs: 1.1 oz (32 g)
• Included patch/repair kit: 0.4 oz (10 g)

Entire tent kit: 20.9 oz (593 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Tent body: 15.8 oz (447 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Tent stuff sack: 0.3 oz (8 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Tent stakes (8): 3.3 oz (94 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Stake sack: 0.1 oz (4 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Extra guy line and Linelocs in a bag: 1.1 oz (32 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

Included patch and repair kit: 0.4 oz (10 g)   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Minimum trail weight can be achieved by leaving the stuff sacks and taking only the tent body, along with 4 larger stakes and 2 smaller stakes, for a total of 18.8 ounces (533 grams) – that's a weight savings of around 2 ounces (57 grams).

Like many other Dyneema tents, the X-Mid Pro 1 is a little bulkier than some silnylon or polyester alternatives. Rolled up and stowed, it's approximately 10 x 4.5 inches (25 x 12 cm). It's far from bulky, but it's worth considering if you're running low on available pack volume.

The X-Mid Pro 1 can't pack down as small as other sil-poly tents, but it's certainly small enough to fit within an ultralight backpacking kit.   Credit: Justin Simoni

Pack away the X-Mid Pro 1 by carefully folding it, then rolling it up. Don't stuff it. This will help protect the longevity of your investment.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Weather Resistance

We fully trust the X-Mid Pro 1 in foul weather – outside of full-on winter conditions, it's hard to imagine weather this tent couldn't handle. The 0.55 OYS Dyneema used in the rain fly is completely waterproof, nor does it absorb water, so it doesn't stretch. Even though this tent is storm-worthy with just the standard stake-out points, it features additional guylines and Linelocs that attach to the tent peaks for added stability on especially windy nights.

The bathtub floor rises a few inches above the ground and is made of thicker 0.66 OSY Dyneema for greater durability. Although the X-Mid Pro 1 doesn't come with a ground cloth, many people do use one to protect their investment. You can either purchase one from Durston or use a piece of Tyvek as a DIY solution.

Single-wall tents often wrestle with condensation issues more than double-wall tents. Thankfully, the X-Mid Pro 1 has dual vents that allow airflow throughout. When fairer skies prevail, it's best to keep at least one exterior door rolled up and stowed away for enhanced ventilation.

Vents can be opened and closed from both the inside and outside.   Credit: Justin Simoni

From the inside, you can more clearly see the Velcro attachment to the small arm that keeps the vent open.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Finally, the inner mesh door keeps the bugs out. The "L"-shaped zipper is designed to limit shearing forces so they don't get damaged. They'll also rest in the exact same place in the corner when closed, making them easy to find at night without a headlamp.

Corner stakeout points are all equipped with Linelocs to make tensioning easy.   Credit: Justin Simoni

A waterproof zipper on the tent fly is used to open and close the exterior door.   Credit: Justin Simoni

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Adaptability

Unlike a versatile square tarp, the X-Mid Pro 1 isn't designed to shape-shift. Rather, its well-refined design is perfectly set to meet the needs of most campsites, not the novel situations. You'll need plenty of room to pitch it, as the generous interior living space and dual vestibules mean that the X-Mid Pro 1 takes up more space than more compact 1-person tents.

That said, there are slight variations to the standard two-pole pitch you can practice before you head out. The “Skinny Pitch” technique is designed for a tighter campsite – by using the optional peak guyline, you can use this as a stakeout point rather than the corner fly. This method, however, does eliminate one of the vestibules.

Ease of Set-up

With a little practice, the X-Mid Pro 1 sets up in just a few minutes. The best advice for a perfect pitch is to choose a good site with ground soft enough to drive the stakes in. Adjustable trekking poles make things easier on slightly uneven ground because you can adjust the tension by raising and lowering them.

To prolong the life of this Dyneema tent, it's best to take a little more time to fold it, then roll it up before putting it into its stuff sack or your pack. We like to fold the X-Mid Pro 1 so that the more durable floor faces outwards – this is how it's shipped to you, and after our feisty German Shepherd puppy picked it up in his powerful jaws without any punctures, we're convinced it's the way to store it.

Should You Buy the Durston X-Mid Pro 1?

The continual evolution of this nearly perfect ultralight tent makes this a worthy investment for any backcountry traveler. If you're sold on the design and features, it will be tough to talk you out of buying the X-Mid Pro 1. However, we recognize that it's an expensive tent, especially relative to the base model.

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