Durston - X-Mid 2+ Solid

The build quality on the Durston X-Mid is phenomenal as is their company support. I had the X-Mid 2+ And it's nothing shorter will built tent. The one issue I had with it was promptly addressed by the company and to more than my satisfaction. However, I just don't think the Durston is a good fit for the AT. The walls of the fly are so low to the ground and the vents at the top are just not sufficient enough to get air flowing through the tent to remove humidity effectively in a high humidity environment like the Eastern United States. I personally carried mine from Harpers ferry West Virginia to Kent Connecticut and found myself rapidly switching back to my Z-Packs triplex - The 2+ and the Triplex we're bigger because I was hiking with my daughter so we could share a tent. The zpacks triplex has a lot more ventilation and let a lot more air through so I didn't have to worry about it raining inside with condensation on the inner tent walls compared to the Durston. If I did hiking out west like the Colorado Trail or the PCT or the CDT or fill in the blank where there's less ambient humidity I would without hesitation take the Durston back out there. But my opinion take it for what it's worth or feel free to ignore it is the Durston just does not breathe well enough in the Eastern United States to keep interior humidity under control. Too many mornings I woke up with a wet sleeping bag because it was raining inside the tent... And that's not because there was any sort of leak or poor construction.

The ‘solid’ inners for our X-Mid have a panel of mesh (on the upper part of the doors) that can’t close, but with the X-Dome this mesh panel is accompanied by a second layer of solid material that can be closed to have it ‘full’ solid (no areas of exposed mesh). I don’t have a great photo of it, but [this shot](https://durstongear.com/cdn/shop/files/16_-_Durston_X-Dome_2_Ultraight_Tent_-_Solid_Inner_446.jpg?v=1757631867) shows it when the solid layer is shut behind the mesh

The short answer is that it is a combination of sewn on and zippers, and is included in the weight. The long answer is that the ‘flap’ of solid fabric is a triangle that is sewn along the bottom edge (permanently attached & part of the weight). So the bottom edge is ‘sealed’ such that any snow building up on the solid panel isn’t going to slide down into the tent. Then the other two sides are both sewn for the lowest 4-5” to further prevent wind blown snow from sneaking in, and this creates a pocket that the rest of the flap can be tucked into when it is open. Then above that, the side of the triangle along the main zipper has a zipper to zip shut. The zipper is not vertical, but angling over the flap, so it does a nice job of raising up the flap to cover the mesh. Operating the zipper is what closes the flap. As it does that, the final side near the top is pulled closed and sits shut with a bit of overlap. It is an overlap closure for the upper part of the ‘top’ side, such that the mesh is covered but the edge here is not ‘sealed’. We could’ve put another zipper here (or Velcro etc) but it’s at the top, sits shut nicely now, and is shielded by the fly. If it’s so windy it’s forcing snow through there, it’s probably not the right conditions for this tent anyways, but if a user wanted it would be easy to add a bit of velcro

Some of the things you would be getting with the X-Mid are a simpler pitch, non-sag and fast dry fabric, higher end build quality, and it’s more spacious.

What you'll probably find is that if an interior is 100% solid then it gets pretty stuffy and humid in there sometimes. This is why most pure solid tents will have mesh windows. Having windows and zippers adds weight though, so most ultralight focused tents will probably just have a mesh panel. On our X-Mid Solid the mesh is just the top half of the door (for fresh air) and then everything else is solid. As you move into a bit heavier tents you do start to get the option to fully close it up.

Yes it feels larger without the interior walls. If it is condensation from condition, then you need to stay back from the walls and be a bit careful, but if it is dry, then you have more useable space.

Regarding your X-Mid 1P vs 2P questions, the X-Mid 1 has steadily gotten larger over time. It was 28" wide in 2018, 31" wide in 2022 and then in 2025 the gen 3 was released that is 33" wide. I think it's quite spacious for a 1P tent. It's got a lot of headroom, a lot of length, and the width is pretty good plus the sidewalls are vertical so it's not sloping narrower like some tents. The X-Mid 2 is often the highest rated PCT tent by 'couples', but gets lower ratings by solo users because it is a lot of tent for one person: [https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/best-thru-hiking-couples-shelters-2024/](https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/best-thru-hiking-couples-shelters-2024/) A lot of solo people do use the X-Mid 2 and tons of them do love having a 'palace', but if I was hiking the PCT I would go with a 1P model because you're not in the tent very much, it's lighter, and does fit into more sites. With that said, you can collapse the vestibules on the X-Mid 2 to fit into the same sites as any other 2P tent. Condensation is just a fact of life in any tent, but the X-Mid is a doublewall (aside from the Pro version) so it has a barrier to separate you from it, which is about as good as you can possibly do. \- Dan

Any freestanding tent cheaper than $300 is going to be two to three pounds heavier than the X-Mid. That's a lot! And anything even near the X-Mid's weight is going to be $500 or more.

I can’t recommend this tent enough. Super light, packs up small, sturdy, lots of room, and sets up quickly once you’ve practiced a few times

The xmid is a trekking pole tent. It relies on stakes (or rocks) to keep tension on the corners so the trekking poles have resistance to keep the tent upright. You wouldn’t be able to use it inside the shelters but you can of course use it outside as normal. I have the xmid 2 solid, I love it. If you do end up getting it, make sure you set it up at home a few times so you’re familiar with it. They also have a very informative tutorial for setting it up

I have a Durston X-Mid 2P, and I really enjoy it. It's very spacious, but it packs down light and small. It was well worth the money. 

I upgraded to an UL tent (Durston Gear X-Mid Solid 2P). I have zero regrets.

Durston X Mid 2 Solid would be my first choice at that budget. Plenty spacious inside for two, loads of head height, two large vestibules, lightweight and a doddle to pitch. Another option is the Lanshan 2 which ticks many of the boxes of the Durston at half the price. It has to obviously compromise to achieve this but it's arguably the best 2 person lightweight tent on Earth for the money. Full disclosure, I am biased as hell, I have a Lanshan 2 and absolutely adore it. That being said if I had £300 to spend on a tent it would be the Durston.

Honestly, you are overthinking it and overstating British weather, especially for the trail you are planning and even more especially for the fact you are doing it in Summer. Grab yourself a couple of Lanshans or if you want to splurge X-Mids. Outside of foul weather summit camps they are suitable for pretty much all UK conditions. You can pick up two Lanshan 2 tents for about £300.

Same reply as in the other thread. Honestly, you are overthinking it and overstating British weather, especially for the trail you are planning and even more especially for the fact you are doing it in Summer. Grab yourself a couple of Lanshans or if you want to splurge X-Mids. Outside of foul weather summit camps they are suitable for pretty much all UK conditions. You can pick up two Lanshan 2 tents for about £300. You categorically do not need a Hilleberg.

Solid has the sturdier fly, in material and with some of reinforcements (at least in earlier versions) and still has the YKK5 zip (versus the YKK3) which I personally prefer. X-Mid is A LOT better in the wind than the GG.

Just to point out that wild camping isn't illegal in Scotland, I have camped below the tree line quite a bit. We have significantly different access rights up here. I have a Lanshan 2 with the mesh inner and I have the x-mid two solid. The Lanshan seems fairly solid but to pluck an arbitrary figure out of my backside I would suggest that I would be wary of it in anything above 25 miles an hour. My x-mid 2 recently dealt with 25 miles an hour gusts like a boss. Although it is perhaps a bit unfair to judge them ike this I am a tactile person and I would say that the x-mid feels much better made (because it is). Having said that if you are out in okay-ish conditions then a Lanshan will probably be perfectly okay for you. I have used mine in the Cairngorms albeit in settled conditions. One last thing, I accepted a while ago that I am going to struggle to get anything below a 16 kilogram total weight. I don't have the budget to be buying all ultralight gear and I like my comfort. 15 kg would be a target for a multi-day. 14 kg would be a dream. 13 kg would be a fantasy 😂 So twice this year I lugged 16 kilograms over multiple Munros and I'm still alive to tell the tale.

I love my X-Mid 2 Solid. Used it on mountain ridges in awful weather.

Set up on the X-Mid is by far the easiest of the tracking pole tents, but in reality it’s only slightly lighter than a Big Agnes Copper Spur. I know trekking pole tents are the big rage, but if you’ve never used one, there are conditions where it’s more difficult. Rocky or sandy conditions make it difficult at times.

I’ve tried both. The Durston is the best trekking pole tent of the 8-10 I’ve tried. I really wanted to love the GG one, but just didn’t.