Durston X-Mid vs WIND: A Windy Wild Camp at Margery Stones

[@rschreck876]

Finally a review of someone actually using the damn thing. All of the reviews seem to be people setting it up in their yards and rambling off the same stats you can see on the website.

[@trickofthetrail]

Ha ha, glad you enjoyed the video mate. It's always good fun to put these tents through their paces, even if we weren't quite expecting to do that on this camp. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. Really appreciate it. 👍

[@angelicoluigi3735]

The perfect way to test a tent is by using it during bad weather, and thanks for sharing this experience.

[@trickofthetrail]

Totally agree. Makes it good fun too. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@stuartchester6899]

ridge line should be pararrel to direction of the wind . I ve seen the xmid stay up when the free standing MSR Elixer got wrecked .i reckon 40 mph is about its limit

[@Dirk1961-l7y]

I enjoy this vid while i'am surging the web about this tent ....The view where you guys are was fantastic. UK? Wow!! great adventure!

[@trickofthetrail]

Hey. Really glad you enjoyed the video, it was a blast making it. Thanks so much for watching and commenting mate. 👍🏻

[@mattjordan9299]

Decided to subscribe as soon as you mentioned gnocchi from Morrisons - I have no affiliation with this brand of Supermarket - but am thinking about buying this tent, but concerned about performance in wind. Not finished watching the video yet, but as soon as you mentioned Morrisons- immediately realised this was a “down to earth” review I could trust more - so subscribed !

[@trickofthetrail]

I knew shopping at Morrison's would pay off one day. 😂 I do love their fresh produce section. 😃 Thanks so much for subscribing Matt and I hope you enjoyed the video. The X-Mid is a great tent and whilst it wouldn't be my first choice for really windy conditions, as you can see in this video it held up pretty well. 👍🏻 Although I am actually planning to sell mine, but only because I have so many other tents now. I need to clear some space. I can still highly recommend it though.

[@twiggyescapes]

Think the bad weather follows you around Mark... Enjoyed watching your escapade... Summer is nearly here you may get lucky soon. 👍

[@trickofthetrail]

Ha ha. Yeah I really did get a run of rubbish weather. Just finished the Cumbria Way Mountain Route and was greeted to some pretty nice conditions, if a bit cold at times. So that's made up for it.

[@Phil-b4l]

Great video mate, ive got 1 of these arriving soon, so good to see how she handles the elements 👍 have you watched Dan Durstons video on pitching? got some really good tips for different situations.

[@trickofthetrail]

Hello mate, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah she handles the elements pretty well. She's not the best in heavy winds, but does a darn good job. Yeah I've seen Dan's video. It's very good and offers lots of nice tips. Thanks so much for watching and commenting mate.

[@Phil-b4l]

@trickofthetrail no problem mate, will be checking some of your other videos later when I've got some peace lol. Well im not planning on doing anything extreme, I've only done 1 wild camp in my banshee 200, that was in the lakes 2 months ago, and some nearly wild camping. But hoping to get out in the x-mid before it gets too cold, if the wife lets me that is 😅

[@benry007]

The Durston X-Mid has a door on both sides so I would recommend using the door away from where the wind is coming.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yep, normally I would, however as mentioned in the video we wanted our vestibules facing so we could chat. So it wasn't an ideal situation. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@ALLWEATHERRIDERM]

It is a flappy tent especially the inner in strong winds, I wish it had connection points between the fly and inner on the long and short side to keep the inner taught. Too tip if you roll the door up the other way, less moisture will get in.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah, the flappy inner is a bit of an annoyance when it's windy. I agree more connection points would help with keeping it taught. Good tip about the door. I'll try that next time. Cheers for watching and commenting mate.

[@craig3401]

I just took delivery of my xmid 1p solid last week not had it out yet tho but I've changed the guy lines and the corner lines and added extra to the xtra loops.the line locks don't feel the best tbf.a tip for the befree keep it wet or soak it overnight before your trip the filaments dry out and that's when it feels like it's clogged

[@trickofthetrail]

Sounds like a good plan changing the guy lines. It's a great tent despite its few flaws. You'll love it mate.

[@ramblebob1]

Love that you were saying about wanting a camp that was nice weather for once, and then you end up with all the weather! Sky looked amazing after the storm though.

[@trickofthetrail]

Ha ha. I know mate, never seem to catch a flipping break with the weather. Makes for a good video though doesn't it? 😂 The sky was amazing after that storm, some amazing colours and cloud formations.

[@mrwilliamstravels]

jeezus that wind! love the duck having a go at your pack too!

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah the ducks weren't afraid in the slightest of us. There were a load of them. Winds were mental, but was great fun though.

[@highlandexplorer990]

Wow, that storm was nuts!! ⛈ Glad your tents held up 👍. The X-Mid looks like a beast! Thanks for the awesome vid and for braving the weather!

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah it was a bit of a crazy one, especially as it was so unexpected. The X-Mid did very well indeed. It's not really built for those conditions, but equipped itself well. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Earlofmar1]

I was a bit wary by all the hype of the Durston X-mid, but I have really learned to love it. Naturally you have to swap out the pegs as they are not the strongest.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yep, it's a great tent, but totally agree about the pegs. I think I bent most of mine within a few weeks. Thanks for watching and commenting mate.

[@NotASheep100]

Excellent vid....thanku.😊

[@trickofthetrail]

Thanks so much. So glad you enjoyed it.

[@Hengists_Wild_Camps]

Nice vid Mark. My most important piece of camping equipment is the humble clothes peg for pinning things back.🙂

[@trickofthetrail]

Thanks matie. Yeah a couple of people have mentioned the humble clothes peg. I'll have to go round my mum's and raid her peg bag. 😂

[@BrokenBackMountains]

I have the x mid 2 solid and it has stood up well to the wind. Ive put bungee cord at the bottom pegging points in the middle and also carry spare guylines if I think the weather will be pants. I also extended the corner guys. It all anchors it down quite well. Not bad for a high tent with walls like sails. Yours did well with minimal guying. Im happy with mine and moght get the 1 man. The inner on the solid suits our climate better than the all mesh. The space inside is like a palace. In that sort of weather you are going to get it flappy in any tent. Id rather be stuck in my xmid than my F10 helium. Anyway. Thanks for the entertaining video.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah I was pretty impressed with how it stood up to those winds. I keep meaning to get some bungee to attach to those pegging points. I'll get around to attaching some one day. It is a lovely spacious tent, can be a bit fiddly to get a taught pitch when the ground is uneven, but I do enjoy using it. Glad you enjoyed the video pal.

[@BrokenBackMountains]

Yea, hummocky ground is a challenge. I gave up pitching all in one and do fly first then inner.That solved a few pitching problems.

[@marklet4350]

Fantastic sky

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah the sky was crazy. One side amazing colours and the other really bleak.

[@Wayondon]

Hello from Maine, USA where weather like this will happen as well... Well done! The tent floor liner. Interested to know it purpose and how it performed. Thanks!

[@trickofthetrail]

Hey Alain. Hope all is well out in Maine. Are you talking about the foil mat I use inside the tent? It has a dual purpose really. It helps to insulate from the ground as it can be really cold, so just makes things a bit more comfortable. Also it adds a layer of protection to the sleeping pad. I wouldn't take it if I'm doing a long distance hike, so I generally on use it for overnighters as it's quite bulky. For long distance trails I tend to take a lightweight foam mat, such as the Gram-counter Gear Featherweight Evazote Foam Mat. Does that answer your question mate?

[@davegalloway7531]

Some MASSIVE tics up there.

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

Great video 🙂👍

[@trickofthetrail]

Awesome, thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks also for leaving a comment.

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

@@trickofthetrail 👍

[@f33zlyf33zly]

Those line locks on the corner peg out points slip on mine too. It’s the only flaw of the tent imo

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah I've got a friend who has the Pro and it does the same thing. Not a massive issue, but is a pain.

[@durstongear]

If you changed to a bit thicker cord it should help with that. We also updated the tensioners for the 2024 model to go back to LineLoc3s, so those do work nicer now.

[@trickofthetrail]

@@durstongear Thanks for tip, I'll have a look at switching them out. I don't often take the X-Mid out in those conditions, so it's not a massive issue.

[@f33zlyf33zly]

@@durstongear what size cord would you recommend?

[@durstongear]

@@f33zlyf33zly We have optional Lawson 2.0mm cord that is really more like a 2.7mm (the name is odd) and holds really well. The stock cord is 2.5mm but stretches thinner under load while the ironwire hardly does.

[@kimpriessloft371]

Nice vid! Are there any reason why you did not use the broad side guyouts + the ones at the peremeter? 🤔

[@trickofthetrail]

Thanks mate. I only had two extra guys with me, so used them to anchor each side. Luckily it was enough to keep the tent secure. Had I known the weather was going to be like that I'd have taken another couple of guys, but the forecast was set to be okay. You just never know. Thanks so much for watching and commenting.

[@davegalloway7531]

That is a mild wind for that location. The winds can be vicious there. You can walk up and the winds can be 20 mph, but they can be 40 mph plus up there. I once went up, and the winds were in excess of 60 mph, gusting at 80 mph.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah can get rather windy up on Howden Edge. I've been mostly lucky with the conditions up there and think that was the worst I've encountered at that spot. Had worse on Derwent Edge. I've never actually come across any tics, must have been lucky so far. Thanks for watching and commenting mate.

[@Olan...]

Where's your WHW video gone Mark ? I only watched half of it and was saving the other half for now. I hope you feel better by now and have fully recovered. It's good to see people posting the problems and health issues that can hit us at any time to show people that things can go pear shaped and its not always plane sailing. ATVB

[@trickofthetrail]

Hey Olan. It's still there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imSnYaKXpMt-hdksi=aPNlCxCOUBOsZFD3. It's probably hard to spot underneath all the other rubbish I've released since. 😂 Yeah all better thanks. It took me a few days to get over it, but back to normal now. Not sure if I caught a bug or just ate something dodgy. Either way, it wasn't the most pleasant time of my life I have to say. Hope you're doing well mate.

[@Olan...]

@trickofthetrail cheers for that Mark 👍 glad you are recovered and you got back OK. There's nothing worse than being ill in the middle of the mountains and a long walk back to civilisation. I had sun stroke once and couldn't keep anything in either end, it was hell so I know how you felt 😉 I will watch the other half now. Take care

[@hanskirk-hiking9697]

Great test of the X-Mid I guss it managed well.... right! How was the condensation in the morning ? Nice aktion pack video thanks for sharing 🙂

[@trickofthetrail]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, it did really well. I was rather impressed. Condensation wasn't too bad actually. A little on the quilt, but it was very manageable. I don't seem to have too many condensation issues with the X-Mid.

[@lucasbernezat2438]

Hi, great video ! The x mid did it well ! Do you know how much the wind's speed was ?

[@trickofthetrail]

Hey, thanks mate. Glad you enjoyed it. No, unfortunately I don't have a wind gauge. I really need to buy one. We reckon at its worst it must have been around the 40mph, but that was the gusts. At times when setting up I think maybe 25-30mph. Again, I'm totally guessing, but they were pretty strong at times. Thanks so much for commenting.

[@Olan...]

Nicely filmed as usual Mark. I have just subscribed to Pauls channel 👍. I have also got the X-mid, i have got this model and i had the older model too and i really like it. Personally for Kinder and Bleaklow i wouldn't use it until summer because i dont think it performs at its best on these flat summits because of how exposed they are. It's effectively summit camping up there but because its a Plateau most people don't consider it to be one so therefore don't muscle up on thier kit in the same way they would as if they were heading up high in the Lakes or Snowdonia and for that reason i prefer to use a lesser performing 4 season tent for the shoulder seasons. I bought the 4 season inner for my latest X-Mid which makes it warmer but still its the structural stability thats questionable and i don't know if you have noticed but when on Kinder and Bleaklow and you pitch behind big boulders theres a sweet spot that gives you a bit of respite from the wind but that area is tiny and then when you step outside of that you are in the path of the Vertex or Vortex wind that the boulder has created. I think the X-mid earned its reputation in the states due to its weight and the amount of living space it has which is huge and the materials and it is absolutely a fantastic piece of kit but on those trails across the pond where its earned its reputation theres ample opportunity to tuck away in the tree line and over here its only MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN that go out in the midday sun and howling wind and rain ( Well these days its all nations who are daft enough to live here but you know what i mean 🤣). While i am here writing a book i might as well say that those boots Paul is wearing are fantastic when its freezing, super warm and i prefer them over any other winter boot but the only problem is that you cannot get a crampon on them. I only wear boots now when its really cold otherwise its trail shoes, waterproof socks and ankle gaiters which eliminates the need for big gaiters which just make my feet overheat and they are so cumbersome plus a faff to put on and that rubbing noise 😏. Looking forward to your next one and let's hope its not so much of a swamp fest marching on those moors. Its much drier in May so more places to pitch 🤞

[@JurassicRambler]

Thx buddy - the boots are the best for me. Super confy, great wide toe box for wide footed oafs like me..thx for subbing to my channel..

[@Olan...]

@@JurassicRambler Your welcome Paul. The Altras are the only boots i can stand around in and not feel the cold, really nicely insulated and thick soles 👌

[@trickofthetrail]

Hell mate, sorry for the late response, I've just got back from doing the Cumbria Way Mountain Route. Yeah had I'd known the weather was going to be so bad I would have taken my Stone Glacier Skyscraper. The X-Mid did very well, but it's not the best in those conditions, especially in such exposed areas. Even behind the rock formation you could see how much of a battering it was getting. I agree, Paul's boots are great. I did actually buy some, but unfortunately the buckles hurt my feet, so couldn't keep them, which was a shame. I am a bit fed up of all the bad weather now and trudging through marsh land. However I did have some great weather on the Cumbria Way, so that was nice. That will probably be my next video, but is going to take me a while to put together. Thanks so much for watching a commenting mate.

[@JurassicRambler]

@@trickofthetrail my boots are only great when i manage to not fall on my arse wearing them! Look forward to TCW vids buddy

[@ProcyonAlpha]

Every uk camping vid is wet wild and windy lol, what a wank island. Thanks for the video, fair play to ya.

[@trickofthetrail]

😂 A wank island indeed. Honestly, the last few wild camps I've been on have been awful weather. Summer is just around the corner, so fingers crossed for at least one or two fair weather camps. Thanks for watching and commenting mate.

[@JonleePeakman]

Ah dude, you have the exact setup I want x-mid, Nemo Tensor Extreme and EE quilt. How have you found them combined, is the pad comfy/noisy?

[@trickofthetrail]

Hello mate. I've found the combo excellent TBH. I love my EE quilt, it's seen me through the entire winter and I find it so much nicer than a sleeping bag. The Nemo Tensor has also been great, dead warm, quiet and not bad comfort wise. It's not the comfiest pad I've owned but it's not uncomfortable by any means. Highly recommend it. Whilst I love the X-Mid, it's a great tent, I will be putting it up for sale soon as I've got my eye on another tent I'd like to try.

[@JonleePeakman]

@@trickofthetrail Well I have one part of it now, the X-Mid just arrived this afternoon and I have practice pitched...twice and think I'm in love.

[@bimazivanovic4784]

​@@trickofthetrailwhat are the pads you'd find more comfortable than the Tensor?

[@stuncaz]

Is this the x mid solid?

[@trickofthetrail]

Yep, that is the solid version. 👍🏻

[@PaulandaPack]

Looks like a normal night's camp for you mate! Think you need to change careers to storm chasing. Still, looks like it was just what you needed 👍

[@trickofthetrail]

Well, at least we didn't get any of that on our trip. I got it all out of the way...just for you Paul!

[@INSOLESandLACES]

Great video but not sold on TP tents with Changeable UK weather.

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah, if I knew we were expecting those kinds of winds I wouldn't have taken it tbh. It did really well TBF, but it's not really built for those kinds of conditions. Thanks for watching and commenting mate.

[@TheJacktube23]

A clothes peg would sort the flappy door

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah you're the second person to mention that. Not something I'd thought of. I'll have to invest in some it seems. 🤷 Thanks for sharing and watching mate.

[@JonleePeakman]

@@trickofthetrail I watched WildBeare use a mini binder clip on hers which would be light and way stronger than a clothes peg.

[@citizenphaid1880]

How much stuff did Paul need on that camp 😂

[@trickofthetrail]

Ha ha, yeah he brought pretty much everything but the kitchen sink with him. 😂 Although he could have been hiding it in his backpack for all I know. 🤷🏼

[@tonyalewis9053]

Opening your vestibule into the wind is not a proper review because most hikers would not do this; many negative comments due to this.

[@trickofthetrail]

It's not a review video. You will see me mentioning in the video that the vestibule isn't ideally positioned, but I wanted it so myself and my friend could talk. I've had many more positive than negative comments. It's just supposed to be a fun wild camping video. 🤷 Thanks for watching though, sorry you didn't enjoy it.

[@Seeking_Gnosis]

Dont do 'coming ups' it spoils it...hate spolier alerts...😮

[@mrwilliamstravels]

Keep doing coming ups, Iove them

[@trickofthetrail]

Yeah sorry mate, it's a difficult one for a small YT channels like mine, because I don't have the audience reach yet and I have to get the viewer captivated within the first thirty seconds. Ideally I wouldn't do them, but I have to play the algorithm if I want my channel to grow. I hope it doesn't put you off watching my videos.