by Ewen1966 » Thu Aug 11, 2022 1:42 pm
Just back from testing out the Dan Durston xmid 2. It is the one with the solid inner so more suited to our climate than the all mesh ones.
Basically, it passed the test.
It is lighter than my Helium 1 yet is a proper 2 person with 2 vestibules.
It packs down small though I did replace the bag to a slightly bigger on.
It goes up in about 5 minutes but with a caveat that I will go in to later.
On a mild day it only needs 6 pegs to pitch.
There was condensation but none on the inner.
Pockets a plenty.
With the extra guy outs it will be well planted for inclement weather.
There is room to sit up while sitting on a down mat. I am 183cm and my head didn't touch the roof.
The netting on the doors is midge proof.
Downsides?
It needs time to get the pitch right. On my test in the garden it was perfect. On a flat hill pitch being eaten to death by cleggs and midges it is harder to get the geometry perfect which is a wee bit frustrating.
The spade pegs provided are pants but that is expected. The shepherd crook titaniums provided were surprisingly good.
Availability has always been a problem, as is import duties etc. Supposedly supply will be better from this Autumn but it will still involve shipping from the states. Also, it is a trekking pole tent so those who don't use them will need to factor in the weight of Poles.
I have modded it a bit to my own liking. I've put longer guylines at each corner and shock cord loops on the additional pegging points. I have also added shock cord loops and guylines to the supplementary guyouts on each panel. These are new for version 2 and quite welcome for when the wind gets up. I also replaced the shock cord that goes round the trekking pole handles. That was just down to the shape of my own Poles.
Mods and different pegs have taken it up to 1.2 kg. Still less than my helium 1 which, with footprint, is 200 grammes more. I did not use a footprint for the xmid. The shape is a faff and it would add more weight.
So. Do I like it?
You bet. This will probably end up as my go to tent. I use trekking poles anyway so it does save me weight and gives me more room. I had tried numerous times to get my hands on one and I'm actually glad I wasn't able to until the solid inner came out. This makes it suitable for 4 season use in the glens. It is not flappy in the wind and can be raised up or lowered depending on weather conditions. I had a good look at all the seams etc. No flaws. No loose threads. No squint seams.
I think it was worth the weight and the money.