THE BEST Tent For The MONEY! Durston Xmid 2P FULL REVIEW

[@Kevinschart]

a couple things: - your setup time is longer due to suboptimal technique. there are videos on youtube that show you how to get a perfect pitch, quickly, every time. - Dan never called this tent "ultra light". Calling the tent "super heavy" in comparison to DCF tents, does the tent a disservice. For the feature set of this tent, it is about as light as you should expect without expensive Dyneema.

[@rgmALC]

“It weighs a lot” It weighs 2.4 pounds, is a TRUE two person tent that isn’t DCF…. This tent was designed by someone who has done the PCT, GDT (first yo-yo of the GDT too) and has some FKT’s. And the weight criticism came from someone who carries a backpacking chair on weekend trips.

[@neilquinn]

There aren't many 2p non-DCF double wall tents that are considerably lighter. If you move to single wall and very flimsy fabrics things like the Gossamer Gear The Two can hit around 24oz though (about 1/2 a pound less but you lose double walls and get only 10d nylon)

[@Kevinschart]

calling this tent "super heavy" is hyperbolic at best. he then goes on to compare the weight to DCF tents. smh.

[@ddff5242]

And battery powered saws...😅😅😅

[@Backpacksandtrails]

I am disappointed after almost two years of pitching such an EASY to set up trekking pole tent, that your Ridgeline is as sloppy as it is. And why in the world would you ever use 8 stakes??? We have only ever used ours with 4 corner stakes, and one for each vestibule. It has survived major storms and high winds without additional stakes or guylines. The vestibules BTW, are huge in comparison to other tents. Dan sells the pro through his own site, and the "sil-nylon" 1 and 2p through kaviso outdoors now. It will fit 2 25" pads as well.

[@aaalllen]

I've done 4 corners, 2 vestibules, 2 ridgeline, and 1 with extra cord on the windward side's bottom loop. Maybe I was being paranoid, but it was a wind advisory along the pacific crest in Tahoe. I know that in winter the ridge gusts can go over 190mph.

[@anselmocat]

Sil poly not sil nylon

[@yellowrat2144]

I guess it’s time for you to show the world your amazing setup techniques. Please link your videos! Help us all achieve your level of self satisfaction.

[@Backpacksandtrails]

@Yellow Rat I apologize for any hurt feelings, I am a rather intense person when it comes to the XMid. There is a precise way to pitch it properly with only 4 stakes and the additional 2 at the vestibules. There is no need for 4 addtional stakes, nor is it made to do that. If you watch any of our videos including my original video of my first pitch, there were never any more stakes used or needed. We have been through instense storms lasting 12 hours and have never had an issue with storm worthyness or leaking. Us "Dustonites" are a proud and rather intense group. I didn't mean to come across as rude or egotistical in any way. Gotta love the way things come across in text with no body launguage or facial expressions....😆

[@yellowrat2144]

@IOE we can be informative without being insulting, critical without being condescending. Perhaps it is commonplace for one YT channel to comment in this manner on another channel. Personally I enjoy SBO because the Schills do not often bring their egos into their videos. Instead they give us access to their fallibility. Perfection is both a lofty goal and a miserable standard. Good luck with your channel and content! I hope you continue to grow in every positive way.

[@NancyandMako]

I am hiking the Appalachian Trail right now and love the xmid 2 person… my standard poodle has been hiking with me too and it works so well for the 2 of us!!! Love love love it!!!

[@JeremiahBlasi]

I definitely agree that this is the best tent for the cost. But a few additional notes: These tents have not been sold on Drop for quite some time. They are sold on Kaviso Outdoors, as well as at the Durston Gear website. And the pricing on the pro version is actually excellent compared to other similarly spec’ed tents. I would encourage you to check out Dan’s own video on how to set this tent up - it should be a whole lot tighter and cleaner, and there’s no way you need to stake the inner and outer separately - no wonder it takes you 6 minutes! It is designed to stake the tarp out, put in the poles, then attach the inner to the tarp . Once you’ve done it, you can just leave them attached unless you want them separate to dry out or pack differently . In either case, once you get comfortable with it, a 2 minute setup isn’t much of a stretch. And you keep talking about how heavy it is. But go find another tent with the same footprint size anywhere close to the weight and cost of the X-Mid 2p!

[@JonathanThrift]

Agreed. This was a pretty bad review of this tent. I have the 2p version and use 4 stakes to set it up very quickly and with a better pitch.

[@shawnr6117]

I don't think comparing it to the duplex, a single wall dcf tent, is really fair.

[@neilquinn]

Ya the comparison against a tent costing > 2x as much ($700 for current duplex) is a ridiculous comparison.

[@shawnr6117]

@@neilquinn if it was the 2pro vs the duplex that would be different

[@neilquinn]

@@shawnr6117 Exactly.

[@KingJamez76]

Agreed this against the duplex isn't fair. Let's see this head to head with tarptent StratoSpire

[@aaalllen]

6 minutes? This winter at Yosemite Camp 4, a group watched me pitch it in 2ish minutes and then called me over to ask about it. I usually keep the fly and inner attached except for drying. Instead of staking out the inner's floor, I use the included elastic cord to keep the tub shape. I think I moved the elastic cord to the fly with a bowline so the mitten hook is toward the inner. That makes it easier to unhook for packing up the inner when it's raining. I also have the old Drop 2p and with the reports of lines breaking, I switched to longer/stronger lines ala the Skurka method, but using the linelocs for ease of use. Also incase I sell the 2p for the Pro.

[@pootinplays]

I think its funny that you call the tent heavy. I just replaced it with a tent that weights 5lb 10oz. And yet the xmid is also bigger. Just got it 2 days ago so I still haven't used it but so excited to do so.

[@ZIIZ2112]

You know what "weighs a lot?" Silnylon that has absorbed condensation and rain. I'll take silpoly any day over all the other materials out there

[@cheri7828]

How is this tent different than the Tarptent Stratospire, which I believe came out before Dan Durston's?

[@wazoologist]

Great tents, got the first 1P ones for my wife and myself, just wish they were a little darker like the new ones. The vestibule angle fits my setup Helinox Chair Zero nicely, so I can put stuff on it off the wet ground, especially during the night!

[@saskhiker3935]

I have the 1PXmid and i prefer setting it up without the inner liner as there is more room. If its buggy I set up the inner.

[@joemikeska2657]

I’m still loyal to my hammock, but I wish I would’ve picked up one of these on Drop for the few times I use a tent. The more I hear, the more I’m intrigued by it.

[@deanrowell2435]

I'm also a Hanger, but live in the UK where only 8% of the country is forested. I just purchased the X-Mid 2P Solid to broaden my horizons and can't wait to try it out!

[@johnjlong]

The inner attaches to the fly at the corners so you're working harder than you have to. You don't need to stake it out separately. You can keep it attached, stake out the 4 corners of just the fly in a rectangle then put in the poles. It's a lot easier to do and make a good pitch than you're making it.

[@yellowrat2144]

Excellent comment! Helpful and informative without bragging or being insulting!

[@SalmondOutdoors]

I'm hoping to pick up a 2P Pro on the next drop 👌🏼

[@Backpacksandtrails]

They are getting ready to release the solid inner version. They will have plenty of regular X-Mids come the fall as well....

[@SalmondOutdoors]

@@Backpacksandtrails Yeah they said they should have it available for a drop in July 👍🏼

[@ddff5242]

Not sure how you figure this is heavy? 2.3 lbs for a full size 2p tent double walled. Are there dyneema tents light. Absolutely. But for a non dyneema tent, im not aware of another 2p double wall tent with this much usable space that is lighter?

[@woodchip2782]

I use a Tarptent Notch 1P which is kind of a similar design except for the diagonal shape. I love it. I ordered it just at the beginning of COVID and had to wait a long time to have it.

[@neilquinn]

I personally found the notch 1p really annoying to pitch with the struts and could never get it right. The x-mid 1p I have is infinitely easier to pitch. Not to mention at the time the x-mid 1p was like $100 cheaper and used a better fabric.

[@cheri7828]

Can you tell me how the fabrics differ between the two? I'm curious about the Strstospire, which seems very similar to this. But cannot figure out the differences.

[@neilquinn]

@@cheri7828 Silpoly (durston tent) is better at shedding water. Silnylon (Notch) tends to hold/absorb more. That's the main difference. Other minor things about UV protection/etc.

[@terryboardman789]

Comparing a DCF single wall to the $300 poly version of the xmid is flawed. These tents have not been sold by drop for sometime. I can’t imagine how it takes 6 min for somebody that’s pitched this tent 20 or so times. There is absolutely no need to use that many stakes. That rookie pitch you have going on there is embarrassing.

[@LandElevated]

Great content! We'll start sending your channel to our clients who recently bought land from us near the camping areas. This will surely give them motivation to try new activities. Thanks for sharing! 😊

[@mbarr1029]

Thanks Kevin and Fred for the review. Go Fred. Love it you have bees

[@fredschill1182]

Nasty little bastards that day

[@hermeticallysealed]

I don't think massdrop/drop has outdoor gear at all anymore it's all clickety click keyboards and headphones

[@a.ramosakadrumgrl6677]

Thanks for this great review!! Very much appreciated, I have been looking at this tent for about a year. Yes, the drawback is having to wait for them to roll out. Have you had problems with the trekking pole grommet area getting holes near the vestibules???

[@JeremiahBlasi]

There were reports of that happening with the original. The design was modified, and the later iterations don’t have that issue.

[@gretchenlopez787]

Yes, papa Schill footage🤩 I was missing Dad!! He is so cute.

[@fredschill1182]

Thx. Looked like kev needed help with this one😀

[@ZIIZ2112]

Longer to set up? It's the easiest tent I've ever set up. 4 stakes and BAM

[@NikhilShahi]

What a terrible reviewer. This tent literally sets up in a couple of mins with 4 stakes and 2 poles. You also got so much info wrong.

[@praktika1082]

That's one of the shittiest pitches of this tent I've ever seen in person or in a KZbin video.

[@davepratt3912]

Omg stop “reviewing”. It takes ten seconds to set this up, and heavy? Never mind. Jesus Christ

[@MeOutside]

Fred getting stung sells this as legit. Personally I got a Duplex coming my way.

[@fredschill1182]

We should have filmed while in tent to prevent getting stung

[@markcummings6856]

👍 only because Fred was here.

[@fredschill1182]

Ha ha

[@natehoover5266]

Yeah it's like impossible to get.

[@jbrowningp69]

I have to say Schill Brothers, that is a sloppy, pathetic pitch.

[@fredschill1182]

Sorry we were harassed by blood thirsty bees

[@jbrowningp69]

@@fredschill1182 Are you sure they weren't Durston Gearheads?

[@yellowrat2144]

You have the right to remain silent.

[@brianm9282]

Massdrop sucks now, it's all headphones and keyboards. I bought a Firebox vaporizer for marijuana years ago and other cool stuff. My ULA Circuit was the last thing I bought on Drop back in 2018.

[@johnjlong]

I have a DEADLY bee allergy and go into anaphylaxis with one sting so those bees terrify me.

[@fredschill1182]

Wow. Be careful then. Patient of mine was unaware he had an allergy and got stung to death by yellow jackets

[@johnjlong]

@@fredschill1182 I’m allergic to all bees, wasps and hornets. I found out the hard way last year. Had to be rescued on a hike. Almost died. I’m still afraid to go hiking

[@fredschill1182]

Would an allergist help?

[@johnjlong]

@@fredschill1182 I’ve been getting immunotherapy injections for bee, wasp and mixed vespid venom every week for the last 6 months. It’s supposed to help reduce the severity of my reaction. But last time I was stung 4 times, took Claritin and two epipen injections but still went into anaphylaxis. So, it’s just a scary situation not knowing how I’ll react to multiple stings.

[@fredschill1182]

@@johnjlong so sorry. Awful. I just got stung through my bee outfit. Guess you’re a winter hiker then

[@801dirtbags]

This is a two person tent. There’s no way, there’s no way. hahaha

[@fredschill1182]

No way

[@Backpacksandtrails]

We own two of the 2p tents. We fit 2 25" pads with no problem and have room at the foot and head end for gear as well. It is one of the largest 2 person trekking pole tent you can buy.

[@terryboardman789]

Large 2 person for the competition.

[@JBC_cat]

It is a great tent but no one can get their hands on it. I really wish Dan Duston would ramp up production and make these more available. It is a shame. It is like the best tent in the world no one will ever get to try. I got my hands on a xmid 1 and have been searching for a xmid 2 for 2 seasons. This thing may as well not even exist. The only time i have ever seen it is popular youtube reviewers. So what the heck is going on here? Do we literally have to go find Dan Durston on the trail and beg him for a tent? That is what it feels like with the Infamous Xmid line.

[@JeremiahBlasi]

He’s working on it. There were major supply issues because of COVID. They should become far more available before too long.

[@andrewhowie4217]

Keep giving it a go, I missed out on two sales over about 7 months but managed to bag one of the new XMid 1P with solid inners at the last sale. Once posted came to UK in 3 days. I believe from Sept and less covid delays it may be more in stock then. Overall I think it is a fabulously designed tent, a lot of thought has clearly gone in to its design by someone that is used to using equipment themselves. My Hilleberg will be getting a little dusty now as the 1P will probably be my go to tent for now especially my upcoming hike of the West Highland Way.