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Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

(Grats to all tgoc2023 starters and finishers.)
I have (and love) my enan but pondering an x-mid 1 solid, or notch li to ditch some weight for (hopefully) a tgoc attempt next year.
I hear the notch was popular this year, has anyone got any critical feedback on either the durston or tarptent?
Thanks
—R

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

You may find more discussion on the FB page, if you are interested.
I have no experience of the X-mid, but I love my Notch Sil. Mine has velcro on the doors, I expect the zippered one is better but I'm okay with that. Having two vestibule is really handy. If you are organised and not too tall (6'+ might be an issue) the Notch is a great tent. Obviously, the Li version is lighter and doesn't hold water.

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

I had the first mesh version and sold it on to get an X-Mid 1P Solid. The full range is on the Durston Gear website.

Very simply, the Solid version is the best tent I've ever owned - taking into account that all tents have good and not so good features.

Rather than just me saying it - go to backpackinglight or trek-lite and pick up one of the threads. Reddit is another source.

Dan Durston is the only tent designer,I know, who actively engages with people in discussing just about any issue around the various versions of the X-Mid.

They used to sell out in minutes! Now the supply is more readily available.

The shipping cost to the UK does add considerably to the costs. Even so, the X-Mids are a great value range of tents

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

i have a Notch Li and am quite (apart from quality issues )satisfied with its overall performance .I used it on my last 2 crossings and it stood up to some really wild weather, albeit having to hold the poles on occasion as strong gusts battered it.
Towards the end of my first crossing using it, the strengthening patches on the fly started to delaminate causing some concern, it held up enabling me to complete and on reaching home i contacted Tarptent and explained the problem.The fly was returned to them and replaced with a new one, all good.On first use the fly tie out above the door failed due to some very poor sewing.Upon contacting Tarptent again i was told there was nothing they could do as it was 'User injury '.I had caused the failure myself by over tightening the tie out, which are only meant as support when both flaps are tied back.They are not to be used as extra support guys.Therefore not covered by guarantee.Needless to say we had a few conversations,but going nowhere, so i repaired the tie out myself with some adhesive patches and strengthened the other tie out with some Dyneema patches.And happy to say it held up at Culra in gale force conditions this year.
The Notch Li is a good tent, if a little cramped for me (5'10"),but quality is my concern at that price level.
So i too am looking at the X-Mid solid.

Barry T

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

In fact, its's on my lawn, four days after ordering from Ohio.
Quality is 1st class, most impressed ,especially with the tie out and pole grommets .Headroom is good.
I think we may be very happy together.
Notch LI anyone????

Barry T

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

Thx everyone :)
I appreciate you all taking the time to share your thoughts.
Recommendation indeed Gordon.
I might repost to fb (as Louise) suggested to gather more thoughts.
Enjoy your new shelter Barry.
—R

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

A tad late to the party, but I'm an Enan and an X-Mid 1P (2020) owner and a three-time Challenger. I've had my Enan with me in 2017 and 2019, and my only complaints were that it is too dark (the green being almost black and both of those TGOs were very very sunny and hot at times) and too low (I'm way past my 50 year landmark and suffer from rheumatic arthritis, so especially in the mornings I'm as agile as a bookshelf). Other than that, it is an excellent tent, and for example in 2017 in high winds I slept like a drugged baby in it whilst my German neighbours had had a restless night in their MSR Hubba Hubba.

The X-Mid, then... I love it. It is airy and light, both in terms of illumination and weight, and has two huge vestibules, and I can sit up in it and _almost_ move in and out of it without having to get on my hands and knees. But, and it is a big but: Last year I had one night when I struggled to get it pitched in the heavy rain and the gusts of wind near Loch Dochard on the infamous Day Two of the Challenging Challenge. I did succeed and the tent held up, although two of the guy lines in the corners snapped and I had to replace them (I've replaced all of them later). Then there was a night in Glen Lyon where I simply couldn't pitch it all, or did not dare to, in fear of ripping it in the turbulent winds. The rest of the Challenge it performed well and I still love it, but it left me with a nagging feeling of untrustworthiness (is that even a word). I don't know if I will be able to take it with me to the next Challenge, or if I need to carry the Enan again. I did a 6-day Finland-Norway-Sweden-Finland fell walking tour with it this June and although there were high winds and I struggled to pitch it securely at times, I didn't feel too nervous, but when I think of Glen Lyon I immediately think of that helpless feeling of not being able to trust your tent to be a safe haven in a storm.

So, the jury is still out. Maybe I just need more pitching practice, or maybe try to get a newer model with more guy line points (the original version is missing the ones in the middle of the side panels).

Re: Any love for the Durston x-mid on here?

Thx. This summarises my feelings about Enan vs any trekking pole tent I might replace it with. I’m certain my Enan wouldn’t let me down in terrible conditions. Is it worth the risk to save a few hundred grammes? Not decided yet :)