Mastodawn

I currently have a rather narrow single-person tent (Nordisk Svalbard 1 SI, original version). It weighs 1.8 kg which is far from ideal. But it does not take a lot of space when pitched. Also the fact that you have to pitch the inner tent first, unlike the current 2.0 version, is not ideal, in case of rain.

Mainly because of the weight, I have been pondering getting a clearly lighter tent. I have been looking at the #Durston X-Mid 2, which is 0.88 kg, or even the Durston X-Mid Pro 2, which is just 0.56 kg (but much more expensive). These are two-person tents so there would be ample room inside for me and my stuff (I usually hike and camp solo).

But. When I consider what kinds of places I have pitched my current tent, many of them have been rather tight fits. (Not the one in the pic below, true.) The Durston X-Mid naturally requires much more space, 2.5 m wide compared to less than 1.5 m for my current tent.

Also, even though the X-Mid Pro is gloriously light-weight because it is made of #Dyneema, that fabric is a rather ugly grey non-colour. (It is also fairly translucent, which as such shouldn't matter much when wild camping, but might be awkward if using a camping site with other people close by.) There are no colour alternatives.

Or should I just stick to my current tent... One kg more or less...

Tips and thoughts welcome...

#camping #backpacking #hiking

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joo 2d ago

@tml I can share some thoughts.
I have xmid pro 2+ (the bigger version) and I do like it alot. Fits me, my partner and border collie, with bags in the vestibule. I also use it on solo trips because it's so light, and feels like an absolute palace for one.
Dyneema as material punctures easier than silpoly / silnylon, but is super easy to permanently fix in the field with dyneema tape. Personally I don't mind that the fabric is slightly more see-through compared to other materials.

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joo 2d ago

@tml when you are inside the tent, you can actually see your surroundings a little bit through the fabric, which I find nice.

As you mentioned, one downside is the big footprint, which sometimes makes it a bit harder to find good spots to pitch. Also xmid can be a bit fiddly to pitch in uneven spots, but manageable.

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joo

@tml
I also have tarptent double rainbow li and the quality and design is great. Just a bit too tight for 2 adults + medium sized dog, so it's not getting used much anymore.

if I was mostly solo hiking, I'd probably look at xmid pro 1 (seems quite roomy for single person, smaller footprint, less weight) or Tarptent solo tents.

If you have any questions I'm happy to share more thoughts. :)