SPECS
- 20 denier polyester in Alpine Sage (fly) or monument grey (floor)
- 15 denier nylon in white (inner solid fabric)
- 3500mm sil/PEU coating
- Peak reinforced with 210d black nylon
- YKK #5 AquaGuard (water-resistant) zippers (fly)
- YKK #3 zippers (inner tent)
- 8 aluminum V stakes
- Fly: 83 x 100 in / 210 x 254 cm
- Fly area: 57.6 sq ft / 5.35 sq m
- Fly peak height: 48 in / 122 cm
- Inner peak height: 45 in / 114 cm
- Floor width: 52 in / 132 cm
- Floor length: 92 in / 234 cm
- Floor area: 33.2 sq ft / 3.1 sq m
- Vestibule area: 23 sq ft (11.5 sq ft x 2) / 2.1 sq m (1.05 sq m x 2)
- Packed size: 12 x 6.5 in / 30 x 17 cm
- Fly: 21.0 oz / 595 g
- Inner: 15.5 oz / 440 g
- Stuff sack: 0.5 oz / 15 g
- Stake sack: 0.2 oz / 4 g
- 4 aluminum V stakes (6 in / 15 cm) @ 10 g
- 4 aluminum V stakes (7 in / 18 cm) @ 12 g
- Tent (fly + inner): 36.5 oz / 1035 g
- Complete package: 40.2 oz / 1141 (tent, stuff sacks, 8 stakes)
Materials
Dimensions: Typical Values
Weights
- Based on the same core design as the second generation X-Mid tents
- Ultra-simple four stake pitch
- Solid inner fabric to block snow, sand, and winds
- Fly zippers are reinforced with buckles at the base
- Tent pitches fly first (inner tent stays dry during rain setup)
- Twin pole structure provides generous living space
- Double-wall design protects from condensation
- Dual doors and dual vestibules provide easy access and ample gear space
- Magnetic door toggles for quick operation
- Protected doorways can be left open in light rain
- Doorways are large and not blocked by trekking poles
- Polyester fabric does not sag in the rain
- Polyester fabric does not absorb water, so it dries fast and stays light
- 4 Interior pockets provide handy storage
- Large vents provide excellent ventilation and close easily during harsh conditions
- Excellent snow shedding via steep roof panels
- Excellent wind performance with optional peak and side panel guylines
- Full coverage fly extends to the ground to block drafts yet can be raised for more ventilation
- Packs short enough to store horizontally in a pack
- Fly and inner can pitch independently
- Fully Waterproof Seams (Seam Taped or Waterproof Construction)
- Fully double-stitched construction
- Non-slippery floor
- Premium materials and hardware (e.g., YKK AquaGuard Zippers)
- Optional stake points include 2 peak guylines, 2 side panel guylines, and an extra 8 stake points around the base.
- 2-year warranty
- Stuff sack
- 4 aluminum V stakes (6 in / 15 cm)
- 4 aluminum V stakes (7 in / 18 cm)
- Not included: 2 trekking poles or tent poles required for setup
Recommended Trekking Poles: Kaviso x Fizan Compact Trekking Poles Recommended Tent Poles: Durston Gear Z-Flick (Pair)
Features
Included
Check out some common questions:
The X-Mid Solid does well in all four seasons, but is not a “4 season tent” in the sense that 4 season tents are generally expected to be capable of being exposed to severe winter storms which are beyond what the X-Mid is designed for. We are using lighter fabrics that do very well for how light this tent is, but are not as strong as the heavier fabrics you find in 4-season rated tents. We recommend the X-Mid Solid for high but not severe winds, and for substantial snowfalls (e.g. up to 6″) but not the worst winter storms.
No. The sleeping area is asymmetric so it is a bit different on each side, but the tent is spacious enough so that two people can comfortably sleep the same way.
In more detail, the tent does have two corners where the roof is lower (the corners further from the poles). When sleeping the same way, one person will have a low corner at their head and the other person at their feet. However, the floor length is very generous (92″) so these lower corners are not something you occupy but rather are extra space for gear storage. The person with the low corner at their head should slide down, while the other person slides up, so both people are positioned side by side and with ample space. It really is very comfortable for two people sleeping the same way, and certainly more comfortable than most 2P tents on the market since the X-Mid 2P is quite spacious.
The X-Mid 2 has a very typical footprint for a reasonably spacious trekking pole tent. The footprint is smaller compared to pyramid tents and is only sometimes considered large when it is compared to relatively cramped freestanding tents.
Trekking pole tents do have a bit larger footprint than freestanding tents because freestanding tents can steepen the sidewalls to trim the edges plus many mainstream freestanding tents are quite tiny, so certainly there are tents with smaller footprints but X-Mid 2 is very similar to any other reasonably spacious 2P tent. There is a tradeoff here between the amount of space and footprint size, where we think providing a comfortable amount of space is the right approach because it benefits you every night, whereas only on rare occasions is the bit larger footprint a small inconvenience. The X-Mid is one of the most popular tents on the Appalachian Trail where smaller campsites are common, which shows that this is not a substantial issue even in areas with limited sites. We also trimmed about 10% off the footprint for the second-generation version, so it is even less of a worry.
Both tents are very capable and versatile. The regular version has the advantages of being 1 oz lighter, a bit less expensive, and the mesh inner enables stargazing at night. The solid inner version has the advantages of greater protection against rough weather and it is slightly warmer. Most people will be well suited with either style, but we recommend the mesh for people who like stargazing or camping in very hot areas (who might be too warm in the solid version) while the solid inner version is recommended for people who plan for regular use in poor weather, shoulder season and winter conditions.
There are tents with traditional poles that are as light as the X-Mid. Since pole sets are heavy (often about 8oz) to get a freestanding tents this light something else has to give. Commonly that’s space, performance, and durability. A freestanding tent as light as the X-Mid is almost certainly far smaller and using more delicate fabrics and much thinner waterproof coatings. You’ll also find they cut features (e.g., lacking vents). That can be a good approach if you only need a small tent for mild conditions, but the X-Mid offers a lot more space and capability for the weight.
Yes. The inner easily disconnects via buckles at the peaks and clips at the four corners to leave just the fly. If you want to pitch just the inner, you can remove the fly peaks’ guylines and tie them to the inner peaks while adding knots for the pole tips, buy makes inner-only pitching much easier as it has separate guylines that clip right on plus grommets for your pole tips and tensioners for quick adjustment.
The X-Mid 1 and 2 are designed to work with almost all adjustable length trekking poles and some fixed length trekking poles. The length of pole needed can vary based on how it is pitched and uneven ground, but the X-Mid tents typically pitch with the poles in the range of 46-48" and almost always in the range of 45 - 50". Adjustable poles are ideal for fine tuning the pitch and the X-Mid is compatible with every telescoping adjustable pole on the market. At Kaviso, we recommend Fizan Trekking Poles.
The X-Mid 1 and 2 tents are designed to pitch with the pole 'tips up' by fitting the tip into a grommet. Almost every pole will be compatible with this grommet but it is possible that rare models of poles have unusual tips shapes that are incompatible. At present, we only know of the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles as being incompatible as they have thicker tips. These poles can still be used in a 'handles up' orientation with Tarp Tent adapters.
Durston Gear offers folding, adjustable length poles called Z-Flick poles that can be used instead of trekking poles. These are the lightest adjustable poles on the market and can be purchased in X-Mid tent bundles as well.
There are also less common folding style adjustable poles (e.g. Black Diamond Distance Z Carbon) which have more limited ranges and may only work in certain sizes so you should check the specified adjustment range to ensure it spans at least 46-48" (117 - 122 cm). Fixed length poles can also be used in the 115 or 120cm lengths, although these can be slightly too short or too long such that additional techniques are needed (e.g. angling them to make them lower, or shimming them up to be taller).
The main reason is that nylon absorbs water in wet conditions. That results in 3 big problems: First, it expands (or “sags”) about 4% which makes for a saggy tent in wet conditions. This is a common problem in nearly all lightweight tents, but low weight polyester fabrics are finally available which solve this. Second, nylon’s water absorption makes the tent slow to dry and heavy with up to a pound of water in the fabric, and third, nylon weakens by about 10% when wet. Polyester doesn’t absorb water, so it doesn’t have any of these issues plus it’s far more UV resistant so it lasts longer.
For the most weather resistant pitch, you should pitch it low to the ground (shorten the cord at the corners as much as possible), use the optional stake out points around the base to spread the load, and deploy the peak guylines. Orient the guylines towards the long sides of the tent to support those larger walls. For extreme conditions, you can add a second peak guyline by tying cord inside the peaks and running it out the vents. This way, you can guyout each peak from two directions, which makes it extremely strong.
The 20D floor is designed to be durable enough to use without a groundsheet, whereas many other UL tents use more fragile 10-15D floors. However, it still requires care not to pitch on sharp sticks and rocks, and the floor could be damaged on harsh surfaces like gravel. For harsh surfaces or a cleaner floor,
Every X-Mid tent purchased from Kaviso includes a 2 year warranty against manufacturing defects.
Starting May 1st, 2024, the warranty for your Durston Gear X-Mid is now managed directly by Durston Gear.
For detailed information regarding your X-Mid warranty, please refer to:
Durston Gear X-Mid Warranty
To initiate a warranty request, please email Durston Gear directly at:
support@durstongear.comDomestic Orders:
Orders will ship UPS Ground or USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. All orders will ship from Columbus, OH and arrive within 1-6 business days.
International Orders:
International customers may have the option to select FedEx, or USPS shipping at check-out (depending on your country).
Pre-paid Duties/Taxes Included: FedEx Economy and Priority: Duties and Taxes can optionally be collected at check-out and no additional fees, duties, or taxes are due at delivery. FedEx is our recommended shipping method and typically takes 2-8 business days depending on your country.
Due on Delivery (Duties/Taxes): FedEx Connect Plus or Priority / USPS First Class or Priority: Duties and Tax estimates are provided at check-out* for your reference and are due on delivery. Shipping times vary by country but may be up to 30-45 days for First Class Mail, and up to 30 days for Priority Mail. If you have a trip deadline, we always recommend FedEx to ensure on-time and reliable delivery. FedEx Connect Plus and Priority can be selected without pre-paid duties & taxes and is typcally the cheapest option. Delivery times are 3-10 days depending on your country.
If you have a trip deadline, we always recommend FedEx to ensure on-time and reliable delivery.
It is not uncommon for 14+ days to pass without any tracking updates. Unfortunately, USPS is unable to provide any additional information not displayed on the tracking page. Please be patient, Kaviso is unable to ship a replacement unless 45+ days have passed (For USPS International shipments). While this may be frustrating, this policy is borne out of experience and nearly 99.9% of packages are eventually delivered.
Your local carrier (Royal Mail, Canada Post, La Poste, etc.) will reach out to collect duties and taxes before the parcel is delivered. Once the shipment leaves the US, most countries allow customers to pay their duties and taxes online using your USPS tracking number. This process can lead to customs and delivery delays if you do not make timely payment.
International USPS availability: Due to delivery issues with recent sales, USPS availability has been slimmed down exclusively to countries with delivery confirmation: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Countries excluded from this list will be shipped via FedEx.
Pitching Instructions
The X-Mid tents are very simple to pitch, however, there are some things to consider for maximum performance. For this, we recommend watching the video below but we also have written instructions following that.
Basic Pitch:
1. Stake out the rectangular base (i.e. stake one end, pull out a 3rd corner at 90 degrees, pull last corner taut).
2. Inspect your rectangle to make sure it’s reasonably accurate (not skewed into a diamond). Adjust if needed.
3. Tighten the corner tensioners to pull the base tight (this will limit the poles to the right height)
4. Add the two poles and extend firmly until the fly is tight (poles will be handles up in the Pro series tents and tips up in the other models).
Troubleshooting
It is best to correct any issues with the pitch before you add more stakes to reinforce it. There are two common issues which are explained the most clearly in our video above (please watch that), but if you prefer text here they are:
1. Loose Sides
Problem: The rectangular base was not tight when the poles were added. Like this, when the poles are added it pulls the corners in.
Solution: Lower the poles to take tension off the corner seams, snug up the base, re-extend the poles.
2. Loose Ridgeline or Wonky Canopy
Problem: The base was not staked in an accurate rectangle but instead was skewed left or right. Depending on the direction of the skew, the fly will be loose on one diagonal (along the ridgeline, crossing the ridgeline).
Solution: As the diagram below explains, use the corner tensioners to adjust the corners back into a proper rectangle. Most likely you will loosen two opposite corners that were quite tight and tighten the two opposite corners so the tent is more evenly tensioned. Then extend the poles more to make everything tight.
Storm Pitch
To strengthen the pitch for storms, we recommend the following in this approximate order of importance:
1. Make sure your basic pitch is good (tight everywhere). It is best not to add more stakes to compensate for core issues. Get the core pitch right and then add more stakes to reinforce.
2. Add the peak guylines. Stake these out along the ridgeline or angled more towards the door walls if the wind is to the broad side.
3. Stake out the doorways. Angle the stake to reduce tension on the zipper. If your tent has shockcord at the door and/or end wall stake points, consider replacing this with static cord and stake these points to better anchor the peak. The static cord eliminates stretch for a more solid pitch.
4. Add the side panel guylines and stake these down on the same angle of slope as the roof panels so they are pulling against the peaks. Do not pull the sides out substantially.
5. Add more stakes around the perimeter as needed.
