You've Never Seen a Tent Like This!

[@durstongear]

As a quick summary and update on the pole break, the original issue was the metal ferrule/insert coming unglued. That was with a pole set that I did mention ahead of time was a pre-production poleset and not built with the normal construction methods. Easton did use to have issues with this, so they have improved their gluing process and added a test during actual production where they do a test on every ferrule, so I expect they'll have these solid glued in place well on the production tents. These poles have been used for almost 20 years by a wide range of different brands, so it is possible to glue them well. Also carbon is regularly glued to aluminum (e.g. most carbon trekking poles have aluminum flick locks glued on). When the ferrule did come unglued and a repair was attempted with an oversized sleeve, that was a honest attempt to fix the tent but also was problematic and caused the other breaks. A stiff and oversized sleeve is not a good way to repair any tent because it creates leverage and focuses stress on a small area at the ends (as mentioned). A sleeve that is properly fitted works better whereas an oversized sleeve focuses a lot of force on the edge while also creating leverage, so it can fairly easily break many poles. I don't think these breaks are representative of the strength of the tent, but rather show high leverage and stress focus that could have broken perhaps any lightweight tent. I note that all the breaks occurred exactly at the sleeve and nowhere else. So I am confident this was a pre-production gluing issue and a domino effect from there relative to the oversized sleeve. The actual poles are the same poles used by quite a few other brands (e.g. Samaya, Tarptent, Big Agnes, Kuiu, MSR). We are using dual archs of the smaller size (on the ends) or a single arch of the large size (on top) so it is quite a bit stronger than many other CF tents that use a single arch of the smaller size. With the oversized sleeve, this poleset is stronger than the aluminum polesets in comparable tents, and I expect it to do very well in windy conditions - especially when pitched for the conditions (e.g. guylines when appropriate, optional trekking pole supports if really windy). This incident does raise an interesting question about the repairability of CF. For the weight CF is stronger than aluminum in most ways, but can do less well under compression, so it may crack easier than aluminum if there is a focused stress point like this. A better fitting sleeve like the one at the end would be much better, and also having a little flex in the sleeve would distributing stresses much better (e.g. a composite/plastic sleeve that is pretty stiff but with a bit of give to it would distribute stress more). Ideal fix though would be a replacement section. We will certainly have those available. Cheers, Dan

[@themodularmodular]

If anything, Dan will take care of you when the warranty demands arise. I won’t be worried too much about it, he’s a good guy

[@Pasequale100]

Is an Xmid Solid with fizan aluminium poles eventually more stormworthy and less likely to collapse/ break than the Xdome with carbon poles?

[@durstongear]

​@@Pasequale100 They are both quite good in the regular mode of use, but if you have the X-Dome with carbon poles AND the optional trekking pole supports then it is the best of all because it has both structures.

[@euphonek]

Are field repair pole sleeves going to be provided with the tent? Or available for purchase? Ordered mine yesterday!

[@Pasequale100]

@@durstongear i love everythin about the xdome, especially the trekking pole support!! I just wait for the solid inner version!!

[@Alex-and-Joker-Hikes]

I look at this as Dan allowing real people in real world situations truly testing prototype products. This gives me more confidence in Durston Gear not less.

[@tubulzr]

While not a Durston user/customer myself, I find this video to be ballsy. Putting up a prototype in windy conditions and seeing a pole snap multiple times. Then again, clear explanation on the loose alu connections, easily fixable production wise, not a 'carbon failure'. For a true 4-season tent I'd like a full fabric inner with mesh panel(s) integrated. I'm a medium-weight hiker, boots and >2kg 4s 1p tent; I appreciate the comfort of sturdiness (and then some). If I'd ever choose a lightweight tent again, this one, at least the '2025 with full inner', seems very attractive. Love to see more upcoming videos using/testing this tent.

[@wesdiezy]

I've always wondered, what is the benefit of the full fabric inner? Just for less wind pass through?

[@ShaksLive]

@@wesdiezy probably the wind and the rain splashes

[@tubulzr]

@@wesdiezy Exactly, zero wind pass through so able to have a micro climate in the inner.

[@mrroboto18]

"I used a prototype tent with a small flaw that won't be an issue in final production, decided to use it anyway and broke it, fixed it with something not meant to fix the poles and broke them again, and made the most clickbait video possible day of the tent launch" is an extremely annoying way to approach this review. It's not some faceless companey with 1000s of products, it's from an actual guy trying to make rad innovations in the industry and this is unnecessarily throwing him under a bus. Lost a lot of respect for your chanel on this one

[@vincentblais9203]

Exactly, I stopped following him a few weeks ago because of too much talk about sponsors, and now this... wow such a low blow just to get some views..

[@smellybearc7411]

@@mrroboto18 This is kinda my thoughts too. A regular hiker (not a gear expert) tries out a prototype product and breaks it. Tries to fix it and breaks it more. This does not speak to the quality of the final products, nor does it make Durston or the content creator himself look good. Like, what’s he even trying to achieve with this video?

[@jimminyjillikers]

Unsubscribing as well. Enjoyed the videos before the clickbait

[@IngoHaller-h5w]

Absolutely. Not much talk about the tent. So another very good channel with a (i guess) good guy became Victim to this KZbin Click-bait System. Now this Channel is Not reliable anymore, Sad. I honestly feel sorry for Dan, he sent the Tent to the wrong guy. Hopefully you will find another good guy who can Talk about the tent and Not prototype-Problems. Perhaps you can ask Stefan Berger, he seems Like a really nice guy with no commercial wathsoever. I would be happy to See more about this tent, even when i already ordered one… :-)

[@rossATspiritburner]

All talk, no craft

[@arnoldkotlyarevsky383]

I would happily buy a two person version if this tent with aluminum poles and take the weight penalty. The benefits of a fly first pitch in the rain, plus the interior space is very hard to argue with. Dan, if youre here in the comments, TAKE MY MONEY.

[@smellybearc7411]

Y? Are aluminum poles less prone to snapping?

[@squngy0]

@@smellybearc7411 Probably less likely to "snap", but more likely to bend out of shape (which would introduce a weak point).

[@DrJimCares]

I had purchased and returned a freezip 2p from zpacks which has carbon fiber poles - the same thing happened - that aluminum sleeve inside came loose so I returned the whole tent. Very expensive tent and didn’t think it would give me any longevity. Concerned about those carbon fiber poles - just purchased an Arcdome ultra from tarptent with them

[@snoop2477]

On point. It would be worth having heavy, more sturdy poles. Weight isnt everything. Great design

[@bcamping1]

Design is great. DAC poles and 70D floor would be a good option for those who are not hiking around the hemisphere.

[@BigDawgCAM]

The Durston design really shines in a one-person tent: - 2 lb total - Polyester > Nylon - Loads more internal and vestibule space - Sets up dry in the rain - Storm worthy (when not broke) - Magnetic tie backs - Long enough for tall hikers - Wide enough for internal gear/dog Dan is just so good at addressing all of the complaints individuals have with an entire category of tents. Feels like the first 1P free-standing tent that's actually worth consideration versus taking the weight penally for a 2P counterpart. Excited to see what he does with the two person X-Dome next year!

[@eb9978]

Dan Durston is the man and his production tents will be solid.

[@josephthompson9289]

I think that this video was released in a hasty manner and really tells us nothing about the actual tent that customers will purchase. Half the video is spent explaining the broken pole situation rather than going into useful specs and pros and cons (although there is some of that). I think getting this video out before other KZbinrs could clouded Steve’s judgment here, and in the end gives a negative vibe to a tent that doesn’t necessarily deserve one

[@robinlevick7246]

This channel is clickbait, reviewer has no credibility

[@themodularmodular]

@@josephthompson9289 I remember he hated the X Mid, whereas he put the tent on top of his car while driving off for the sake of wind test.. yea buddy, that’s not really how it works

[@SummitSeeker546]

Real world! Sorry you don’t like it! Honest, impartial review!

[@josephthompson9289]

Real world isn’t taking a prototype out and calling it a review. Impartiality isn’t the issue here, it’s accuracy

[@SummitSeeker546]

@@josephthompson9289 then shame on Dan for allowing an inferior tent to be reviewed by a KZbin reviewer knowing that his review would be posted. You’ve got to be kidding me! Dans a bright guy. If his tent wasn’t ready to be reviewed he never should have shipped it out! Stop drinking the Kool Aid man!

[@smellybearc7411]

I ordered this tent cuz Durston has earned my (and many other people’s) trust by now. Though I’m curious to see how this tent stacks up to the X Mid tents in storm. The thing with the x mid is that it has fewer breakable parts and could be adjusted and repaired more easily when needed. The caveat is that you need to pitch it properly for it to reach full potential. With this tent though, I feel like it would probably last longer before it collapses in the wind. It’s also a lot easier to pitch for it to achieve max sturdiness and is definitely easier to move around. But at the same time, once the pole breaks, it looses its functionality as a shelter against wind completely and will require some spare parts to repair. I think the cost to replace the carbon fiber poles would also be higher than the cost to replace a set of trekking poles(especially if they are not made out of carbon fiber). But at the end of day, not super concerned as long as the factory doesn’t f this up.

[@TheN30M]

It sucks that the video came to be about carbon fiber poles and not about the design of the X-dome, features, etc.

[@jamessage6167]

Aren't the carbon fibre poles a critical part of the Durston design concept though?

[@TheN30M]

@@jamessage6167 Not really considering that all free standing UL tents uses carbon fiber poles and they are manufactured the same way. And all of these tents would have failed if you tried to fix them this way.

[@Saltfly]

He talked about design, weight, setup features, and of course the pole failure which he did fess up to making worse. There’s not much more to be said about this tent. It’s a lightweight freestanding shelter from the elements that will cost far more than it’s worth.

[@TheN30M]

@@Saltfly Its all about the focus, the thumbnail, the amount of time you give each segment, the framing. AND the fact that a manufacturer lends you their only prototype... No he did not comment on several design elements that would have been relevant, but thats not really my point. If you fuckup a prototype like this, maybe just dont post the video and wait utill Durston provides you with a official one. Then in your review mention your problems, and if they have persisted. That is fair, this is not fair.

[@bobmatthew9538]

@@Saltfly Sorry, but just where are you getting the 'will cost far more than it's worth' from? Certainly in my experience/view/opinion Durston gear is very competitively priced for the quality on offer.

[@curtelverd4008]

I watched Dan’s release video before this one, where he put multiple liters of water on the brow pole. I think it’s just a pre-production error that I’m sure Dan has fixed. Otherwise, putting 4-8L of water on top of the tent with little movement would not be possible. I’d definitely like to see another video when you get the production run tent poles!

[@smellybearc7411]

With that demo though, the conditions were highly controlled. The water bladders were put on top of the tent where weight is distributed evenly throughout the entire pole structure whereas in real life, it’s not as controlled and predictable. With the inherent problem of cf poles, the concern is legit. With that being said, Dan Durston just doesn’t seem to be the type of guy who would launch a product without testing it out in real life. Not once has he disappointed the community

[@iamdorusyt]

Would love to see some proper testing with a production version. Really curious if it is as storm proof as claimed. This example was doomed to fail due to the improper repair, and to me not really a fair review.

[@SchmakerSchmoo]

Fixing the metal grommet coming loose is something that happens all the time on basically every pole set I've owned (carbon, aluminum, etc.) from every company (marmot, north face, MSR, etc.). It takes 5 seconds to fix with by pushing the grommet back out with something skinny (coat hanger) and then putting a dab of glue. The "repair" in the video is egregiously bad and doomed the poles to fail.

[@smellybearc7411]

With the cf poles themselves, I highly doubt the production version of tent would be as storm worthy as the x mid. But when the trekking poles are added, I can kinda see how it might become more sturdy than the x mid. But again, I just don’t think Dan would launch a product that hasn’t been tested.

[@rman713]

I really don’t get why people are leaving negative comments. This was a great test of a prototype and revealed a potential flaw that is extremely useful to Durston and the public. We need more videos like this and less “milk toast” reviewers too scared to point out flaws, pretending products are perfect.

[@maxkraus7063]

dont say Anthing against our company durston! i'll buy 3x for every hate comment!

[@jdude9922]

Normally im a big fan of your videos but this one was poorly done. It was pretty much the definition of click bait and felt like it was put out in order to ride the hype train.

[@kaspersergej]

Feeling the same

[@SchmakerSchmoo]

Seriously - this would be like if a prototype vehicle forgot to include a "gas only" sticker on the fuel flap, so you decided to put diesel in it and then made a clickbait video about how the car stopped working an hour into you using it.

[@simbad3311]

@@jdude9922 100% agree👍

[@vnm_8945]

Those poles are a joke.

[@RichardMathews-gv7lb]

Probably wait for 2nd or 3rd production run before diving in to buy one. Has everything I want but solid inner and necessary tweeks that become apparent with usage would increase my purchasing confidence

[@cheri7828]

I think one tweek I'd like would be to add a 2nd door. Mainly for cross breeze ventilation.

[@niceguy191]

Even without seeing this video I've always avoided carbon fiber in the backcountry. Aluminum is heavier, but will bend before it breaks and tends not to fail as catastrophically. I'm sure we've all seen bent tent or trekking poles that still did the trick; the carbon equivalent would've broken.

[@durstongear]

Aluminum would also break in this type of stress. It can bend under some circumstances, but with an oversized sleeve like this it puts the stress on a sharp line across the pole that would kink and break it.

[@niceguy191]

@@durstongear I'm mostly talking about what happens when the design stress is exceeded (the improper splint in this video caused that). I can still use a bent tent pole (or bend it back like my trekking poles). I have tents with permanently bent aluminum poles from strong winds/snow that would've collapsed if they were carbon fibre. This tent is super cool and I'd love to see an aluminum pole option in the future!

[@durstongear]

@@niceguy191 Alumnimum can bend, but usually at loads that wouldn't harm an equivalent weight of carbon. The type of stress here were there is leverage across a sharp line would kink aluminum in a way that can't be bent back.

[@niceguy191]

@@durstongear Completely agree that the failure here in the video was a point stress from too large of a "repair" splint and this tent would likely do great under normal proper use, but I'll have to give a bit of pushback on what aluminum versus carbon can handle. The same weight of carbon fibre doing as well as aluminum isn't relevant as that's not how these materials are used. Nobody uses the same weight of carbon fibre since the whole point is typically to be lighter for a similar strength. Manufacturers tend to "overbuild" the aluminum versions more too, I'm guessing due to costumer preference, so that contributes to it as well. I absolutely love how you're engaging directly with people in the comments and clearly you're passionate about this tent. I think it's one of the best designs I've ever seen (the rainfly without a footprint is especially cool) for a one-person tent in a good while.

[@justinw1765]

In very cold weather, aluminum can actually get stronger while carbon fiber, rather the epoxy matrix holding same, can get weakened. That's really only the main advantage of aluminum over carbon fiber, otherwise quality carbon fiber has more advantages over Al.

[@ChrisCollins001]

Do I need this tent? No. Do I want this tent? Yes. Will I get this tent? Most likely. When I first heard that this tent was being created I signed up to be notified when it was ready for the public to purchase. I told my wife I found another tent I just had to have and I was informed that I may have a problem. I told her I do have a problem, a very in tents problem....because I'm into tents. 😁

[@EVANHIRSCHMANG]

I bought the Xmid 1 like 3 months ago and have loved it. Im sure the X dome is great and looks roomier than the xmid 1

[@obchristo]

Tell your wife it's a simple math problem. # of tents you need = # of tents you have + 1.

[@ChrisCollins001]

@@obchristo This is proper math

[@ChrisCollins001]

@@EVANHIRSCHMANG I picked up the Xmid 2 a few months ago and love it, but I also want a free-standing tent and although I have a good one in my stash of tents, it's on the heavy side.

[@LionessHiker]

Good video other than breaking a protocol type version of a tent! Duct tape or Leuko tape probably would make a better field splice.

[@andreameigs1261]

the 1+ size FINALLY EXISTS! TWO people can fit on tapered, 20'' wide pads, head to foot! It's perfect for the singles who may someday get to take a friend.

[@renojaloleyui7099]

I thought this tent would be a mixture of the Hilleberg Soulo and Unna just with the X-Mid Floorplan. Hilleberg makes great tents but I think all of their one person tents are pretty bad compared to this, even if we put the weight aside. I personaly wouldnt trust a carbon pole as much as aluminium but thats just a feeling. I would definetly get a fitting sleeve for it to always be able to repair it.

[@pedro1970maya]

If faced with bad sleeves, even with good ones, reinforce with duct tape, of course, a few inches on and padt the sleeve edges to absorb energy and prevent splintering. Also tuck a mini strip of tape, or paper, or anything soft and thin into the sleeve edge first to eliminate some of the sharpness.

[@bryanclarke1927]

Solid inner and aluminium poles and I'd consider this tent

[@wishdarkstalkaz4050]

I went in blind & was one of the fortunate to get my hands on the original 1st release of the X-Mid pro2 (site crashing was sooooo much fun). With this shelter...absolutely love the design concepts & this time will be patient & wait for a release that incorporates the best material that Challange has to offer for it. And I will put it to the test in Nepal.

[@haydenwalton2766]

agreed. looks like a brilliant tent but I'd wait for mark 2, after a hundred thousand hours of field testing

[@Champagnepeppiii]

Would love to see the tent come with metal poles. CF poles have been a problem on other tents in the past. Only time will tell.

[@StreetDogSteve]

Why not just get a tent from somewhere like Big Agnes and pay a fair bit less (on one of many sales) in that case?

[@doransshield9176]

@@StreetDogStevebecause you can go Naturehike and pay even less 😅

[@blacksunapocalypse]

​@@doransshield9176yup but then you're going for a lot mroe weight and less durability

[@doransshield9176]

@@blacksunapocalypse 1lb difference isnt much 😅

[@StreetDogSteve]

@@doransshield9176 It can be, depending on who you are. And then you add on materials/stitching that aren't as good. Still decent, but not as good. The kind of people buying Durston gear generally count a pound as a lot, though.

[@tanvach]

I love that now we have more competition in the UL free standing tent space. Would love to get the tent, but having bought the OG Xmid Pro 2 and saw how quickly Dan iterated his designs, I’m going to wait until early production and design flaws get ironed out.

[@rbreiff73]

100%. The improvements from the early Pro 2 to the current lineup have really transformed the design from meh to best in class imo.

[@nexorabolis]

This Tent is exactly what I was looking for for my moto camping trips! Looks just right

[@CaptainLetsGo]

Order mine a couple days ago. Dan, I don't mind slightly heavier options for the poles. A sense of security and a little extra weight will totally meet the needs of people wanting a free-standing tent that doesn't fail exactly where people expect it to. : ) I know the Easton carbon hunting arrows I use are strong af so options are there. : )

[@Reapus]

This was a prototype version, his tent will use Easton carbon.

[@SchmakerSchmoo]

Why did you not just push the metal grommet back out with a coat hanger or similar and put a bit of glue on it? Using such an oversized repair sleeve seems like you were hoping the carbon would break due to the tremendous surprise leverage forces you are putting on the carbon. Works nice for views and controversy I guess. I've had the same metal grommets come loose on my Marmot and North Face tents (who use Aluminum poles) and it is a quick fix.

[@luisarellano8917]

I've done the same! But in the field its definitely harder. I've had to struggle for up to 30 min getting it out. They need to glue them better, or find a better way to attach the "ferrule"

[@SchmakerSchmoo]

@@luisarellano8917 as Dan mentioned in his comment below - this is a handmade prototype poleset that does not have the same QA checks as a production pole. The production poles have QA checks for all of the ferrules. The issue also occurred in his backyard so ample time to do a proper repair before heading into the field with a bad repair, and then blaming the tent for your poor repair job.

[@roelfo]

Not wanting to take anything away from this tent or Dan Durston in general, because the thought and finishing on those designs/productions is amazing. I'd very much like one of these, although the import duties in EU make it a bit less viable, sadly. But that's not Dans fault ofcourse. But your mention about this being the first fly only pitchable tent you came accross really made me appreciate my 100 EUR "Campz" 2P tent. With the poles on the outside in a "halfe circle, overlapping" pole structure (like the portion of a venn-diagram, where they overlap) I am also able to pitch it fly only in bad weather, without the ground sheet. Didn't know it was such an unique feature. Sometimes you don't appreciate what you've got, because the grass (gear) is always greener (or lighter, more durable, more fancy) elsewhere.

[@cookiedawg6977]

The fly-first pitch is such a major and obvious innovation I've been wondering for a long time why other manufacturers haven't thought of it already

[@waysofseeing1]

I can do it with my old Hubba, and one reason I got the X-mid was because it did that very thing...only easier. It's lovely to set up the fly in rain and wind for lunch and have a brew up under cover.

[@Howling-Mad-Murdock]

You must be American? I’ve noticed most US made tents seem to pitch inner first. Most euro tents are fly first or all together pitch. With UK weather there’s no way I’d buy an inner first tent, I like the inside of my tent to be dry! 😂

[@kevinbleakley5069]

European tents are mostly fly-first since forever

[@michaellewandowski7596]

Couple of thoughts.... 1. Pre-production poles... so who knows what the build spec is. Prototyping be like this. 2. That sleeve would work better if it had even a little foam stuffed in the ends. 3. Tenacious tape around the break plus the splint would work for a fix. Hell, I used Tenacious Tape to fix my carbon insoles on the JMT. Wasn't perfect but got me my last two days done. 4. I hope Durston offers an aluminum pole option. Or beefier carbon fiber.

[@TT79-]

I have never heard of this tent. And I dont know about anyone else...but this one looks like a huge winner for me.

[@EVANHIRSCHMANG]

durston has been killing it for a while. Its an ultralight thing not just a normal tent

[@LuckyTown77]

Will wait for several seasons of testing. My early X-mid 1 doesn't have the upgrades of later versions.

[@GrizzlyGaz]

@Durstongear Will you be offering the tent with DAC poles as an option? Carbon fiber poles and UK weather dont seem to mix well.

[@HisGraceHisGlory]

Carbon fiber poles are more trouble than they are worth.

[@johanostman]

It is quite surprising that you don't know of other fully free-standing tents that have been around for decades, such as the Hilleberg Staika and Allak models.

[@BackpackingUK]

and the Unna!

[@KyleGraham19]

To my knowledge, Hilleburg tents are tough to come by here in the US. Maybe that's part of the reason?

[@mrtru1te]

The soulo

[@furiousdoe7779]

It is good for the competition of Hilleberg (who btw make great tents) I have a Soulo and a Niak . But.... I am a tall person (1.90m) and Soulo and Niak are limited in height and this Durston X-Dome 1+ tent is very light en better in height indeed .. ! The difficult part for Dan ---please hear me - is getting this awesome sellable beauty to Europe for about the same price tag as in the USA.

[@mrtru1te]

​@@furiousdoe7779 It's almost the same price in fact, the prices are showed without taxes and in EU we have to have the price with VAT included. If Durston included EU taxes on their website it would be the same as we are already paying. Zpacks does this, once you add the product to the car and select your shipping address, it automatically adds taxes and duty. There's no way around paying taxes. Durston can't just keep the same prices while having them include taxes or I guess they'll stop making money. There's a few resellers in EU for Durston products and they always end up more expensive than purchasing on Durston website. plus, if you compare the x-dome to an hilleberg even with taxes you can buy two tents for the price of and ENAN lol (I know made in Asia vs EU, probably more durable but still).

[@WalterLockwood]

I bought a Tarptent Scarp 1 with the aluminum cyclone poles for a trip to Iceland last August. The inner tubing on one of the pole sections came unglued and slipped into the pole section. Exactly the same issue as what happened in this video. I was able to continue using the tent by using the “splint” tube over the section that could no longer connect. This was a real pain to deal with halfway through my backpacking trip, but it worked. When I got home I called Tarptent and they suggested it was due to a bad batch of poles from Easton and sent me a new one. And they assured me this wouldn’t be a problem going forward. I’ve never seen or heard of this being a problem in the past, but I guess it is now with these ultralight poles? Also, I thought Tarptent had sent me the carbon fiber poles by mistake initially just because they do look and feel just like carbon fiber.

[@DubTDub]

I’d say a series of unfortunate events… I want to grab the two person version of this tent upon release. Dan has been great with customer service. His effort to maintain customer satisfaction is why I will keep going back! 😎👏🏻👍🏻

[@justaguy4788]

I really like the fly only option and stay free standing

[@JRoss707]

A tent that I will definitely keep an eye on. Dan’s reply and explanation about the issue with the pole seems plausible, and I think the extreme setup conditions you put the tent under are above what most average hikers would contend would with.

[@thefrontrunnerfiles4353]

I'm no tent expert, but I'm in the market for one. 1/ Review showed user error when pole patching with incorrect sized sleeve and lack of understanding of basic physics creating stress points from incorrect patch. 2/ Yes it was pre-production but Dan knew the risks sending it out for review so I'm OK with the video being posted for clicks on launch day. 3/ Video and comments highlight a key decision on CF vs Alli poles and the tradeoff of weight vs fragility for through walkers on multi-day wilderness hikes. 4/ I'm buying the X-Dome2 when in releases 2025. Looks a great tent and very excited!

[@sethgsf4120]

I dont know why i return to this channel. It's either goofy ways to shit on gear or this guy talking about how easy hiking is as long as you have an unlimited supply of money 😊

[@edmolash3401]

ZPacks, Nemo, and Big Agnes thanks you very much.

[@josephgetter]

Looks like a great tent! The problem with using a splint is that you lose some of the bend in the pole, making a sharper bend at each end of the splint. You're asking the pole to bend in a way it wasn't designed. Of course, the splint is just to get through a trip, and replace the pole later.

[@Pattower]

4:17 Thank you for this 3 second shot.

[@robertrussell3264]

Why such a rush to have the latest and greatest anything? Time tends clarify all sorts of things.

[@lakedistrict9450]

Good reminder to inspect the poles regularly, and carry a splicing tube or stick and. string for infield repair. Looks like a fantastic tent with more space than the X mid, and the benefits of. a free standing tent.

[@noroxh7662]

I think the tent looks really promising and I personally really like the thought that went into the design. However the major downside to this tent is that carbon fiber is prone to breakage - it’s simply a downside of the material. Carbon fiber reacts very sensitively to dull blows and, in my experience as an angler, often breaks at precisely these points years later. I get that it has many desirable qualities like being lightweight and flexible, however in my opinion the qualities are not worth the risks.

[@TopherWardy]

Who sets up their tent with the door facing the wind! Not very bright.

[@PatrickKniesler]

Stress test. Hope to see one with a production model

[@waysofseeing1]

What a tremendous looking tent, everything I would want, like fly first/only pitch, if I didn't have the X-mid! Next time if I don't get put into extended care first. I'm sure the pole issue will get sorted but I think there is always a risk to flexible poles and perhaps especially carbon fibre. It's one of the things I love about the trekking pole X-mid, never have to worry about that issue even if I have to be more particular about pitching. Even if I forget my poles somewhere like I forget everything else in life I could always find a stick to fashion into a pole.

[@annahbyttnerforssell6308]

Seems like a great tent! I want!!!

[@rusty8865]

I actually agree this is not a nice thing to do, maybe not watch his videos again?!

[@davedavey2452]

Dude, for the sake of integrity, take this click bait video down. I have preordered this so watched with interest until i saw what you did. Focusing all the force of the sleeve in one spot was the equivalent of my wife standing on my back in high heels vs barefoot. Of course, it was going to break! Strength to weight is incredible on cf. I have broken a cf trekking pole before by standing on it but never in actual use. This video is of no use. Stuff breaks if you misuse it. Good job Dan has epic customer service so this is a non issue.

[@TheWarder500]

Calm down bro sheesh. He never hid the fact he made mistakes or that it was prototype

[@stirlingslingerland4547]

Take a chill pill.

[@waysofseeing1]

That business about stiletto heels on the bare back got my attention. I'm British.

[@Cam-xu1sq]

Never broken a hiking pole? Lmfao, you've never done much mountaineering have you?

[@plmn93]

I can understand trying to repair it to finish the video. But to try to do a wind test with such a half-assed repair was ridiculous and the results predictable to everybody but him.

[@At0micAllison]

Sounds like there’s a market for brand-specific pole splices to keep on hand for emergency repairs.

[@GregoryVeizades]

Pole splices already come in multiple diameters. So yes, get one that is very close fitting for whatever tent you have.

[@whicks3]

I’ve seen other KZbinrs with composite pole iissues. When I bought my Lightfighter 1, I made sure it had the older style aluminum poles. I’m glad !!

[@charliehodgson7222]

I've had carbon fibre poles - on a x-mid 1p - break. They were cheap from AliExpress though.Also broken Carbon Fibre trekking poles (Black Diamond) only use aluminium trekking poles now.

[@haydenwalton2766]

I refashion some 14mm MSR aluminium tarp poles for my xmid. work great, really strong. (I don't use trekking poles)

[@Mark-J-N]

Looks like a great tent, but I am in the same camp, no pun intended, as many other folks here. Not being a true gram counter, I would not mind a few more ounces for stronger (i.e., aluminum) poles. I am a clumsy klutz, and if something can be broken I will knuckleheadedly find a way to accidentally break it. Those carbon fiber poles are a deal-breaker for me. I am going to hold out in the hopes that aluminum will eventually be available.

[@rpenm]

The splice is focusing stress at its ends because it flexes less than the pole. The old aluminum pole will probably flex better than the sleeve due to its lower diameter, but will likely still weaken the pole.

[@michaelquinn2276]

For reference, I own a DD Kakwa and previously owned XMids but moved them on. Not because of quality or design, simply personal preference. Durston products are impressive and, he is shining light in customer service and product development- which tent company 'owner' answers so many queries ans comments personally? Im not impressed with an unbalanced and sensationalist 'review'. Your method of pitching in reasonable wind was inexperienced, and would any tent at risk. You were also aware it was a prototype and found a fault with the glue- immediately the material choice became moot, and alloy poles would fail initially for the same reason. Instead of focussing of a review of design, build strength, usability and price point, you became fixated on the pole breakage. I suspect this was a deliberate move to generate clicks, and comments- a trap I just fell into! ;) To demonstrate my faith in DD, Ive just ordered the tent and will be using it in Tasmanian conditons- I dare you to come down here or New Zealand and test his tents in the wind against many others. Unsubscribed due to doing the wrong thing towards someone that does the right thing.

[@plexuswoodworks1771]

The Kuiu tent has been out for over 10 years. It’s very similar.

[@SuniSydeOfShade]

I'm going to wait for the solid version.

[@tiger2too18]

Slingfin have been doing this modular system for erecting tents fly first for years, and use trekking poles for extra strength.

[@bernardchandley2587]

Using an oversized sleeve as a fix then erecting the tent under wind stress was pretty silly.

[@TheWarder500]

Hind sight is 20/20.

[@bernardchandley2587]

Maybe, but commonsense is more valuable.

[@TheWarder500]

@@bernardchandley2587 again, easy for someone to say when they are on the outside looking in. Im sure you’ve never made a mistake in your life 👍🏻

[@bernardchandley2587]

@@TheWarder500 It’s ok mate. I don’t think I’m hurting his feelings. I’m just looking at it from a practical point of view. I have an understanding of material stresses from the work I do but even if I didn’t I don’t believe it would require too much thought to understand what would happen to the pole ends in a loose fitting sleeve when the poles are put under stress.

[@ACiDGRiM]

Weather strikes when you have other failures. For an Instagram shoot is silly, but what to expect when you're on trail and it's not a good day, not silly

[@deanabowman9661]

As we're approaching the cold season, can we talk Winter use? Especially in Canadian Rockies. @Dan?

[@rockymountboy]

Nope. Single Wall. 3-season. Not for use in Canadian winters.

[@durstongear]

@@rockymountboy It is double wall and good for major snow loads with the trekking pole support. A full solid interior would be even better but you can very much use it for almost all winter camping.

[@durstongear]

It's quite good for this. It is sturdy, doublewall, has some solid fabric, and enough strength for snowloads (especially if you use the optional trekking poles).

[@rockymountboy]

@@durstongear ​ @durstongear Well, I guess you would know best! :-) Thank you for chiming in!

[@CharmingGecko]

It’s pretty disrespectful to take something he let you use and present it like it’s flawed.

[@olivern4784]

I have already ordered my tent. I hope the problem with the carbon fiber poles is related to the tent being a preproduction model. PS I needed a new tent. I was debating between the X-Mid 2 and the new X-Dome 1+ tent. After weighing the pros and cons, I purchased the X-Dome tent. I feel good about my decision.

[@joemorris6]

That's why we wait until kinks are worked out my friend... I'm sure Dan will stand by his product no matter what. You will be good!

[@durstongear]

Yes we do a glue test on everything during the real production.

[@ManivanAdventures]

This thing looks awesome! Would love to see an option for aluminum poles eventually.

[@ColoradoHike]

I am so tired of clickbait videos. This is a completely unfair review of a preproduction tent with a minor problem. Gosh, let’s go find the windiest possible place to set up an already broken tent and then make money on it when it fails due to your bound to fail fix. What utter garbage. Unsubscribe. Your actions are irresponsible.

[@thomashall7315]

Great , now that you have fixed the issue , PLEASE provide a proper review . Durston gear products are excellent and we here in the outdoor community believe the X- Dome will excel with great rewards .

[@RegEdmunds]

I had a pole snap on me once, on a Zephyros One, I then realised that aluminium poles can 'stick' to the damp interior of the nylon sleeve. If I had always made sure the the pole was properly positioned between the two grommet hole ends it would never have happened. I then lost confidence in such poles and bought myself a Lanshan One tent. Since then I've never had a problem.

[@tvh300]

On the plus side, the exposed poles makes a bush repair by lashing a stick to the pole much easier, and way less likely to damage the fabric.

[@KristianGrSl]

The X-Dome is a really cool looking tent. I love my Hilleberg Unna completely freestanding dome tent... but yea I would never trust carbon poles.

[@onisgagan2481]

I’m standing in line for the 2 person, can’t wait…

[@johnmca5643]

Easily over a decade ago I paid someone to make carbon fiber poles for a Big Agnes Fly Creek 1. It was the beginning of my ultralite life. The third night I was setting up the tent and one pole snapped. I've been very afraid to try carbon tent poles since.

[@Asdf-789]

Just be warned - if this happens - The aluminium sleeve applied at the end of the video is better but will still only be a partial remedy - as it has a different flex profile and strength to the carbon tubes used for the poles, it will still create stress focal points at the ends of it again. Thin walled carbon tubes tend to fail at stress concentrator points. Actually so do aluminium (easton). The sleeve will probably work as a field expedient repair but you shouldn't rely on it in heavy wind gusts and I'd also suggest you'd best move your tent out of high wind areas in conjunction, until you can get back and replace the pole set.

[@wyregrasser7540]

I very happy with my Copper Spur but this tent is very intriguing to me. I like the "true" fly first pitch. Currently, I am looking for a small footprint 1p. Not sure about footprint size on this one 🤔🧐🤔 but it is still super cool. Thanks for the share. 👴

[@WadeLees]

You can just take the video down and redo it with a proper video once you get a new tent. The internet can forgive.

[@williamdikeman8603]

guy lines. rocks. less broken poles. quick edit: love the channel tho you taught me so much

[@Harry-Giles]

Great review. Agree with the comments on preferring aluminum here. I like the tent design and the company.

[@codiephilo6647]

Been using carbon fiber poles for years on my tarptent double rainbow li. No issues. I made my own repair sleeve similar to in the video using the lower section of an old broken trekking pole. Have not had to use it yet.

[@Berttheturt314]

1:04 if you put your gear in the tent, it should weigh it down still.... It's really cool that the tent can pitch with no stakes even with the rain fly, idk why you downplayed it so much

[@adventureswithfrickandfrack]

We had the Big Agnes Tiger Wall Carbon 3 tent. One of the connectors slid inside the tent pole. We used the included splint. The pole snapped when we set up the tent. We're not fans of carbon fiber tent poles. Fortunately the next day was town day so we only had to sleep in a half fallen tent for one night.

[@jackriminton7959]

Desperate ultralight influencers are the worst thing about this hobby. So much click bait, so little sense. You're just trying to get a 'hot take' on a garage grown brand by trashing a pre-production version. Thumbs down!

[@AndrewParkOutdoors]

We had an MSR access and on first pitch one alu ferrule slipped inside it's carbon sleeve and had to be fished out and glued. Also had the TNF Assault Future light and it randomly snapped a carbon pole on pitching and not even at a stress point. As a result carbon and composite give me the fear !

[@bflagg94]

This type of video is why i unsubscribed from you. Saw this pop up elsewhere, so decided to give you another chance and alas, same game different day. You just HAD to be the FIRST person with an x dome video right?

[@KrizAkoni]

Nice shots and overview - I really like the layout. I also have concerns about the poles - I use aluminum trekking poles for this reason. You didn’t seem to be trying to break it and it did several times. Guess we’ll see what happens as they enter the field.

[@durstongear]

We have tested the poles for a long time and they are quite good during normal use. The breaks here were a domino effect from that pre-production gluing issue (which we have quality checks for during actual production) and then stress points created by an oversized sleeve. With a production poleset the strength will be very good.

[@tomnoyb8301]

Main reason to bring a tent is bugs. That's what's so great about integrated bugnets of X-mid Pro's. Holding-out for: 1) DCF, 2) Integrated-bugnet, 3) Two-doors, 4) Shaving some ounces off this boat-anchor (just-kidding, it's a great sil-poly design.). Steven's a pretty tough grader. Once again, Mr Durston's design is 'Best-in-Class' on the first go. ...The reason for two-doors is cross-ventilation, not just access.

[@Munk6988]

Looks like a ultralight version of the Litefighter 1 tent. It's heavy being milsurp but it's a tank. Retail is +400. Got mine on ebay for 150.

[@LisaTheWanderingGeordie]

Pre ordered one yesterday 😁

[@kscott5285]

Yeah, ok. Take a PROTOTYPE, break it by doing something dumb then put this out the day after launch just to get the first X-Dome video out there. What an a**hole move. “Don’t recommend channel” = clicked.

[@higler.]

uh oh the Durston fanboys are triggered 😅

[@Gerz970]

@@higler.this guys content has gone down hill, I clicked don’t recommend months ago because he has a track record of telling blatant lies to please his sponsors. Only watching this vid because I heard he broke this tent.

[@higler.]

@@Gerz970 I'm not sure of those details, but I wouldn't be surprised lol

[@reddottx]

@@higler.don’t own any durston gear but as a small business person this video is a d**k move. Once the inner sleeve went missing it was time to nix the project and call Dan.

[@1mlister]

I think about carbon tent poles like carbon bikes. In an application where it is likely stuff gets knocked a bit, its not worth the weight saving. You can bend a metal pole back into shape and go back to sleep. A carbon pole failure and you're in trouble. They are (like the bikes) for proffesionals with niche applications.

[@higler.]

I feel like this tent is a strategy to get people to use trekking pole tents. Good luck repairing one of these CF poles out in the field, when with a trekking pole tent it's just a straight stick you can either tape back together, or replace with a tree branch or something.

[@BackcountryTreks]

I love everything this tent has to offer and at a fair price point. Excellent video as usual! 🍻

[@luisarellano8917]

I have a 3p hubba hubba with those easton poles. I've had the same problem with the metal sleeve falling inside, probably because of a lack of glue as well. I love the tent poles but it has happened in multiple places. I've had to take apart the poles and re-glue the sleeves myself with caulk or pvc glue. They need to do it right in the first place.

[@luisarellano8917]

I also broke a tent pole because I didn't flue the "ferrule" in the middle. I was eventually able to find a new section for the tent poles.

[@Joedickens1569]

A lot of these features are already found/common on European tents (freestanding, out pitches first). However, I think what marks this out is the '1.5' person size and light weight.

[@philsmith2444]

My Marmot Hammer is a 2P freestanding tent that can be pitched with 4 stakes. Add the vestibule and you’ll need one more, guy it out completely and the total needed is 12.

[@myself248]

Sounds like the repair sleeve should be trumpet-flared so it doesn't concentrate force at the very ends. That would add manufacturing cost, but this market doesn't seem particularly price-sensitive anyway.

[@larsmuller5541]

Looking forward to more wind testing 👍

[@evanshaw17]

This manufacturer is very experiencing and knowledgeable. Why are people criticizing the video? It’s not Clickbait! Are people being so defensive because they like the manufacturer I get that but people make mistakes everybody’s human and this is a mistake with it. He should apologize. Say that he made some errors here and making things ultra light. As an experienced mountain guide, I don’t want people having tents that fall apart in the middle of a trip at 12 or 13,000 feet. It’s dangerous. This is an error it needs to be fixed.

[@axelw273]

Own a Zpacks Free Zip 2P Freestanding tent with 6 stakes weighs 2 lbs and 1.3 ounces, has magnetic tiebacks, has 34 sq feet of floor and vestibule (26.25 tent and 7.75 vestibules), and the carbon fiber poles don’t break. Granted the X-Dome is over half the price which is impressive. Used so far in Alpine Lakes Wilderness at 5400’. Minimal condensation with wind. Stood up fine with 50 mph gusts at Tank Lakes. Do a comparison between the two tents with full snow load in a blizzard!

[@axelw273]

And I will order the X-Dome when is available to do the comparison myself! 😅

[@axelw273]

And to be fair on the pole break is that I have had that aluminum connector come loose on poles before. Easy to fix in the field!

[@jamessage6167]

I thought the 2P Free Zip 2P was 1.975lb?

[@axelw273]

@@jamessage6167 added stakes and stuff sacks in plus all the extra guy lines, zipper, and repair tape.

[@axelw273]

In addition to the stuff sacks, stakes, guy lines, and repair kit, this was one of the first ones made.

[@kniter]

Wait, youve NEVER seen a free standing tent that can be pitched without stakes?? Helsport easily does that.