X-Mid Pro 1

Name: X-Mid Pro 1
Brand: Durston Gear
SKU: DXM-4031-01N
Price: 599.0 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.95 (19 reviews)

$599.00 USD

Stakes:

No

No Yes (DAC J Stakes x 8)

Variant

Due to high interest the 2023 X-Mid Pro 1 has sold out. However, we are hard at work on the 2024 model launching soon in late October. Please sign up to be notified when the 2024 X-Mid Pro 1 launches:

Pinnacle of Ultralight Tent Design

The X-Mid Pro 1 is the ideal tent for the ultralight backpacker. It combines our maximally weight efficient X-Mid geometry with Dyneema® composite fabrics (DCF) to create one of the most spacious, simple, and stormworthy 1 person tents on the market - and yet weighs a mere 1 pound (16 oz / 465 g).

SPACIOUS

The X-Mid Pro 1 is a seriously spacious tent with more interior volume than any other 1P trekking pole tent. It's not just spacious in the context of superlight tents, but actually is more spacious than almost every 1P tent - at any weight.

The X-Mid Pro 1 accomplishes this with its space efficient geometry that moves the two poles further apart to create 25-50% more interior volume than competing tents, including more useable length, headroom, and shoulder room.

The floor length is a generous 90″ which is combined with steep end walls such that the length is still 90" at 15" off the ground. The result is best in class useable length (suitable for hikers up to 6’8″), while the 32″ floor width easily accommodates the widest pads with room to spare. You can comfortably sit up throughout the length of the tent while two people can easily sit in the tent together.

In addition, there are dual large vestibules which put the main area beside the door instead of blocking it, and can easily hold large packs and other gear.

USER FRIENDLY

The X-Mid design was formed in tough real world conditions where you need a shelter that works, and this elegant and capable simplicity continues in the X-Mid Pro 1.

Our thoughtful design includes an ultra simple 4 stake pitch, magnetic door toggles for one handed operation, doorways that aren’t blocked by poles, large vestibules that put the main area beside the doorway instead of blocking it, a tensioned floor that lies taut and wrinkle free, one handed operating zippers, and dual interior pockets.

The X-Mid Pro 1 also packs smaller than any other 1P DCF tent at just 4″ x 12″. Thanks to the absence of poles and struts it packs short enough to store horizontally in your pack.

STORMWORTHY

More than just a spacious tent, the X-Mid Pro 1 is a robust shelter for harsh conditions. Unlike other tents near the 1 pound mark, the X-Mid Pro 1 doesn’t trim away the lower part of the fly for weight savings but instead has a full coverage fly to block drafts and rain splatter while also having the option of raising it higher.

Other features found in the X-Mid Pro 1 – but otherwise unheard of at the 1 lb mark – are peak vents (important to minimize condensation) and zippered doorways (blocks drafts, increases structural integrity).

The X-Mid Pro 1 also features ultra strong and highly waterproof Dyneema® composite fabric, dual protected doorways that keep rain out when open, and attachments for peak and side panel guylines for stormy conditions.

QUALITY

In addition to the highest performance design, the X-Mid Pro has industry leading quality. That starts by using premium materials like Dyneema, and assembling them at the most experienced tent factory in the world for DCF.

We use hot bonded construction to create Dyneema seams that are stronger, cleaner looking, and better retain their strength in extreme temperatures. We also use a proprietary pre-shrinking process for DCF so that the shape is more stable over time and won't shrink to create wavy zippers.

While this premium quality gives the X-Mid Pro a higher cost of production than comparable tents, it is affordably priced because we sell it to you direct with only a modest markup.

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:

Developing the X-Mid Geometry

With best in-class space, stormworthiness, simplicity and build quality, the X-Mid Pro 1 is the ideal ultralight tent for everything from thruhiking the Pacific Crest Trail, to crossing Icelands’ wind-swept tundra, to remote adventures on Australia’s Bibbulmun Track.

Features

FEATURES

Optimal Geometry

Patented X-Mid geometry with twin offset poles provides best in class headroom, living space, stormworthiness, and ease of pitching.

Spacious

More interior volume and useable length than any other 1P trekking pole shelter. With 50% more volume than its closest rivals it is suitable for hikers up to 6'8".

Dyneema® Fabric

Dyneema® Composite fabric (DCF) is extremely strong and highly waterproof (8,000mm).

Compare

COMPARE

The X-Mid Pro 1 provides unprecedented stormworthiness, user friendliness, and space for a superultralight tent. To illustrate this, the table below compares the X-Mid Pro 1 to what is seen in the main competing tents.

STORMWORTHINESS

X-Mid Pro 1

Main Competitors

Fly coverage

Extends low to block drafts and splatter

High cut fly leaves you more exposed

Peak vents

Dual vents minimize condensation

Vents are small or omitted

USER FRIENDLINESS

Minimum # stakes

4

6 - 10

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

WEIGHT

Tent

16.4 oz / 465 g

-

Stuff Sack

0.3 oz / 10 g

-

Stakes (Optional)

6 in x 4 (8.5 g ea) & 7 in x 4 (12 g ea)

-

Typical Setup (Tent, Sack, 6 Stakes)

19.2 oz / 544 g

FAQ

Browse the FAQ to learn more or get in touch if you have further questions.

Contact Support

Q) How tall does the X-Mid Pro 1 work for?

To understand the useable length in a tent you have to consider both how long the floor is, and how much the length slopes inward off the ground.

The X-Mid Pro 1 has a 90" floor length, which is good but not that much longer than most other tents which are 84-90". However, other tents normally slope inwards quite a bit such that 12" off the ground (at the height of your sleeping bag) the length is commonly about 6-12" shorter.

With the X-Mid Pro 1 the fly is 98" long and the end panels are steep, so even 12" off the ground there is still over 90" of useable length. This means if someone is 6'0" (72") they could sleep straight with an additional 3" of sleeping bag loft at both ends and still have 12" extra inches of length. This is longer than all comparable tents.

We recommend the X-Mid Pro 1 up to 6'8" because a user of this height in a sleeping quilt would have 3" of loft at their foot end (83" total length) and thus would still have 3-4" of clearance at both ends or more if they are side sleeper.

Q) What is hot bonded construction?

DCF is commonly joined together using a double sided tape or sewing. Sewing is the least desirable option because unwoven materials like DCF have poor ability to hold stitching, so the seams are much weaker. Double sided tape works well and is the most common method, but these adhesives still weaken in extreme temperatures. They can slip in hot weather or fail in extreme cold.

Hot bonding construction also uses adhesive tape, but with a special heat activated adhesive that is stronger and much more temperature stable. We use a double sided tape between the overlapping panels of material, plus we add single sided DCF backed tape on the outside of the seam. The DCF backed tape is important because it adds Dyneema® fibers running parallel to the seam so the seam does not stretch under load (one of the most common failures for DCF tents is when this step is skipped, leading to the seams stretching and cracking under load).

Our tapes are applied at room temperature and then the seam is pressed under heat to set the adhesive. Using a heat activated adhesive and pressing every section of the major seams is a more labor intensive and costly process, but the result is the strongest possible tent with the cleanest look and much better performance in extreme temperatures.

Another premium construction technique we employ is pre-shrinking the DCF fabric. DCF fabric shrinks by 3-5% over time due to repeated stressing/folding/creasing which degrades the pitch of tents and can leave the zippers wavy (since they don't shrink). We use a proprietary process to pre-shrink the material so that our DCF shelters are more dimensionally stable and will retain their performance over time.

Q) What is a singlewall/hybrid tent?

A singlewall tent has a single wall (the fly) while a double wall tent has two layers (inner, fly). The X-Mid Pro uses a hybrid construction where the inner and fly are sewn together some areas are doublewall (sides) and others are singlewall (ends, roof).

Combining the inner and fly into one piece saves weight and remains 100% bug proof. The downsides are that you don’t have the ability to use the fly and inner separately, and that there aren’t mesh inner walls in all areas to prevent you from touching the fly if there is condensation (but the tent is quite spacious)

The X-Mid Pro 1 has every possible advantage to minimize condensation (e.g. large peak vents, spacious) and it is not more prone to condensation than doublewall tents, but if condensation does occur you do need to be more careful not to touch it. The X-Mid Pro makes this easier than most single wall tents because it is more spacious and has steep walls so condensation won’t drip.

Q) Should I use a groundsheet?

The 15D floor is more durable than the floors in many ultralight tents which can be 7-10D fabrics or 0.8 – 1.0 oz composites. We have selected this 15D material because it is durable to use without the added weight and hassle of a groundsheet, provided care is used not to pitch on harsh surfaces like gravel, pine needles, or bedrock. However, for a cleaner floor or use on harsher surfaces, we offer a groundsheet.

Q) How does the X-Mid Pro compare to [some competing tent]?

The X-Mid geometry is the most volumetrically efficient shape possible. Thus, it is impossible to design a lighter tent unless you use lighter materials, cut features, or make it smaller. With the X-Mid Pro we have designed the lightest possible tent that is still reasonably spacious and functional. Thus, any lighter tent and even other tents at a similar weight will provide less space, function, and stormworthiness for the weight. Commonly those tents are smaller, use more delicate materials, and lack peak vents, a full coverage fly, door zippers, and a tensioned floor.

Q) How should I pack the X-Mid Pro 1?

You should roll the tent rather than stuffing. DCF can eventually delaminate over time if it is subject to repeated sharp creasing. Rolling the fabric reduces this and will prolong the life of your shelter.

FANTASTIC TENT

I have owned several UL DCF 1P tents. The Durston X-Mid Pro 1P is 'top of class'.

This tent is super easy to pitch. 4 stakes, 2 trekking poles, tension, done. The Pro is a single wall tent so it cannot be pitched fly-first as the polyester versions can. Given how quickly this tent pitches, I do not see this as a significant difference.

This tent is extremely light. At 16.4 oz (4 corner guy lines, no stakes), is among the very lightest available. In my opinion, it wins many ratios such as interior volume-to-weight, storm worthiness-to-weight, and ease-of-use-to-weight. The double entry and vestibule space are both advantages that are simply unavailable with most other tents in the 16.x oz and below class. In bad weather, having your pack, shoes and rain gear in one vestibule, and being able to cook in the other is super convenient.

This tent is highly storm worthy. The tent includes 2 ridgeline (pole top) guy line attachment points, 2 mid-side-panel attachment points, 2 door/vestibule attachment points, and 4 ground level attachment points in the center of each side/end panel. Adding the 2 pole top guy lines adds tremendous stability. Adding the 2 mid-side panel guy lines significantly reduces luffing of the side panels. I would be comfortable using this tent up to 50 mph with 8 stakes/guylines. I have not used the bottom stake outs to be able to say how much more stability they provide.

This tent is well vented. I was honestly surprised how well the two ridgeline vents worked. The cross ventilation at the top of the tent with just these two vents open significantly reduced condensation. Opening the bottom 6-inches of the door zipper on one or both sides was all that was needed to eliminate condensation in the most humid conditions I've experienced.

Overall - if you only own one tent, this is the one to buy.

Not 100% sold on the concept

I bought this to save weight as I have to carry a CPAP with battery. For a 5 day trip that adds about 6.5 lbs so you can see the need to open my wallet to buy gear that will reduce the weight. The tent is compact and very packable. The dyneema fabric and zippers appear to be great quality. I used this tent for 5 nights to go on a high
Sierra 50 miler in September from Mammoth to near Florence Lake. The only downside is that the first two nights there was a very heavy dew and even with the vents open the condensation inside the tent was heavy. I had to take my towel and wipe down the inside to keep it from getting my quilt wet. Three of the nights were below freezing and on one of them a baseball size chunk of ice formed from shaking out the condensation that was then easy to remove. The frost actually helped me on this as it didn't get my gear wet. While not hard to set up, it is a little different and will take a couple of times to get used to it. I think the two person tent would be better. As luck would have it, my neighbor on one of the nights had a two person mid pro tent and their thoughts on it were the same as mine not 100% sold. However, we both agreed that we loved the weight and the packability and knew that there would be some tradeoffs. I think this is a good little summer tent and was glad that it carries well, but in conditions of high humidity, I would rather have a double walled tent.

Thanks for sharing your experience. As you say, there can be challenges with condensation. A singlewall tent like the X-Mid Pro shouldn't get more condensation than a doublewall but it does change how it is managed because you don't have a full interior to separate you from it. I try to minimize condensation with the design (e.g. dual peak vents) and mitigate the effects (e.g. it is doublewall on the sides so you aren't near condensation there, and then the length and headroom are fairly generous so it's easier to stay away from the walls), but in cold/humid conditions it can turn into a situation where it's best to wipe it down. Carrying a small super absorbent towel is a nice way to stay in control of the situation. The 'swedish cloth' on Amazon is amazingly absorbent for it's weight so it can dry the tent really well. But if the weight savings of the Pro version aren't a high priority then our doublewall models do offer that added protection. September is a colder time of year, so likely you would find things easier to manage in the warmer months.

Thanks for your support,
Dan

Love my new tent

9 days in Sierras proved it can handle lots of weather conditions. Very fast set up (make sure you have min. 7” stakes). Theses stakes worked best….light, inexpensive and secure in ground.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I0X9UQ8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1&psc=1

Thanks for the kind words Greg. It's nice to hear you are loving the tent. For the stakes, I agree good stakes are essential. I have been working to improve this with our tents and starting next month we are going to include larger 8' DAC stakes that are a nice improvement over our older ones.

Light, roomy, and weather-resistant shelter

I purchased the X-mid Pro 1 in June 2023 because I wanted a light but roomy/full shelter for both my normal backpacking trips but more so my "fastpacking" trips where I'm on my feet all day and want something light, roomy, protective, and relatively fast to set up even in sub-optimal spots where lesser/lighter options like a tarp plus bivy could take longer and be problematic.

So far, I have 5 southwest nights in it, 1 with rain and 1 with numerous 15-20 mph gusts throughout the night. Generally mild conditions, nonetheless the tent protected me. Plenty of room inside for full pad, quilt/bag, electronics, and clothes. It's bulky when stored folded and rolled per the video, but I can still fit it along with 20 or 30F quilt, full NeoAir pad, cooking kit, BV450, spare clothes, and other items in a 30L frameless pack like the Cutaway.

It took a few practice pitches before I felt fully confident, but this is a truly minor tradeoff that is straightforward to overcome. Maybe not as fast as say a Notch Li or Moment Li but fast enough, lighter, and more easily packable. Cost is certainly high up front, but not too bad when considering overall backpacking costs like travel, food, other gear, as well as other hobbies and other costs in general.

TheTits

Just finished bikepacking the Great Divide. The xmid pro1's weight, space, versatility, packability, waterproofing, storm durability are all TOP NOTCH.
My only complaint for thousands of miles of camping was the translucency when daycamping in the desert. However it's strengths significantly compensate for the strengths other tents have over the xmid.

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PITCHING GUIDE

Get started with our comprehensive X-Mid pitching guide.