Ultralight tenting and chilly climate normally don’t mesh nicely. Typically talking, for those who plan on tenting within the late fall or winter, it is best to anticipate to pack on the kilos with the gear you’re carrying.
That mentioned, Durston Gear, a boutique firm situated within the coronary heart of the Canadian Rockies, is doing its finest to maintain that winter weight down with the X-Mid 1 Stable tent.
Coming in underneath 3 kilos with poles, the X-Mid 1 Stable is a cold-weather improve to Durston’s customary X-Mid 1. Storm-worthy, user-friendly, and simply the fitting dimension, the X-Mid 1 Stable is designed to maintain you on the market even when the climate will get tough.
I initially acquired the tent in September however needed to try it out within the chilly rain and snow. Sadly, it took till late January to select up nearly 6 inches of the heavy, moist stuff. So, I trekked into the woods and had myself one heck of a Saturday night time. And it solely received hairier from there.
In whole, the X-Mid 1 Stable was pitched out in snow, ice, and rain for six wild nights. And it was a complete rockstar the entire time.
Briefly: The Durston X-Mid 1 Stable is a contemporary marvel of a tent. It’s a double-wall, single-person, ultralight tent — sub-3 kilos — that’s good for year-round tenting, however is very tailor-made to nights within the winter months. Whereas most ultralight tents, by design and composition, favor truthful climate circumstances, the X-Mid 1 Stable is a superb tent to tackle solo winter adventures — particularly in case your favourite nights embody the worst climate.
-
Kind
Ultralight backpacking -
Seasons
4 -
Weight as examined
2 lbs., 7.5 oz. -
Waterhead
3,500 mm / 138″ -
Doorways
2 -
Sleeps
1 -
Flooring dimensions
32″ x 90″ -
Peak
46″ -
Footprint with fly
67″ x 100″ -
Carry dimension
12″ x 5″ -
Worth
$340 (Tent = $270, Poles = $35 every)
-
The general design and rugged construction -
Low weight for a storm-worthy winter tent -
Simple setup protects you from the weather -
Magnetic toggles = No brainer
-
Be ready to fine-tune your stake placement the primary time round.
Durston X-Mid 1 Stable Tent: Evaluation
GearJunkie named the usual X-Mid 1 one of many finest backpacking tents of 2024. It excelled in sturdiness, design, and ease of setup. Nonetheless, the best-of reviewers did discover it a bit of heavy for an ultralight tent.
Now, whereas I agree it is likely to be a bit of beefy to hold in the summertime months, the X-Mid 1 Stable is a breath of contemporary air when it comes to ultralight tents for winter tenting.
Design & Options
With the X-Mid 1 Stable, Durston got down to create a cold-weather, ultralight tent that was additionally storm-worthy. To perform this, the model centered on the correct mix of supplies and geometry.
Constituted of 20D Sil/PE polyester and 15D ripstop nylon, the X-Mid 1 Stable doesn’t use conventional tent poles. Like different ultralight designs, it units up utilizing your trekking poles. Alternatively, Durston additionally affords Z-Flick telescoping carbon fiber poles (bought individually).
Carbon fiber tent poles, and trekking poles for that matter, are recognized for his or her unbelievable sturdiness and suppleness. These properties help within the X-Mid 1 Stable’s skill to face as much as nasty climate.
There’s science behind the geometry of the X-Mid, which Durston fine-tuned to construct tents which can be “weight environment friendly, easy, and purposeful.” The fly and inside tent on the X-Mid don’t marry one another geometrically. As an alternative, they use opposing angles, tie-downs, and two poles to create a inflexible construction that requires minimal setup.
First Impressions
My preliminary first impression of the tent was one in every of shock. Having extra expertise with expedition-style 4-season tents, I used to be stunned at how small the tent was in its stuff sack — in regards to the dimension of a loaf of bread. I used to be additionally pleasantly shocked at how mild the Z-Flick telescoping poles have been.
I’m certain some of us would throw a match that this tent weighs nearly 3 kilos, however to me, that’s insanely light-weight. Nevertheless it’s doubly spectacular when you think about what this tent can stand up to (extra on that in a minute).
On the primary setup, the X-Mid 1 Stable required a little bit of a studying curve, as I’m used to tent poles that type an entire construction across the tent (like frequent domed tents). You’ll must work with the angles and alter your stakes a couple of occasions to get it nearly good.
However I managed to set it up for the primary time in about 10 minutes — and I finished a couple of occasions to test my Instagram feed.
Setup Science
In the long run, I discovered one of the simplest ways to arrange the X-Mid was to stake out the fly, ensuring the corners have been staked as near 90 levels as doable. This can prevent from having to return and make changes.
Once you set it up, set the pole top to 210 cm and insert them via the vents at both finish of the tent. This ensures that the construction is inflexible, so you may go in and clip the highest of the inside tent to the 2 side-release buckles (close to the cup the place the poles seat).
From there, clip the traces that reach from every nook of the tent to the D-rings in every nook of the fly — tighten them up.
Remember the fact that the 2 opposing tent corners (northeast and southwest) might look like they’re too distant from the connecting level on the fly. They aren’t. Belief within the science, it could appear a bit of bizarre, but it surely works.
That mentioned, the wire tensioners on this tent are nice. They make for simple one-hand adjustment, whether or not the wire is dry or moist. However take into account, you’re not establishing journey wire in a distant jungle to lure your enemies. Don’t overtighten the traces, as it’ll elevate the tent flooring off the bottom. That might harm the tent.
I don’t assume I reinvented the wheel by inserting the poles via the vents, however Durston recommends getting in via the massive entry doorways on the fly. Both approach, it’s a reasonably simple setup that retains you out of the weather. You can throw all of your gear inside through the course of and put it aside from getting moist. That’s nice for those who get to camp late and the climate is dangerous.
Within the Area
Seeing as this tent is geared towards winter climate, I waited till it snowed earlier than I pitched, and lived in, the X-Mid 1 Stable. As soon as that occurred, I form of received caught on the market with it. Positive, I might have reduce bait and introduced a moist tent house, however I felt this was an ample alternative to embrace the chance, so I dug in.
It snowed, then there was an ice storm, after which it snowed once more — after which there was a day of rain. Lastly, on the final day, it warmed up and the solar made a fast look. So, I used to be in a position to take the tent down, shake it off, and start the method of drying it out.
In whole, the tent was up for six days and 5 nights. My youngsters received sick in the course of all of it, so I solely spent 3 nights out in it. All 3 nights have been beneath freezing, however I stayed heat inside.
To maintain myself off the bottom, I used my Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir sleeping pad and Sea to Summit Reactor Fleece Liner. The mix did an amazing job of maintaining me heat and elevated.
Although at no time did any moisture get contained in the tent, the ground was very chilly. One approach to fight this might be to make use of a groundsheet.
Getting Located
Contained in the X-Mid 1 Stable, there’s loads of room on the bottom, however there isn’t a whole lot of headroom or house to maneuver round. You’ll be capable of sit up or roll over, however there’s no room for ballroom dancing. And that’s what you need within the winter. The much less house to maintain heat inside, the higher.
This will require you to go away a couple of objects outdoors the tent, however you’ll be shocked how a lot you may retailer inside.
For those who do have to go away some gear outdoors the tent, the vestibules on the fly supply full safety from the weather. I left my Blundstone boots out all night time, in addition to a few different bits of apparatus, and apart from being chilly, they have been dry.
I’ve spent fairly a couple of snowy nights in conventional dome tents and a few higher-grade, double-wall four-season tents. I even wakened one morning with a kind of tents collapsed on my chest as a consequence of 6 inches of snow sitting on prime of it.
The material on the X-Mid 1 Stable will stretch underneath the burden of ice and snow, however as a consequence of its distinctive design, the partitions of the fly by no means contact the partitions of the tent itself. This leaves you dry as a bone inside — and the tent received’t collapse on you.
Drawbacks
The one factor that is likely to be off-putting in regards to the X-Mid 1 Stable is that it’s not a freestanding tent. Within the colder months, this might jam you up if the bottom is frozen.
A fast treatment to that is to convey an excellent hammer. The stakes that include the tent are approach higher than these hottest tents supply. These will endure a couple of good whacks into the bottom.
That is vital as a result of past its well-thought-out design, a part of the X-Mid 1 Stable’s skill to resist hostile climate circumstances is its have to be tethered to the Earth.
You possibly can’t battle science, glorious design, and strong engineering.
Durston X-Mid 1 Stable Tent: In Conclusion
I’d have by no means anticipated a tent as mild because the Durston X-Mid 1 Stable, which depends on two poles that aren’t even linked to the tent, to face as much as one winter storm. Nevertheless it did. And I’m certain it’ll do it repeatedly if want be.
The X-Mid 1 Stable is one massive innovation; the fitting materials mixed with the fitting design. To say I’m impressed could be an understatement. Though Durston designed the Stable for winter climate, for my part, it’s a true four-season tent that may deal with any form of climate the gods throw at it, all yr spherical.
Two vital notes for those who’re contemplating this tent for buy: First, if you have already got trekking poles, you don’t must pony up for the carbon fiber Z-Flick poles Durston affords. They’re superior poles, however go forward and save the $70 and 6.8 ounces of weight.
And second, it is a true single-person tent. You possibly can’t squeeze your sweetheart inside this one. For those who do, you run the danger of knocking into the pole and dropping the tent. As I mentioned, you don’t need further room in a winter tent, since you’ll find yourself getting chilly prematurely.
If the change of seasons does nothing to have an effect on your tenting calendar, then I extremely advocate you look into the Durston X-Mid 1 Stable for light-weight, snug adventures in any climate.
