In 2022 I bought the then brand new Durston X-Mid Pro 2 tent from Canada, and walked the PCT (Washington) with it. At the time, this was the first batch of these tents, and it attracted a lot of attention along the way. The disadvantage was that I had to buy it sight unseen. I had never seen or tried one before, but was convinced by the idea behind it and thought it was worth the gamble.
Now it’s 2025. What do I think about it? Was it worth the gamble?
Dyneema tents
First, a caveat: Dyneema tents are pricey. Whether they are worth the money to you depends on your budget and your purpose. I’d say: if you’re only going to do the occasional weekend trip, then don’t bother. On the other hand, if you are going to do a thru-hike, then they are definitely worth considering, provided your budget is adequate. Even without a Dyneema tent, there are plenty of other tents that will lighten your load.
I previously wrote this article about the advantages and disadvantages of ultralight tents. So be sure to read that article first if you don’t know much about ultralight tents yet. This article is about my experiences with the Durston X-Mid Pro 2. The “regular” (not “Pro” versions) of the Durston tents have the same shape and functionality, but are double-walled, made of a different material and therefore heavier.
The unique selling point of the Durston tents is their shape. Rectangular on the outside, but the inside is laid out diagonally. Tricky to explain, but this is what Durston says about it.
This ensures that you will always have more headroom on one side than the other. So if you really want to use the two-person tent for two people, one of you will have less headroom. I usually put my backpack there though, and never heard it complain yet.
Advantage: the tent poles are not in the middle of the entrance, but on the side, and you have large, spacious vestibules on both sides where you can store wet/dirty gear.
Sustainability
In the earlier article about ultralight tents, I mentioned the durability of the material. That was still purely theoretical, now I’ve put it to the (intensive) test over the last three years. How did the tent pass that test?
To be honest, the tent is in dire need of replacement.
Surprising? No. Not when you know all the things I did with it. But still: three years for a tent that cost me over 800 dollars at the time, hurts. On the other hand, I lived in it for months, and what eventually killed it was my recently completed trek through the Utah desert and the Grand Canyon. The constant presence of very fine sand and dust there destroyed the zippers until both exterior zippers no longer worked. Even frantic cleaning, lubricating, and replacing the slider were to no avail. Replacing the zippers is an option, but a very expensive one, probably not worth the effort anymore.
Why not? Dyneema is a fabric not very suitable for prolonged exposure to UV radiation. And UV radiation is plentiful in the desert. Upon closer inspection of the tent, the fabric is starting to show small holes in several places, and the fabric, especially around the zippers, seems to be slowly tearing apart and getting thinner. I guess it will be only a matter of time before it gives up completely.
Would I buy it again?
As a more or less professional backpacker and hiker, good gear is important. The weight and ease of pitching this tent are huge pluses. Moreover, the tent is very spacious, comfortable, and can withstand bad weather, provided you set it up properly. The tent is still my favorite for certain types of trekking. On the other hand, its short lifespan is a major drawback. Note, however, that most backpackers should probably expect a longer lifespan from similar tents, provided you handle them properly. In my case, all my gear is put through the wringer, and the trip I just took destroyed an inordinate amount of the gear I brought.
No tent is ideal for every circumstance. For very bad weather or wet conditions, this tent is good to use, but not ideal. In the fine, loose sand of the Utah desert, it is difficult to pitch the tent securely enough in windy conditions. I often wished I’d had a “freestanding” tent (a tent that doesn’t need stakes to stay upright). This is also a disadvantage on rocky ground that cannot hold stakes, you have to work with rocks to secure them. Durston now also has a freestanding dome tent model that I would love to try.
Ideally, I would like to have several tents at my disposal. Unfortunately, my hiker trash budget does not stretch that far. For my next tent I might choose a different model and material, purely out of curiosity and to compare, but for good reason, the Durston X-Mid in its various versions is now one of the most used tents on longer treks like the Pacific Crest Trail.
Durston tents can be purchased in several locations, or just buy one directly from the manufacturer.
Summary:
Benefits of the Durston X-Mid Pro
- Very light
- Easy to set up
- Spacious and comfortable
- Large vestibules
- Quick-drying material
- Very strong material (under the right conditions)
Disadvantages of the Durston X-Mid Pro:
- Expensive to purchase
- Less suitable for really bad weather, sand or rocks
- Single-wall means more chance of condensation
- When used by two people, one will have less headroom than the other (if you want to sleep head to head)
- Shorter lifespan
- Not freestanding
Do you have any more pros or cons of your own? Have you tried the Durston dome tent and want to share what you thought of it? Or do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments below!
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