not only do you make great tents, but the way you respond to criticism, even people being rude or making up lies, is great, you never get angry or petty, you just explain why you did what you did in a polite manner and never talk down to anyone, even the liars, it's something that really stood out to me (along with how much you actually respond to people online about your tents, haven't seen that kind of communication from anyone else)
Hello Dan. I live in Sweden and I bought X-mid 2 p tent with the z-flicks. For 300 dollars its a very affordable tent. It is pretty easy to pitch after watching this very informative video. So far I’m pleased with this tent. Unfortunately the price becomes pretty high since I live in Sweden with customs and tax, actually about 600 dollars but thats not on you, that’s on me, I should have looked that up myself. Anyway, I only have one objection, the tent pegs that comes with the tent are very weak so I guess most people buy others more sturdy ones. Wouldn’t it be better to raise the price a little bit and have quality pegs included instead? The other alternative would be to lower the price and sell it without pegs and make pegs an additional buy? Greetings from Sweden,
@@fredriklindholm4864 The taxes to Europe are quite high because Europe has a 12% import tax on tents, plus there is VAT of about 20% on top of the price and import tax, so it is about 35% tax plus shipping. It is high tax, but it is the same tax you'd pay on a tent in Europe. The main difference is just that it's charged separately instead of hidden into a higher price. For the stakes, we used to include titanium stakes that were very expensive but also fairly weak because their goal was to be as light as possible. We introduced those during covid when stakes were super backlogged so we didn't have any other options. I agree it would be better to include more robust stakes. I am working on that and have stronger ones with the Pro tents now, and starting next year we'll have some really nice premium stakes for all tents. My goal is have everything the highest quality, but the stakes aren't quite there yet because of supplier shortages.
I often get comments from experienced hikers asking if my tent is one of Dan's designs. You really don't get that with any other tent on the market. After I bought his first version, I submitted a review with something like a dozen suggestions. Not only did Dan respond, but he also implemented every single suggestion for his second production run. I'll never forget that. On a few occasions, people have asked why Dan's tents are so sought after. This question just begs for a long break-down of Dan's material and design choices and how each one represents the best compromise in tent design. In short, Dan's careful attention to details and experience add up to the most finely tuned general-purpose three-season tent money can buy.
I do too. The material, stitching, strength, and angle of the tarp make it great. However, I feel that it takes some experience, a proper pole, and good use of guy-outs to be secure for winter use here in Canada. It's nothing that can't be easily learned after a few setups, but I'd argue that some of the available alpine tents are more forgiving but at a cost in weight and complexity. With custom carbon poles, a three-point rig on each pole, and a good staking system, the X-mid is so steady you'd struggle to knock it over even if you threw your body at it. @@derekhand7904
@@Uncle_Fred I got my X-mid2p at the end of last winter and couldn’t wait to test it out. so I did a overnight in the Adirondack mountains knowing a snowstorm was coming in. We ended up getting 2 ft of snow that night i have never been more impressed with any other pice of gear keep in mind this was the first time I ever set the tent up! So I’m a believer.
Been loving my X-Mid 1P and just upgraded my old poles to the new strapped Icelines. Such great gear! Hoping to one day scrounge together enough for a 1P Pro. Keep up the great work Dan!
I officially joined the cult 30 minutes ago. About to go out back and rig her up! Other than everyone telling me this is the best tent on the market, they also make a comment on the outstanding customer service from Dan himself and that almost means more to me than owning a great product. Thanks for all the hard work Dan.
Great video. I ordered the X-Mid 1 today but stupidly ordered the wrong one, within an hour of emailing, Dan had sorted out the problem for me and shipped the Solid version. The customer service is second to none 👍 can't wait for it to arrive now and test it out in the UK weather 😁
Fantastic design. An REI employee convinced me to buy it even though they don’t carry it! Just pitched it in my backyard to test and it’s a marvel. Took longer than a free-standing tent to figure it out, but the weight saving is worth it.
Did not realize you could tie off part of the vestable to one the stake points to open the sides of tent for even more ventilation/views. This makes the 4 stake pitch significantly more usable in my opinion. Otherwise you just had part of the vestibule flapping in the wind unless it was staked down. Im very excited to try this out and refine my pitch. Thank you for this video that I didn't even realize I needed!
It's literally uploaded 9 hours before I have to pitch it in Iceland! As is mentioned in other comments, Dan is awesome for his continued engagement with the community and providing answers to almost anyone. I sent an email for some specific pitch questions for hard winds, Dan responded a day later.
@@johnmca5643 Any chance you'd be willing to share your itinerary? I want to do a trip (prob next year now since I procrastinated) with a combinatino of hornstrandir and laugavegur.
You can significantly increase the X-Mid's wind resistance. I use my own multi section carbon tube that also doubles as a walking stick and paddle shaft. I just turn it upside-down and put the loop through a detachable tungsten tip. I then use a three point guy-out from each pole and make sure to use all available factory guy-out points. The tarp should be as low to the ground as possible. Using this configuration, the tent can withstand any storm short of a hurricane. I generally try to avoid getting caught in such conditions, but the tent can be configured to survive harsh weather.
It just replaces whatever walking stick you use. You probably don't need a custom tube. I use them as I tend to hike with a packraft and my tent pole also works as a paddle shaft and walking stick. Of course, a multi-section carbon tube will be much stronger than walking poles, so you can run guylines so tight that you'd struggle to even push over the tent. The important part is to run two additional guylines out from each peak. That alone will add significant resistance to winds. When in doubt, guy-it out, lol.@@neilquinn
I own a MLD shelter and came to dread setting it up at the end of a hard day on the trail. It went up quick, but was nearly always proceeded by 20 minutes fiddling with guy lines to achieve balance and avoid consistently sagging lines got tired very quickly, even more so in wind and rain. So, I splurged on an Xmid Pro2, and the contrast is night and day, I can't believe a) how easy it was to pitch b) how much more room I'm getting for the footprint or c) how much more sturdy the tent is. As others have said, Dan's customer service is first-rate, and the way he handles people is a rare, refreshing and very welcome thing to see. Ron Bell at MLD - customer service - please take note.
I went full send right away and bought this as my first trekking pole tent a week ago as I’m shifting from car camping to backpacking. I just tried to pitch this in a friend’s yard for the first time and was awful at it. (All user error). The videos I’d watched previously didn’t account for mistakes you could make. Then along comes this video, which is slow, methodical, and points out simple mistakes. Any doubts I might have had have disappeared, because a company with such good physical quality and care for their customers is second to none. Impressed doesn’t begin to cover it.
Hi Dan, I'm 1 of the UK Durston Massive 👍🏼😂 Only had my X-Mid 2 for a few weeks, taken it out a couple of times on shorts trips to get familiar, performed well and I have gained valuable confidence for an upcoming multi day hike. Great design, quality material and manufacturing. I shall try out taking the fly back when the conditions are right & the vestibule extension. Carry on the excellent work 👍🏼
Just bought one. This tent seems to be the optimal mix of features, weight and size for me. This is one of the best thought out tents I've ever seen. The 52" floor on the 2p version sealed the deal, though. Me and my girlfriend both use wide sleeping pads, and this is one of the only UL tents that will fit both of them. Can't wait to try it out!
I'm so glad you made this video. I thought there might have only been 1 way to set up this tent yet there were 18 minutes to the video. It brought more value and flexibility to the tent.
Just recently got into backpacking and an X-mid is my end goal tent. While I don't have it yet, the fact that it feels like you're continuously engaged with your products and customers makes me even more confident in my choice. You can tell where your motivation lies with what you do. Keep up the great work, cheers from the other side of the country!
I bought an Xmid 2p tent this year (2023) and was able to figure it out with just the written instructions included in the tent bag. This is an excellent and well thought out tent design that really does a good job of balancing function and weight. Really happy with my purchase and would highly recommend these Durston tents. Watch this video would have been helpful before taking it out camping but I also find value in the additional information on variations helpful.
I just purchased a X-Mid 2P. This video is extremely helpful and much more detailed than anything else I have found. Nice to get the correct way(s) to pitch the tent along with the options. Thanks very much for doing this. And great job with your design and the quality of your tents. Very innovative.
Well Dan, you sold me finally. Been reserved for months, but I ordered the solid 2 just now. So many tips you gave really helped explain all the benefits this little shelter packs. Many of which I never saw or knew before. Looking forward to testing it next weekend. Thanks ⛰️ ⛺️ 🌲 💨
@@durstongear Blown away by delivery time. Less than 30 hours in my hands from purchase time! 😮 Now waiting on the ground sheet and Z-Sticks to get through Canadian Customs. 🛃 📦 ⛺️
Thanks for this! The ridge line on my X-mid Pro 2 is always loose, but I finally got the bathtub shape correct. I’ll be in the backyard practicing with this video! Every time I backpack where there are others around, they have to come check out my tent, the space is luxurious. In particularly bad weather, I hosted a party of three for dinner and drinks. ❤
Just purchased the xmid 2 with the ground cloth and stargazer kit. Super excited about this tent. I have researched so many different options, and in my opinion this is the best tent to suit my needs.
This is excellent! I love my x-mid pro 2. I'm excited to see more on the 'skinny pitch' variation. The only difficulty I have with the 2 person version is the large footprint needed. Thanks Dan for also giving the troubleshooting guide. Great stuff!
This video is awesome. The option to roll up the tent to be able to get views and such… You really should with every tent include written instructions, or a PDF. We can print out and take along on our hike. I have to figure out how to download this video on my phone, RUclips doesn’t like that.
Thanks for the great vid! Looking forward to the supplementary skinny pitch video. It would also be great if you could demo some recommended folding up / packing up techniques. Thanks again
This is literally quality, Dan. I’ll definitely watch this RUclips video over and over so that when I’m in the field I can guarantee a good or even perfect pitch. Thank you Dan 🙏
Just got mine today and it's my first ever tent. I intended to go for something cheaper and smaller for starters as I'm only beginning my outdoors journey - but my designer brain fell in love with X Mid and I splurged. It's awesome, made in a super clever way and a high-quality product through and through. First pitch went well despite my lack of experience and uneven backyard. Got a 2p version in case I go backpacking with a friend, but it's a literal palace for going solo.
I pitched my Xmid 2p for the first time this weekend on a camping trip. Generally I try to set it up at home first but I didn't have a chance to do that. I did struggle with understanding which way things went but in the end I figured it out. I'll pitch a few more times at home to get used to it, but one thing that might make it easier is color coding one clip/ chord so they match. This might make things a little quicker for those of us who were silly enough not set it up at home first. But overall this was the best tent I have ever used. At 6'2 I always buy two person tents because the one persons are always too small. However, this tent was incredibly large for a two person tent. I have now added the 1P pro to my bucket list because I'm confident I would fit easily. Keep up the great work Dan I look forward to more innovations in the future.
Thanks for the kind words. Yes I try to make my tents a good size, so the 2P is nicely sized for two which can mean that it is overkill for 1. The X-Mid Pro 1 is a super nice tent and very spacious for a 1P tent. I think it's the largest 1P tent on the market by interior volume.
Great video Dan, I'm constantly referring people to your previous pitching video when they pitch it wrong then complain about the pitch lol. Some great tips there, especially the folding the last corners in to get a rectangular pitch 👍🏻
Just received my tent yesterday and immediately test pitched it. Wonderfully simple! I made one small error attaching the inner tent, but it was obvious on how to correct it. Gotta say, great tent, lots of space! I ordered it from the Durston website directly and I think it was shipped the minute they started their day haha. Hope to have a lot of fun camping experiences with it!
Haven't even set up my tent once yet and I'm in love with it :) refreshingly practical and simple explanations. I'm about to head off to South America for 6 months and the x-mid 2 will be my home :). One thing you could mention on your website is the import fees, had to pay half the tents value again when it arrived here in Belgium, but yeah that's on me not doing my homework. Still would have bought it anyway tbh.
Glad you're liking the tent. Yeah there are high taxes in Europe. It is the same taxes that would be included in a higher price when buying locally, but yes it can be a non-fun surprise. We are working on communicating this effectively. We do explain it on our shipping page..
Hi Dan, thanks so much for putting out this video! I got to use my X-Mid 2P this summer on a 10-day bikepacking trip and a 3-day backpacking trip. Overall, I was super happy with the tent. This video, fortunately, addresses a couple issues I was having with pitching the tent. The main one being pitching in tight/small spaces. I knew this tent was pretty versatile when I bought it, but the information you provided here took it to another level! Can't wait to try out some of these pitching techniques and variations.
Dan is the man. We were trying to buy up as many as we could a few years ago for a Scout trip to Isle Royale and I was pleasantly surprised to get a message back from Dan himself politely explaining the situation with the tents being in such hot demand. We have six of them in our Troop that are working out great and I'm looking at adding two more! After watching this video though, I have a MAJOR criticism.....start making and selling hats! I though Dan's hat was maybe a Durston designs hat so I went to the site and didn't see one. Get one of those suckers together and I'd gladly buy one and rock it as my regular! Keep it up dude!
Thanks Jay :) Glad the tents are working well. Thanks for your long time support. Yeah hats would be awesome. I've been a bit too busy to work on it and don't just want to do a mediocre hat, but eventually I'll figure out something awesome.
@durstongear I’m been ringing my family’s ears lately with raving X Mid reviews and today I received the Solid 2P as a Birthday gift from them. Threw it up in the yard in no time and cannot wait to try it out this week. Thanks for what you do man. It’s a beaut
I saved this video. It’s so perfect and I love how you can change it up. Need to learn those. Last week I camped and left tent while I hiked for the day. It started raining and rained for hours but I had no choice but continue my hike. When I got back the sides were all pulled out like in the video. Also cause it had rained all day rain was splashing back on the sides of my inner tent. I could feel the water on the inside of the net. Nothing was wet on the inside. Not sure if it would stay that way. I had put the tent as low as I could as rain was in forecast. It was as low as it could go with the land I was dealing with. I need to go practice more on getting these tips and tricks mastered. Or at least better. I’ve been hiking for years and wanted to add backpacking in. I do love my solid mid 1 person tent. I’m definitely learning and appreciate all that was in this video. Thank you Dan!!❤
I just received the tent, watched these instructions twice and then pitched the tent for the first time in 5 minutes, and then took it down in another 5 minutes too. Wow. I’m amazed at the quality and ease of use. Let’s hope it will prove as wonderful while hiking too, but I have very high hopes now! Thank you for these clear instructions.
After having used it on a month long hike, I can confirm: this tent is so easy to set up and take down, even after a long day of walking. It takes mere minutes. A fabulous tent! It’s an excellent shelter and has so many little “luxuries” for so little weight! Highly recommended.
I just got this tent and, after watching this video, I’m even more excited to try it out! I’ll be learning to use it in MD, USA but it’s first big trip will be in Great Sand Dunes NP, USA. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video!
Hi Dan, this really is an outstanding video, thank you for your time and effort. When I am using a tent its so easy to see that the people who designed it are never using it in the real world.. You however know this tent inside out regarding all the practical real world characteristics. The detail you demonstrated regarding pitching and the various set ups was way beyond what I was familiar with or had seen before...I will include a link to this video in the description of my videos. Its really is great to see you out living your fantastic products which very few other manufactures do... Best wishes and no need to respond. I would rather you were producing more content like this and making an X - Mid Pro solid.... Tom
@durstongear Already delivered! Much love from Ottawa ,Canada.. had to come back to the video for some pointers haha , cheers. The only thing I would add to the tent is an extra magnetic tie so that the fly doesn't sag over and stays tight across (tent appeal sells the tent sometimes!). I would also add a light diffuser to the pockets on both ends. That or a separate add-on you can buy.
Just ordered a x mid 1 solid, can't wait for it to arrive here in Hampshire, England! Brilliant video, i didnt know there were so many set up variations! Dan is the man!!
The troubleshooting section was super helpful! I’ve had issues at uneven tent sites but I think I have a much greater understanding of how to improve the pitch now. Thanks Dan!
Great video! A pitching guide from the man himself. Thank you for doing this! It's so helpful to SEE the potential issues and to understand and SEE the solutions. Great job, Dan! I'll be coming back to this video frequently.
I really enjoy the X-Mid solid. I bought it for the cooler,wet season. I am still learning and appreciate the tips on how to achieve the best pitch and how to correct my errors. I noticed a PCT hiker switched out his new pro tent for his tried and true Duplex due to difficulty achieving the correct pitch. This video is timely. Thank you.
Great video Dan, thank you very much for taking the time to make it. My X Mid 1p solid is currently on order, I already own the 2 solid which i used on my Wainwright's coast to coast thru hike in June this year and it was ace if a little warm in 30°C! I've bought an additional 1p as I reckon it'll be just a bit lighter and easier to fit in smaller spaces as I struggled a little bit finding pitches in certain places when I was coast to coasting. Would love an additional mesh inner for it for Summer too? Kaviso's service is awesome bee-tee-dubz - 2 days from the States to the UK - it's pricey but well worth it! Cheers 👍👍👍
Great video. I just took my XMid 1 on a Colorado Trail thru hike and it performed wonderfully. But I did not tighten the tension before I added trekking poles. That would have helped a lot with flappy sides. Now I know how to fix that!
Hey Dan. I've been using my xmid pro 1 quite a bit this year. One thing I think people should know is that it doesn't need to be 100% perfect. A little sag here or flop there is fine as long as the weather isn't going to be miserable. I recommend the xmids to anyone looking for a trekking pole tent. Setup is quick and easy. Only issue I've had is one of the loops on the bathtub floor that attaches to the trekking pole came off. My trekking poles were set too tall and I 100% pulled on it too hard trying to get the pole into the loop. It was dark and I was exhausted. Honestly though it barely affects the bathtub width. Going to look into a glue to attach it back on.
Yeah good point. It's easy to get obsessed with the perfect pitch but almost never needed. We can sew that tab back on for you if you want. They're not designed to take a lot of force but we did get some reports of them being torn off, so we are making them stronger now.
Can confirm that the first time I used it on my thru-hike, I pitched it up absolutely miserably (it was quite windy and I had only pitched it up once before with no wind at all). I was fully expecting it to blow away overnight (again, we’re talking quite strong wind and truly disastrous pitch here), but guess what, it was still standing in the morning ! Gave me more confidence in it to know it would survive decent wind even when badly pitched (to a certain limit, I still got a stake pulled out another time because I messed up again, but I honestly didn’t expect it to be so forgiving).
You're welcome. Yes shorten them and do it BEFORE the stake is staked out. After it is staked you can tighten them a little, but only so much. For the lowest pitch you want the lines shortened as much as possible.
Bought an x mid 1p and currently setting it up in my backyard, this is the third run through of your video, and I gotta say, I’m excited to try this tent out on my next section hike of the AT
awesomeness!!! Really helped me visualize other things to do with my tents! I like the desert pitch, makes a lot of sense and now looking forward to testing it out now that it's cooler.
Loved seeing the variations that I’ve never thought of. I have one of the Gen 1(?) Mass Drop versions and the only variation I’ve ever done was the fly-only to sleep two while snow camping on Arizona’s Humphreys Peak.
@@durstongear That one has inspired many other known purchases; between myself-and my friends borrowing it-it’s been around the world and then the last serial borrower, finally, got his own last year. He loved it for paragliding trips because of how small it packed.
@@GerdGuchl depending on model, there is a seperate or integrated bathtub (with mesh sidings) ….. but you can also buy a seperate ground sheet that is cut to match the shape of the bathtub footprint. It’s just a little weight for extra protection.
This was an awesome evolution of the first guide you put out! Totally showed me where I've gone wrong before in my pitches, and the different configurations and modes thah are possible. Can't wait to get out again and try some of these pitches!
Just gotta say, had a bit of a messy pitch in the heavy rain and wind and even with it not being pitched properly it still did an amazing job at weathering the storm and also keeping me dry/comfortable. This really is an amazing tent.
Great video - used the info you provided to fix sagging ridgelines on my recent trip. Looking forward to the skinny pitch video - the ones I found on RUclips are for the single wall X-mids.
I sold all my other solo tents because of X-Mid haha Simplicity to pitch/pack it and a very low weight wins it for me. Takes small space in rucksack and is strong in winds! Taking it soon on West Highland Way here in Scotland. Cannot wait. Kawka backpack would also be very interesting to try. Hope I get it soon or later. Cheers and ATB Dan
We are now walking Sweden from south to north 3000km and we use this tent hope it will do us good the first nights was great and it was super windy. Regards DanAnna
Received my x mid solid here in Devon U.K. last week, I have just set it up in the garden it was very quick to set up and after watching this video about 6 times it gave me great confidence in doing so. Great tent from a great company. I recently used the Kakwa 55 on a six day hike absolutely brilliant and carried load with ease.
What a brilliant video. Explaining the basic pitch and its variations was so clear and simple to follow and I loved the different ways to use the fly. I hope you’ve got your production line ready for a deluge of new orders! Thank you 🙏
thanks so much Dan, this video was great. I have yet to sleep in my XMidPro 1 but I did set it up once on a day hike just to check it out and I did have some issues getting it tight all over. So I'll be trying these pointers next time.
I just bought the xmid 1p a couple weeks ago and was just about to pitch my tent for the first time. I already found some mistakes, that I'm gonna remember for next time
Hey, I got my x-mid 2 for my birthday yesterday with the ground sheet and this video popped up in my feed this morning at the perfect time. On my fist pitch I was having trouble with th fly walls touching the inner walls. Am pretty sure that after watching this it was because I didn’t have it pitch perfect in the first place. I will go back and have another go. Would love to see a video about this issue and the use of the groundsheet. Thanks. Love my new tent and this video.
not only do you make great tents, but the way you respond to criticism, even people being rude or making up lies, is great, you never get angry or petty, you just explain why you did what you did in a polite manner and never talk down to anyone, even the liars, it's something that really stood out to me (along with how much you actually respond to people online about your tents, haven't seen that kind of communication from anyone else)
Thanks for the kind words :)
@@durstongear thank you for making great gear and being so approachable
Can’t agree more. This level of communication with customer is next level. No question remains unanswered.
Hello Dan. I live in Sweden and I bought X-mid 2 p tent with the z-flicks. For 300 dollars its a very affordable tent. It is pretty easy to pitch after watching this very informative video. So far I’m pleased with this tent. Unfortunately the price becomes pretty high since I live in Sweden with customs and tax, actually about 600 dollars but thats not on you, that’s on me, I should have looked that up myself. Anyway, I only have one objection, the tent pegs that comes with the tent are very weak so I guess most people buy others more sturdy ones. Wouldn’t it be better to raise the price a little bit and have quality pegs included instead? The other alternative would be to lower the price and sell it without pegs and make pegs an additional buy?
Greetings from Sweden,
@@fredriklindholm4864 The taxes to Europe are quite high because Europe has a 12% import tax on tents, plus there is VAT of about 20% on top of the price and import tax, so it is about 35% tax plus shipping. It is high tax, but it is the same tax you'd pay on a tent in Europe. The main difference is just that it's charged separately instead of hidden into a higher price.
For the stakes, we used to include titanium stakes that were very expensive but also fairly weak because their goal was to be as light as possible. We introduced those during covid when stakes were super backlogged so we didn't have any other options. I agree it would be better to include more robust stakes. I am working on that and have stronger ones with the Pro tents now, and starting next year we'll have some really nice premium stakes for all tents. My goal is have everything the highest quality, but the stakes aren't quite there yet because of supplier shortages.
My favourite all year tent. Superb! 👍👍💯
I often get comments from experienced hikers asking if my tent is one of Dan's designs. You really don't get that with any other tent on the market. After I bought his first version, I submitted a review with something like a dozen suggestions. Not only did Dan respond, but he also implemented every single suggestion for his second production run.
I'll never forget that.
On a few occasions, people have asked why Dan's tents are so sought after. This question just begs for a long break-down of Dan's material and design choices and how each one represents the best compromise in tent design. In short, Dan's careful attention to details and experience add up to the most finely tuned general-purpose three-season tent money can buy.
Thanks Fred! I appreciate the long time support.
I use it in all 4 seasons this tent is a beast in the snow
I do too. The material, stitching, strength, and angle of the tarp make it great.
However, I feel that it takes some experience, a proper pole, and good use of guy-outs to be secure for winter use here in Canada. It's nothing that can't be easily learned after a few setups, but I'd argue that some of the available alpine tents are more forgiving but at a cost in weight and complexity.
With custom carbon poles, a three-point rig on each pole, and a good staking system, the X-mid is so steady you'd struggle to knock it over even if you threw your body at it.
@@derekhand7904
@@Uncle_Fred I got my X-mid2p at the end of last winter and couldn’t wait to test it out. so I did a overnight in the Adirondack mountains knowing a snowstorm was coming in. We ended up getting 2 ft of snow that night i have never been more impressed with any other pice of gear keep in mind this was the first time I ever set the tent up! So I’m a believer.
I love that there are usually no timeouts to trip over! I love that.
Been loving my X-Mid 1P and just upgraded my old poles to the new strapped Icelines. Such great gear! Hoping to one day scrounge together enough for a 1P Pro. Keep up the great work Dan!
Thanks Mike! Glad the tent is working well.
Dan dropping geometry lessons for the tent geeks and i love it
I officially joined the cult 30 minutes ago. About to go out back and rig her up! Other than everyone telling me this is the best tent on the market, they also make a comment on the outstanding customer service from Dan himself and that almost means more to me than owning a great product. Thanks for all the hard work Dan.
Thanks for the kind words and giving my tent a try Zakk.
-Dan
one of us, ONE OF US!
Great video. I ordered the X-Mid 1 today but stupidly ordered the wrong one, within an hour of emailing, Dan had sorted out the problem for me and shipped the Solid version. The customer service is second to none 👍 can't wait for it to arrive now and test it out in the UK weather 😁
Fantastic design. An REI employee convinced me to buy it even though they don’t carry it! Just pitched it in my backyard to test and it’s a marvel. Took longer than a free-standing tent to figure it out, but the weight saving is worth it.
Thanks for the kind words! That's cool to hear someone recommended it at REI!
- Dan
Did not realize you could tie off part of the vestable to one the stake points to open the sides of tent for even more ventilation/views. This makes the 4 stake pitch significantly more usable in my opinion. Otherwise you just had part of the vestibule flapping in the wind unless it was staked down. Im very excited to try this out and refine my pitch. Thank you for this video that I didn't even realize I needed!
Thanks Chris!
It's literally uploaded 9 hours before I have to pitch it in Iceland! As is mentioned in other comments, Dan is awesome for his continued engagement with the community and providing answers to almost anyone. I sent an email for some specific pitch questions for hard winds, Dan responded a day later.
I just returned from bringing mine to Iceland. I spent 5 days hiking the Hornstrandir Reserve.
The tent did great. Granted I had nice weather.
@@johnmca5643 Any chance you'd be willing to share your itinerary? I want to do a trip (prob next year now since I procrastinated) with a combinatino of hornstrandir and laugavegur.
You can significantly increase the X-Mid's wind resistance. I use my own multi section carbon tube that also doubles as a walking stick and paddle shaft. I just turn it upside-down and put the loop through a detachable tungsten tip. I then use a three point guy-out from each pole and make sure to use all available factory guy-out points. The tarp should be as low to the ground as possible.
Using this configuration, the tent can withstand any storm short of a hurricane. I generally try to avoid getting caught in such conditions, but the tent can be configured to survive harsh weather.
@@Uncle_Fred Could you post a picture or drawing of that additional setup? I don't really understand where you are attaching the carbon tube to.
It just replaces whatever walking stick you use. You probably don't need a custom tube. I use them as I tend to hike with a packraft and my tent pole also works as a paddle shaft and walking stick. Of course, a multi-section carbon tube will be much stronger than walking poles, so you can run guylines so tight that you'd struggle to even push over the tent.
The important part is to run two additional guylines out from each peak. That alone will add significant resistance to winds.
When in doubt, guy-it out, lol.@@neilquinn
I’ve watched like 50 videos for tips and tricks with my 2p…..but this video was soooo much more helpful than all of those combined. Thanks Dan.
I own a MLD shelter and came to dread setting it up at the end of a hard day on the trail. It went up quick, but was nearly always proceeded by 20 minutes fiddling with guy lines to achieve balance and avoid consistently sagging lines got tired very quickly, even more so in wind and rain. So, I splurged on an Xmid Pro2, and the contrast is night and day, I can't believe a) how easy it was to pitch b) how much more room I'm getting for the footprint or c) how much more sturdy the tent is.
As others have said, Dan's customer service is first-rate, and the way he handles people is a rare, refreshing and very welcome thing to see. Ron Bell at MLD - customer service - please take note.
Glad you're liking the tent!
I went full send right away and bought this as my first trekking pole tent a week ago as I’m shifting from car camping to backpacking.
I just tried to pitch this in a friend’s yard for the first time and was awful at it. (All user error). The videos I’d watched previously didn’t account for mistakes you could make.
Then along comes this video, which is slow, methodical, and points out simple mistakes.
Any doubts I might have had have disappeared, because a company with such good physical quality and care for their customers is second to none.
Impressed doesn’t begin to cover it.
Glad you liked the video. Thanks for your support!
Hi Dan, I'm 1 of the UK Durston Massive 👍🏼😂
Only had my X-Mid 2 for a few weeks, taken it out a couple of times on shorts trips to get familiar, performed well and I have gained valuable confidence for an upcoming multi day hike. Great design, quality material and manufacturing. I shall try out taking the fly back when the conditions are right & the vestibule extension. Carry on the excellent work 👍🏼
Thanks for the kind words Paul!
Just bought one. This tent seems to be the optimal mix of features, weight and size for me. This is one of the best thought out tents I've ever seen. The 52" floor on the 2p version sealed the deal, though. Me and my girlfriend both use wide sleeping pads, and this is one of the only UL tents that will fit both of them. Can't wait to try it out!
Thanks for your kind words and support. I hope the tent works well!
I'm so glad you made this video. I thought there might have only been 1 way to set up this tent yet there were 18 minutes to the video. It brought more value and flexibility to the tent.
Just recently got into backpacking and an X-mid is my end goal tent. While I don't have it yet, the fact that it feels like you're continuously engaged with your products and customers makes me even more confident in my choice. You can tell where your motivation lies with what you do.
Keep up the great work, cheers from the other side of the country!
Just had mine delivered today, cant wait to get out in it for the first time !!!
I bought an Xmid 2p tent this year (2023) and was able to figure it out with just the written instructions included in the tent bag. This is an excellent and well thought out tent design that really does a good job of balancing function and weight. Really happy with my purchase and would highly recommend these Durston tents. Watch this video would have been helpful before taking it out camping but I also find value in the additional information on variations helpful.
Thanks for your kind words and support Eric! I'm glad the tent is intuitive to pitch.
I just purchased a X-Mid 2P. This video is extremely helpful and much more detailed than anything else I have found. Nice to get the correct way(s) to pitch the tent along with the options. Thanks very much for doing this. And great job with your design and the quality of your tents. Very innovative.
Thanks Rudy!
Love to see videos like this from product makers! The porch mode in particular was really cool to learn, I never would've thought of that.
I love Durston for more than just the gear the whole company is amazing!
Thanks :)
- Dan
This is a very helpful video. We have two of your tents and use them often.
Thanks!
Well Dan, you sold me finally. Been reserved for months, but I ordered the solid 2 just now. So many tips you gave really helped explain all the benefits this little shelter packs. Many of which I never saw or knew before. Looking forward to testing it next weekend. Thanks ⛰️ ⛺️ 🌲 💨
Thanks for giving it a try Chris. Don't hesitant to reach out if you have any questions. Have a great hike!
- Dan
@@durstongear Blown away by delivery time. Less than 30 hours in my hands from purchase time! 😮 Now waiting on the ground sheet and Z-Sticks to get through Canadian Customs. 🛃 📦 ⛺️
Thanks for this! The ridge line on my X-mid Pro 2 is always loose, but I finally got the bathtub shape correct. I’ll be in the backyard practicing with this video! Every time I backpack where there are others around, they have to come check out my tent, the space is luxurious. In particularly bad weather, I hosted a party of three for dinner and drinks. ❤
Nice. If you're extending the poles firmly and still getting a loose ridgeline, then yes the fix is the method shown starting at 8:03.
Just purchased the xmid 2 with the ground cloth and stargazer kit.
Super excited about this tent.
I have researched so many different options, and in my opinion this is the best tent to suit my needs.
Thanks for giving it a try!
- Dan
I was already LOVING my Pro 2… but had never seen the “full open” or porch pitch options. Thanks Dan, I love my tent even more now!!
Glad you're loving it!
This is excellent! I love my x-mid pro 2. I'm excited to see more on the 'skinny pitch' variation. The only difficulty I have with the 2 person version is the large footprint needed. Thanks Dan for also giving the troubleshooting guide. Great stuff!
This video is awesome. The option to roll up the tent to be able to get views and such… You really should with every tent include written instructions, or a PDF. We can print out and take along on our hike. I have to figure out how to download this video on my phone, RUclips doesn’t like that.
I'm working on a hang tag that'll have a QR code that links to the video. Still not easy to download though.
Best tent design on the market by far.
Thanks!
- Dan
Thanks for the great vid! Looking forward to the supplementary skinny pitch video. It would also be great if you could demo some recommended folding up / packing up techniques. Thanks again
This is literally quality, Dan. I’ll definitely watch this RUclips video over and over so that when I’m in the field I can guarantee a good or even perfect pitch. Thank you Dan 🙏
Awesome tents made by someone who knows what works and what doesn't! Keep up the amazing work.
Just got mine today and it's my first ever tent. I intended to go for something cheaper and smaller for starters as I'm only beginning my outdoors journey - but my designer brain fell in love with X Mid and I splurged. It's awesome, made in a super clever way and a high-quality product through and through. First pitch went well despite my lack of experience and uneven backyard. Got a 2p version in case I go backpacking with a friend, but it's a literal palace for going solo.
Thanks for using our gear, and good luck with your new outdoors journey. So much fun!
- Dan
I pitched my Xmid 2p for the first time this weekend on a camping trip. Generally I try to set it up at home first but I didn't have a chance to do that.
I did struggle with understanding which way things went but in the end I figured it out.
I'll pitch a few more times at home to get used to it, but one thing that might make it easier is color coding one clip/ chord so they match. This might make things a little quicker for those of us who were silly enough not set it up at home first.
But overall this was the best tent I have ever used. At 6'2 I always buy two person tents because the one persons are always too small. However, this tent was incredibly large for a two person tent. I have now added the 1P pro to my bucket list because I'm confident I would fit easily.
Keep up the great work Dan I look forward to more innovations in the future.
Thanks for the kind words. Yes I try to make my tents a good size, so the 2P is nicely sized for two which can mean that it is overkill for 1. The X-Mid Pro 1 is a super nice tent and very spacious for a 1P tent. I think it's the largest 1P tent on the market by interior volume.
Great video Dan, I'm constantly referring people to your previous pitching video when they pitch it wrong then complain about the pitch lol. Some great tips there, especially the folding the last corners in to get a rectangular pitch 👍🏻
Just received my tent yesterday and immediately test pitched it. Wonderfully simple! I made one small error attaching the inner tent, but it was obvious on how to correct it. Gotta say, great tent, lots of space! I ordered it from the Durston website directly and I think it was shipped the minute they started their day haha. Hope to have a lot of fun camping experiences with it!
Dan, you’re just the best. Thank you for making such great products and videos, and thank you for engaging with the community!
I've waited so long for this video! Not complaining at all either. This tent is so fun to pitch, I can see where I was going wrong now, too.
No cracks in this one! Great video, really happy for your success.
Thanks Greg!
once again dan - a masterclass in presentation of a brilliant piece of gear
:)
Appreciate your ability to both design and share. Love my X-Mid 1. Lending it out that it may experience Iceland.
Lucky tent!
Haven't even set up my tent once yet and I'm in love with it :) refreshingly practical and simple explanations. I'm about to head off to South America for 6 months and the x-mid 2 will be my home :). One thing you could mention on your website is the import fees, had to pay half the tents value again when it arrived here in Belgium, but yeah that's on me not doing my homework. Still would have bought it anyway tbh.
Glad you're liking the tent.
Yeah there are high taxes in Europe. It is the same taxes that would be included in a higher price when buying locally, but yes it can be a non-fun surprise. We are working on communicating this effectively. We do explain it on our shipping page..
Hi Dan, thanks so much for putting out this video! I got to use my X-Mid 2P this summer on a 10-day bikepacking trip and a 3-day backpacking trip. Overall, I was super happy with the tent. This video, fortunately, addresses a couple issues I was having with pitching the tent. The main one being pitching in tight/small spaces. I knew this tent was pretty versatile when I bought it, but the information you provided here took it to another level! Can't wait to try out some of these pitching techniques and variations.
I just bought one at the beginning of summer and I love it. I love how versatile it is!😊
Glad you are liking it :)
-Dan
Woooow, all the modes are wicked!!! I had no clue about most of those. Great video. Thanks!
Came out the day I received my X-Mid... I feel I'm going to have a great experience with this tent
I love seeing the different variations!! Great guide, Dan! Looking forward to the skinny pitch guide!!
So glad you made this video, I had always tightened the fly after putting the poles up, not before they go in like this video shows.
Thanks, Dan
Thanks, Dan. In 2 years of camping in the X-Mid one person, I’m happy with it. Nice job.
Courtesy of Half Vast Flying
Dan is the man. We were trying to buy up as many as we could a few years ago for a Scout trip to Isle Royale and I was pleasantly surprised to get a message back from Dan himself politely explaining the situation with the tents being in such hot demand. We have six of them in our Troop that are working out great and I'm looking at adding two more!
After watching this video though, I have a MAJOR criticism.....start making and selling hats! I though Dan's hat was maybe a Durston designs hat so I went to the site and didn't see one. Get one of those suckers together and I'd gladly buy one and rock it as my regular! Keep it up dude!
Thanks Jay :) Glad the tents are working well. Thanks for your long time support.
Yeah hats would be awesome. I've been a bit too busy to work on it and don't just want to do a mediocre hat, but eventually I'll figure out something awesome.
@durstongear I’m been ringing my family’s ears lately with raving X Mid reviews and today I received the Solid 2P as a Birthday gift from them. Threw it up in the yard in no time and cannot wait to try it out this week. Thanks for what you do man. It’s a beaut
Thanks Jason!
I saved this video. It’s so perfect and I love how you can change it up. Need to learn those.
Last week I camped and left tent while I hiked for the day. It started raining and rained for hours but I had no choice but continue my hike.
When I got back the sides were all pulled out like in the video. Also cause it had rained all day rain was splashing back on the sides of my inner tent. I could feel the water on the inside of the net. Nothing was wet on the inside. Not sure if it would stay that way.
I had put the tent as low as I could as rain was in forecast. It was as low as it could go with the land I was dealing with.
I need to go practice more on getting these tips and tricks mastered. Or at least better.
I’ve been hiking for years and wanted to add backpacking in.
I do love my solid mid 1 person tent. I’m definitely learning and appreciate all that was in this video.
Thank you Dan!!❤
I just received the tent, watched these instructions twice and then pitched the tent for the first time in 5 minutes, and then took it down in another 5 minutes too. Wow. I’m amazed at the quality and ease of use. Let’s hope it will prove as wonderful while hiking too, but I have very high hopes now!
Thank you for these clear instructions.
Awesome! Glad this was helpful and thanks for using Durston tents!
- Dan
After having used it on a month long hike, I can confirm: this tent is so easy to set up and take down, even after a long day of walking. It takes mere minutes. A fabulous tent! It’s an excellent shelter and has so many little “luxuries” for so little weight! Highly recommended.
I just got this tent and, after watching this video, I’m even more excited to try it out! I’ll be learning to use it in MD, USA but it’s first big trip will be in Great Sand Dunes NP, USA. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video!
Thanks for using Durston tents and good luck on your Great Sand Trip!
- Dan
Hi Dan, this really is an outstanding video, thank you for your time and effort. When I am using a tent its so easy to see that the people who designed it are never using it in the real world.. You however know this tent inside out regarding all the practical real world characteristics. The detail you demonstrated regarding pitching and the various set ups was way beyond what I was familiar with or had seen before...I will include a link to this video in the description of my videos. Its really is great to see you out living your fantastic products which very few other manufactures do... Best wishes and no need to respond. I would rather you were producing more content like this and making an X - Mid Pro solid.... Tom
Thanks Tom :)
Great video, very excited to just the x mid 2 on some upcoming trips
Thanks Jonathon!
Just purchased my V2 + PCT edition poles! Can't wait
Awesome! I hope they work well.
@durstongear Already delivered! Much love from Ottawa ,Canada.. had to come back to the video for some pointers haha , cheers.
The only thing I would add to the tent is an extra magnetic tie so that the fly doesn't sag over and stays tight across (tent appeal sells the tent sometimes!). I would also add a light diffuser to the pockets on both ends. That or a separate add-on you can buy.
Just ordered a x mid 1 solid, can't wait for it to arrive here in Hampshire, England! Brilliant video, i didnt know there were so many set up variations! Dan is the man!!
The troubleshooting section was super helpful! I’ve had issues at uneven tent sites but I think I have a much greater understanding of how to improve the pitch now. Thanks Dan!
Glad it was helpful.
Great video! A pitching guide from the man himself. Thank you for doing this! It's so helpful to SEE the potential issues and to understand and SEE the solutions. Great job, Dan! I'll be coming back to this video frequently.
I've been using the side panel guy-out wrong. That angle description totally makes sense.
Thank you for posting this updated guide. I love my Xmid but I only get to use it a couple of times a year and I get rusty. This is super helpful
Just set mine up for the first time yesterday and it was so easy. Can't wait to try it on a trip. Thanks for making an awesome tent
Awesome
I really enjoy the X-Mid solid. I bought it for the cooler,wet season. I am still learning and appreciate the tips on how to achieve the best pitch and how to correct my errors. I noticed a PCT hiker switched out his new pro tent for his tried and true Duplex due to difficulty achieving the correct pitch. This video is timely. Thank you.
Great video Dan, thank you very much for taking the time to make it.
My X Mid 1p solid is currently on order, I already own the 2 solid which i used on my Wainwright's coast to coast thru hike in June this year and it was ace if a little warm in 30°C!
I've bought an additional 1p as I reckon it'll be just a bit lighter and easier to fit in smaller spaces as I struggled a little bit finding pitches in certain places when I was coast to coasting.
Would love an additional mesh inner for it for Summer too?
Kaviso's service is awesome bee-tee-dubz - 2 days from the States to the UK - it's pricey but well worth it!
Cheers 👍👍👍
Great video Dan! Love seeing the examples and hearing the geeky explanation for troubleshooting slack sides / ridgeline.
Thanks Jeff!
Great video. I just took my XMid 1 on a Colorado Trail thru hike and it performed wonderfully. But I did not tighten the tension before I added trekking poles. That would have helped a lot with flappy sides. Now I know how to fix that!
Glad the video is helpful!
Great video, with excellent and useful information, particularly some of the finer points in properly setting up.
Hey Dan. I've been using my xmid pro 1 quite a bit this year. One thing I think people should know is that it doesn't need to be 100% perfect. A little sag here or flop there is fine as long as the weather isn't going to be miserable. I recommend the xmids to anyone looking for a trekking pole tent. Setup is quick and easy. Only issue I've had is one of the loops on the bathtub floor that attaches to the trekking pole came off. My trekking poles were set too tall and I 100% pulled on it too hard trying to get the pole into the loop. It was dark and I was exhausted. Honestly though it barely affects the bathtub width. Going to look into a glue to attach it back on.
Yeah good point. It's easy to get obsessed with the perfect pitch but almost never needed.
We can sew that tab back on for you if you want. They're not designed to take a lot of force but we did get some reports of them being torn off, so we are making them stronger now.
Can confirm that the first time I used it on my thru-hike, I pitched it up absolutely miserably (it was quite windy and I had only pitched it up once before with no wind at all). I was fully expecting it to blow away overnight (again, we’re talking quite strong wind and truly disastrous pitch here), but guess what, it was still standing in the morning ! Gave me more confidence in it to know it would survive decent wind even when badly pitched (to a certain limit, I still got a stake pulled out another time because I messed up again, but I honestly didn’t expect it to be so forgiving).
Love Durston tent, genius design!
Thanks Charles!
After very much consideration I Just bought durston xmid. Thanks for the clear set up video. Can't wait.
Awesome! Thanks for trying our gear!
So to get the bottom closer to ground just shorten up my stake lines. Exactly what I came to find. Thanks brother!!!❤❤
You're welcome. Yes shorten them and do it BEFORE the stake is staked out. After it is staked you can tighten them a little, but only so much. For the lowest pitch you want the lines shortened as much as possible.
Bought an x mid 1p and currently setting it up in my backyard, this is the third run through of your video, and I gotta say, I’m excited to try this tent out on my next section hike of the AT
Thanks for trying our gear Lizz and good luck on the AT!
- Dan
awesomeness!!! Really helped me visualize other things to do with my tents! I like the desert pitch, makes a lot of sense and now looking forward to testing it out now that it's cooler.
Perfect timing! Just received my X-Mid 2 Solid today. Excited to get out there and use it!
Loved seeing the variations that I’ve never thought of. I have one of the Gen 1(?) Mass Drop versions and the only variation I’ve ever done was the fly-only to sleep two while snow camping on Arizona’s Humphreys Peak.
Thanks for your early support :)
- Dan
@@durstongear That one has inspired many other known purchases; between myself-and my friends borrowing it-it’s been around the world and then the last serial borrower, finally, got his own last year. He loved it for paragliding trips because of how small it packed.
Just received my xped-1p yesterday and the ground sheet today…..a very happy chappie right now.
so there is no bottom and you have to buy the ground separate? @durstongear
@@GerdGuchl depending on model, there is a seperate or integrated bathtub (with mesh sidings) ….. but you can also buy a seperate ground sheet that is cut to match the shape of the bathtub footprint. It’s just a little weight for extra protection.
Excellent, in depth video. Thanks, Dan!
Thanks Tom!
Great video Dan!!! I get mine in the mail today and super excited! 2 trips over the next 4 weeks
This was an awesome evolution of the first guide you put out! Totally showed me where I've gone wrong before in my pitches, and the different configurations and modes thah are possible. Can't wait to get out again and try some of these pitches!
Fabulous video, Dan! Goes with the best tents on the market ❤
Thanks Anna :)
Great Video Dan, would be great to see a video or some recommendations on how to best pitch when using the ground sheet.
Agree with this
Just gotta say, had a bit of a messy pitch in the heavy rain and wind and even with it not being pitched properly it still did an amazing job at weathering the storm and also keeping me dry/comfortable. This really is an amazing tent.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for using our gear.
- Dan
Great video - used the info you provided to fix sagging ridgelines on my recent trip.
Looking forward to the skinny pitch video - the ones I found on RUclips are for the single wall X-mids.
I love my Durston X-Mid 1P, so easy to set up.
I sold all my other solo tents because of X-Mid haha
Simplicity to pitch/pack it and a very low weight wins it for me. Takes small space in rucksack and is strong in winds!
Taking it soon on West Highland Way here in Scotland. Cannot wait.
Kawka backpack would also be very interesting to try. Hope I get it soon or later.
Cheers and ATB Dan
Thanks Greg!
We are now walking Sweden from south to north 3000km and we use this tent hope it will do us good the first nights was great and it was super windy. Regards DanAnna
Awesome! Glad it is working well :)
- Dan
Received my x mid solid here in Devon U.K. last week, I have just set it up in the garden it was very quick to set up and after watching this video about 6 times it gave me great confidence in doing so. Great tent from a great company. I recently used the Kakwa 55 on a six day hike absolutely brilliant and carried load with ease.
Glad to hear the first impressions are good. Thanks for using Durston gear.
- Dan
What a brilliant video. Explaining the basic pitch and its variations was so clear and simple to follow and I loved the different ways to use the fly. I hope you’ve got your production line ready for a deluge of new orders! Thank you 🙏
Thanks!
So glad to see how far you've come Dan! Hope everything is well! 😊
Thanks Benjamin!
thanks so much Dan, this video was great. I have yet to sleep in my XMidPro 1 but I did set it up once on a day hike just to check it out and I did have some issues getting it tight all over. So I'll be trying these pointers next time.
I just bought the xmid 1p a couple weeks ago and was just about to pitch my tent for the first time. I already found some mistakes, that I'm gonna remember for next time
Still love our Pro 2 Solid!
Groundhog and/or their minis always work well for us
Great video, you’ve done things with this tent I never could of imagined. Tanks for sharing the info, I’ll certainly be using it. Dave
Thanks Dave!
Thanks for making this video! It’s answered a few of my questions! I’m really enjoying my X-Mid 1! ✌🏻
Loving my xmid 1p so far. Thank you!
Great video Dan! Been waiting for this to come out! Thanks!
Hey, I got my x-mid 2 for my birthday yesterday with the ground sheet and this video popped up in my feed this morning at the perfect time. On my fist pitch I was having trouble with th fly walls touching the inner walls. Am pretty sure that after watching this it was because I didn’t have it pitch perfect in the first place. I will go back and have another go. Would love to see a video about this issue and the use of the groundsheet. Thanks. Love my new tent and this video.
Nice birthday gift! For your issue, it is probably the 'loose sides' issue shown at 6:50. Try that solution.
brilliant video. i cant wait to order (and use) the x-mid solid 2!