AllOutdoor Quick Review – Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 1 Backpacking Tent
Andrew D 01.26.23
The Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 1 backpacking tent is a lightweight, single-person shelter designed for backpacking and camping. It is constructed with Dyneema Composite Fabric, a high-performance material that is both lightweight and strong. The fabric is waterproof, and windproof, making it an ideal choice for outdoor activities. The X-Mid Pro 1 ultralight tent also features a full-coverage rainfly, two doors, and two vestibules for additional storage. With the simplicity and space provided by this tent, you know why I’m a fanboy of his products.
The X-Mid Pro 1 tent is designed to be easy to set up and take down, and it comes with a stuff sack for easy transport. The X-Mid Pro 1 goes up with a minimum of four stakes and two hiking poles. There’s no complicated science about pitching; stake the four corners until taut, then install poles.
The X-Mid Pro 1 offers more interior space than any other 1-person trekking pole shelter, with a whopping 46 cubic feet of volume. It also has an impressive headroom and shoulder room. It is suitable for tall hikers up to 6’8″ and shorter hikers can store gear at the ends, as the floor is 90″ long and even the very ends are 15″ high. The 32″ floor width fits all pads with room to spare. The dual vestibules are large (11 sq ft) and tall, making it easy to store packs. The X-Mid Pro 1 super light tent has a compact 98″ x 63″ footprint, which fits into smaller sites, and the vestibules can be collapsed to fit into even smaller tent sites.
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The Dyneema Composite Fabric used in the construction of the X-Mid 1 Pro is a unique material that is both lightweight and strong. It is made from ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, which are 15 times stronger than steel and 40% stronger than aramid fibers. The fabric is also highly abrasion-resistant, making it an ideal choice for outdoor activities. At 465 grams (16 oz for the tent by itself, 565g for the whole kit), this is lighter than most people’s single shoes. Dimensionally, 4 x 12″ packed size allows it to fit anywhere.
The Fly keeps the interior of the sleeping area dry during setup in wet weather, even when the doors are open. It extends close to the ground to block drafts and rain splatter, but can also be pitched higher for more ventilation. The door zippers are easy to use, block drafts, and make the shelter more rigid than clip systems. Dual adjustable peak vents reduce condensation. A mesh drain and gutter system ensures that even heavy condensation will drain out of the tent. Optional peak guyouts, side panel guyouts, and 8 extra stake points around the base are available for severe conditions. Its shape offers excellent performance in snow and hail by avoiding flat roof panels. The 15D woven floor provides improved abrasion and puncture protection than a thicker composite floor, and ultra strong Dyneema® core guylines are included.
It appears this tent has great user friendliness and quality. It’s really easy to set up with just four stakes, and the dual doorways are tall and won’t get blocked by trekking poles. Plus, the vestibules are positioned beside the door so you can fill them up without having to move the tent. It also has dual interior pockets for storage and magnetic fly door toggles for easy operation. It packs short so you can store it horizontally in your pack, and it’s made with premium hot bonded construction.
The X-Mid 1 Pro is a great choice for backpacking and camping, but its cost of $609 USD may be prohibitive for some. While the Dyneema Composite Fabric is a high-performance material, it is also expensive, and this cost is reflected in the price of the tent. However, the tent is designed to last for many years of storm worthiness, and its lightweight and strong construction make it a great choice for outdoor activities.
You can buy the tent at – Durston Gear
Do note, as of January 24th, 2023 – This tent is out of stock. Keep a close eye on it!
Opinions
As you know, I’m a Durston Fanboy, starting with the Fizan Poles, and my review for other products listed above. I also own the X-Mid Pro 2 which is a great tent, but could be considered luxuriously large for one person trying to save space and weight. Do I believe this tent needed the ability yo ingress from both sides? Nope! Is this a nice feature? Honestly, I don’t care. If one side was featured solely as a vestibule accessible from the inside, while the other was the only ingress/egress point, I think this would have saved 60 grams or so and made the tent SLIGHTLY more reliable.
Specs (As Per Durston’s Site): X-Mid Pro 1
Weight
- Tent: 16.4 oz / 465 g
- Stuff sack: 0.3 oz / 10 g
- Stake sack (available as an option): 0.1 oz / 4 g
- Stakes (available as an option): Aluminum V stakes with 4 @ 6″ (8.5 g) and 4 @ 7.5″ (12 g).
- Tent with minimum stakes: 17.6 oz / 499 g
- Typical setup (tent, 6 stakes, sacks): 19.2 oz / 544 g
Returns & Warranty: 30 days in new condition, 2 years against defects
Materials
- 0.55 oz Dyneema® Composite Fabric (CT1E.08) in Spruce Green
- 15D Sil/PEU nylon in grey (floor)
- YKK #3 AquaGuard water-resistant zippers (fly) – YKK #3 zippers (inner tent)
Dimensions
- Fly: 63 x 98 in / 160 x 250 cm – Fly area: 43 sq ft / 4.0 sq m
- Peak height: 45 in / 114 cm
- Floor width: 32 in / 81 cm
- Floor length: 90 in / 230 cm
- Floor area: 20 sq ft / 1.9 sq m
- Vestibule area: 22 sq ft (10.8 sq ft x 2) / 2 sq m (1 sq m x 2)
- Packed size: 12 x 4 in / 30 x 10 cm
