Second Generation X-Mid 1

More spacious, more stormworthy, more user friendly - just as light.

1. SPACIOUS

The most common critique of the original X-Mid 1 was that the inner is somewhat small. While the size was typical for a 1P tent, we’ve addressed this for the second generation with a substantial 30% gain in interior volume. The inner is now larger in all dimensions, making it quite spacious for a 1P tent.

The inner tent is now:

  • Wider by 4″ (10cm) to 32″ (81 cm)
  • Wider by 5″ (12cm) at shoulder height
  • Longer by 4″ (10 cm) to 90″ (230 cm)
  • Taller by 3″ (8 cm) for more headroom

We’ve accomplished this through fine tuning the angles and gaps, and adding new pull out clips at shoulder height. The fly (and footprint) remain the same size.

2. STORMWORTHY

The X-Mid is a very stormworthy tent, with arguably the best rain and snow performance of any trekking pole tent. However, the weakest point has been vulnerability to wind gusts on the side panels. For the second generation we’ve improved stormworthiness by:

  • Adding side panel guyouts. These optional guylines support the side panels to reduce deflection during high winds. 
  • Refining the fabric patterning (bias & orientation) to reduce stretch in the corner seams and make it more solid during storms.
  • Adding catenary cuts along the corner seams and around the bottom edge of the fly. While subtle, the catenary cuts enable a tighter pitch.

The result is a substantial improvement in wind performance, such that the X-Mid is now very good for a 3-season tent, while continuing to have excellent snow shedding and rain performance.

3. USER FRIENDLY

The X-Mid is a very simple to use tent because its design is informed by extensive use in tough conditions where you want a shelter that just works. We’ve made further improvements here for the second generation, including:

  • New connection points between the floor and trekking pole handles pull the floor taut and allow the inner zippers to operate one handed.
  • Doorways are 5″ taller for easier entry.
  • Contrasting (black) door toggles and accents (e.g. guylines) make them easier to spot in the day, yet still reflective at night.
  • The floor is now a charcoal color to make it easier to identify when unpacking the tent.
  • Inner ridgeline pockets are updated to the same style as the X-Mid 2P, which is a more refined and avoids sagging with heavier items.

4. ULTRALIGHT

A more spacious, stormworthy and user friendly tent is great – unless it is heavier. For the second generation, we did make changes that add weight and yet we kept the overall tent just as light at 28oz. We did this in the best possible way: through improvements in design efficiency rather than switching to less durable materials, skimpier coatings, or omitting functionality. Specifically, we’ve saved weight by:

  • Moving the door zippers flush to the edge of the bathtub floor to eliminate unnecessary seams. 
  • Using waterproof seam construction (double needle lap felled seam with waterproof thread) on the two steeper fly corners above the vestibules saves seam tape. We use this construction throughout the fly, but also seam tape the seams above the inner tent out of caution. 
  • Switching to a new inner pocket design saves a few grams of mesh.
  • Redesigning the vents to use less velcro and webbing.

Overall, the second generation X-Mid 1 is a big step forward. It’s substantially more spacious and refined while resolving the main critiques of the original X-Mid 1. And it still comes in sage…only now it’s a bit darker tone.

Main X-Mid 1 Page