Durston X – Mid 2 Solid (Trekking pole tent) – FIELD REVIEW

Category: Shelter & Sleep
Tested by: Jack
Location(s) tested: Fiordland, Queenstown area, tested in Personal trips.
Duration of use: 3+ years

Quick Verdict

Durston X mid 2 Solid. This has been a hugely successful tent internationally and is accessible here in NZ but you won’t see them around too often so this review is worth a watch before taking the leap of buying.  

Key Specs

  • Weight: 1.1kg – 2.4 Lbs

  • Price (NZD): $574

  • Intended use: Backpacking, Tramping, Travel, Ultralight, Thru Hiking.

  • Conditions tested in: multi day, remote, primary tent for 3+ yrs. 

Pros

  • Light 
  • Doesn’t take up space in pack

Cons

  • Setup (Takes a practice to get used to it

Real-World Performance in NZ Conditions

how the gear actually performed on real trips.

  • Comfort: Great. It is a design you can setup “fly first” keeping the inner dry on wet days. It has the off set design making it taller feeling than most designs. Fly + Inner then aren’t super common in this class, the X – Mid 2 Solid provides an inner with lower exposure being very capable of 3 season camping (or if well kitted 4 season). Downside is if your used to free standing or single wall tents it feels saggy on the inside.  3/5

  • Durability: Good, I don’t use a ground matt but take care of my selection of where I pitch and haven’t taken damage from the floor yet! as for windy and wet condition it holds strong but for this model it will sag under wet and will be more ruffly sounding on a windy day then a free standing or single wall alternative.

            3/5

  • Weather resistance: Great. I wouldn’t say its capable of alpine conditions windy but  For Tramping and overnights in normal NZ conditions it is a very capable tent.

           4/5

  • Packability / weight: Great. It’s a game changer when it comes down to packing. It squeezes in and does not take up much space in the pack. with the “Pro” model it is incredibly light as well.

          4/5

  • Anything that stood out (good or bad): 

  • THE GOOD: I don’t have many trekking pole tents to compare this to as it is a new concept but this is a very versatile option for camping, it can handle most things a free standing tent can but is more packable and lighter (especially if you are trekking with poles). 
  • THE BAD It does setup slightly saggy on the inner of the tent.. This isn’t necessarily bad but it isn’t what I’m used to coming from a free standing background. Also when it rains in my experience the inner will stick to the outer if it rains or if its cold (breath) and you have condensation. As for wind it can make a bit of noise but holds very well.

Who This Gear Is (and Isn’t) For

This gear is a good choice if:

  • You want a first purchase tent that is versatile.
  • You are ultralight and want packable, light gear.
  • You want a great tent in general.

This gear is NOT a good choice if:

  • You want to glamp or mountaineer

Final Thoughts

Would you personally use this gear again? Yes

This is my go to tent. It is very capable all round for most conditions. if you had to choose one tent for everything this is a great option. I would like to highlight from the expectation I had after seeing YouTube and gear reviews I was maybe left a bit disappointed but none the less it is still an awesome tent.