X-Mid 1

Sale price$234.00 USD

Include stakes?: No

Pinnacle of Lightweight Tent Design

The X-Mid 1 has been developed from the first principles of geometry to achieve the most weight efficient, simple to use, and stormworthy design for a trekking pole shelter. The result is a double wall tent that is incredibly user friendly, capable and spacious while weighing just 28 oz (795 g). As a result, it has become one of the most awarded tents in recent years including awards for best tent from The Trek, Outdoor GearLabSection Hiker and numerous other respected outlets.

STORMWORTHY

Most ultralight tents are designed more as fair weather shelters, and thus compromise stormworthiness and protection for weight savings - such as using lighter coatings that are barely waterproof, extremely thin fabrics, cutting away areas of the fly which leaves you most exposed, and omitting important features like peak vents and guy out points.

With the X-Mid we save weight with efficient design including minimizing seams and maximizing the volume:surface ratio, so we can create a tent that is both light and capable in tough conditions. The X-Mid excels in rough weather with its fly first pitch, full doublewall design, non-sag poly fabric, large adjustable vents, factory waterproof seams, full-coverage fly (blocks rain splatter and drafts), stormworthy shape, and protected entryways that avoid rain falling inside. No other tent can claim that list.

USER FRIENDLY

Simplicity and user friendliness are a major focus for the X-Mid because the last thing you want in bad weather or at the end of a long day is a tent that is a hassle to use. We avoid complexity and improve the user experience with our focus on first principles design, combined with obsessive attention to detail and extensive real-world validation.

Unlike most trekking pole tents, the rectangle based X-Mid offers a simpler 4 stake pitch. There are no mandatory guylines, no struts that are harder to pack up and store, and no measuring pole heights or estimating odd angles. It goes up quickly with just 4 required stakes and 2 poles that can be extended without measuring.

Once pitched, the user friendliness continues with large doorways that aren’t blocked by poles, vestibules that put the main area beside the door instead of blocking it, magnetic door toggles, intuitive pockets, and one hand operated zippers. Notably, the X-Mid uses polyester fabric for the fly which doesn't sag and absorb water like nylon so your pitch stays tight and the tent dries quickly. Polyester was controversial when we launched the X-Mid with it in 2018 but our passionate advocacy for it has led to an industry wide shift.

The Trek

We Love This Tent

"A laundry list of well-thought-out details makes this tent exceptional in rough weather....it is our all around best thru-hiking tent."

Section Hiker

Editors Choice

"The X-Mid 1 is my favorite tent...it is a great shelter if you want a trekking pole tent that is affordable, spacious, stormworthy, and packs up small."

Outdoor Gear Lab

Best Ultralight Tent

"It's still hard for us to believe that such an easy-to-set-up tent can be so delightful to spend camp time in while also being almost invincible to storms....it's our favorite 1P tent."

Paul Messner (YouTuber)

Best 2023 Tent

"A brilliant tent.....there's been a lot of hype around this tent and I think it's justified. It does everything really really well....the X-Mid ticks more boxes than any other"

Backpacking Light

Cottage Gear Innovation Award

"With a new type of design...the Durston X-Mid 1P offers light weight, livable space, ease of pitch, and storm resistance that we've never seen before"

Treeline Review

Best Ultralight Tent for Thru-Hiking

The Durston Gear X-Mid 1 is our favorite tent for thru-hiking because it’s great in high winds, versatile, easy to pitch, and surprisingly affordable. This tent is very well designed.

SPACIOUS

The X-Mid geometry maximizes the space possible from two poles by using a diagonal ridgeline that positions the two poles further apart, while avoiding placing the poles near the edges that would detract from wind performance.

The result is a spacious 1P tent with best in class headroom. The two poles give headroom throughout the length of the tent so you can sit up anywhere in the tent and easily transition from laying down to sitting up without hitting the tent ceiling.

The floor has a generous 90" length which is combined with steep end walls to provide suitable length for hikers up to 6'4" (193 cm), while the floor width is a comfortable 31" (79 cm) that accommodates the widest pads. Also generous are the dual vestibules, which are spacious, tall, and easily hold even large packs.

QUALITY

In addition to the highest performance design, the X-Mid boasts the highest quality.

The tent is crafted at arguably the best and most experienced tent factory in the world using premium components, full double stitching, double folded edges, and generous bartacking.

We’re not aware of any other trekking pole tent that uses full double stitching and true double folded edges. While this premium quality gives the X-Mid a higher cost of production than comparable tents, the X-Mid 1 is priced lower simply because we sell it to you direct with only a modest markup.

Magnetic Toggles

Magnetic door toggles with pull tabs provide easy one handed-operation.

Large Doorways

Unlike most trekking pole tents, the doorways are large and not blocked by trekking poles. They also have a protected design to keep rain out even when open, and can be propped open with a stick or pole to create a 'porch'.

Full Coverage Fly

The fly extends low to the ground to block drafts and rain splatter, yet can be raised higher for more ventilation. Other tents cut away the bottom of the fly to save weight but it leaves you more exposed.

Stormworthy Shape

The X-Mid provides the ideal shape with consistent and moderate panel slopes. All the panels are an ideal 50 - 55 degrees which balance wind and snow shedding to provide excellent all around performance. Most tents are less consistent with a mix of shallower panels (worse for snow shedding) and steeper panels (worse for wind performance).

Ample Headroom

The X-Mid's offset poles provide a longer diagonal ridgeline that extends the headroom over more of the tent. There is ample clearance to transition from laying down to sitting up without hitting the tent, and room to sit up anywhere in the tent.

PATENTED GEOMETRY

The X-Mid shape has been developed from the first principles of geometry to be as weight efficient, simple, and functional as possible.

That includes avoiding all the common pitfalls of trekking pole shelters such as a complicated pitch, mandatory guylines, poles blocking the doorways, and a lack of interior volume.

Read the story about how the X-Mid geometry was developed:

As an incredibly well rounded, spacious, and capable shelter, the X-Mid 1 is the ideal ultralight tent for everything from a long thru hike to a remote adventure in Alaska. That's why the X-Mid 1 has become both the most popular and highest rated 1P tent on all three triple crown trails (Applachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail) according to hiker surveys by The Trek and Halfway Anywhere.

Customer Reviews

Based on 232 reviews
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(202)
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W
Will Bonney
A tent in its own league

Thanks to T’s extra efforts on dispatching my order I managed to get my X-Mid 1 just in time before departing to New Zealand for Te Araroa .

I’ve been using the tent for two weeks now and it’s performed incredibly. After a long day on trail it’s ridiculously easy to pitch and the following morning so fast to pack away; allows me to get on trail a lot quicker.

When it’s rained or there’s lot of condensation the ability to separate inner from outer lets me keep my sleeping area dry no matter the conditions too.

Obviously the weight of this thing is ridiculous too, it’s the main reason I chose it in the first place and it cuts a whole 1.2kg off from my 4-Season setup.

My communication with Dan and T has been unparalleled too! These two are amazing at customer service and deserve all the praise they get for their brand, so if you’re on the fence about it I’d strongly suggest giving the r tent a go!

Love from the UK

Glad to hear the tent has been working well for your big hike Will. The Te Araroa looks amazing!
- Dan Durston

J
Janet Jeffries
Great Tent!

I took my new Durston X-Mid 1 to one of my favorite places a few months ago, a ridge in the North Cascades with in-your-face views of both Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan, knowing the dual doors would be perfect for this. Pitching it was straightforward, having watched the tutorial video ahead of time. I’ve never used a tent that utilizes trekking poles, but found it incredibly sturdy, and the off-setting layout made for very easy door access. I found the X-Mid 1 roomy enough for my 6 ft frame, had more than ample space under the vestibules for my gear (and I only needed to use one of them), and had zero condensation buildup upon awakening. From the fly-first setup to how small it packs up, I really like this tent and can’t wait to use it again.

Beautiful shots! Glad the tent is working well.
- Dan Durston

A
Andrea Hahn
I love it

I recently hiked the island Madeira with my durston x-mid. First thing I want to say is, that we attracted a lot of attention, because this tent is known in a positive way! People asked me how I liked it and my answer was always that I love it! I got better and better every time I pitched it. I experienced two pretty stormy nights within my stay, and during the first one I was afraid of flying away with the tent, because my pitch was not accurate ( and I knew it, but if the storm is there it's is to late). I learned from that to always pitch it accurate. So the second stormy night was not a problem at all! But I had still one issue. When I pitched the tent low to the ground it happened that during the stormy weather the cords did not stay in place, suddenly there was this popping sound( that came with a squall of wind)and I instantly knew the cords prolonged themselves ( I hope you understand what I'm talking about). So the only chance I saw was pitching the tent from the beginning with the cords long . I think the cords and the tightening system is a very good quality, but do you have any idea about that?

Beautiful photo! Glad you are liking the tent.

For the cord, we have some cord earlier this year that was a bit smaller than spec, so it did slip more easily than it should. If you can send us a quick email to support@durstongear.com we can send out some thicker cord that is easily added.

Thanks for using Durston gear,
Dan Durston

J
J.F.

Beautiful tent! I love it! First pitch went up super easy and now that it’s all put together, I know the next pitch will be even quicker. Spent the night in a light snow storm and it held up great. Also their customer service was very quick to get back to me when I had a question. Thank you ,Dan and everyone else involved!

D
David
Brilliant

I ordered the tent from Germany. Even with all shipping costs and taxes, it is absolutely worth it. I tested it in harsh conditions right away (above tree line with snow). I have many years of experience outdoors and this is one of the most brilliant pieces of gear I have ever encountered. The x-mid epitomizes why I almost only buy from cottage brands now. It is such a joy to be outdoors with gear that just works because the design comes straight from people who share the same passion - nothing added or left out because of corporate nonsense. Keep up the great work, Dan and team!

Thanks David! Glad you're liking the tent.
- Dan Durston

PITCHING GUIDE

Get started with our comprehensive X-Mid pitching guide.