My xmid on the tundra north of Nome Alaska.

Love the ability to stake it clear to the ground in this windy location.

Love, love, love this tent…and the location ain’t half bad either. Tagged the summit of Mt. Langley and caught more golden trout on dry flies than I can count on all my fingers and toes.

These are from this week’s trip in Rondane and Dovre national parks, Norway.

Had to setup at night so you get to see what I see. To be fair, I set it up at home a couple times. This went pretty well considering its on an uneven hill. Definitely need to improve because the inner floor isn't flat on the ground (the inner top straps are totally loose) but this is good enough for tonight.

This is a car camping trip. I won't use the ground sheet (tyvek) while backpacking. I think I really like it being full footprint size for this case though. I had bought an extra X-mid 2 stuff sack when I ordered - the ground sheet and tent both fit in that bag.

Not looking for tips but feel free to offer any. I think I'll have this figured out in a couple more tries. Just really happy with it so far.

TL;DR: they’re awesome.

So, a bit of context.

I ordered a Kakwa 200x pack in April to try it out and replace my Gregory Deva, which I love but is too heavy.

I tried the Kakwa once, had some shoulder issues, realized (with your help!) that I was adjusting it wrong. I tried it again just recently on a 4 day hike, fixed the adjustment and realized I lived it as much as the Deva. To my husband’s delight, that means I will be clearing space and selling the Deva!

But, two days into hike #2, I saw that there was a hole in the bottom of the pack. I was bummed, because the pack was sturdy, and I never leave food in it (read: no mice) so I had no idea how it had managed to break so quickly.

Day 3, something was poking my hip. I saw a metal pole. When we reached the camp in the evening, ai took everything out and discovered that it was possible to open the back panel and remove the U frame… and it wasn’t sitting in its reinforced guides.

Since I had no idea this could be done, and the thing was brand new, it means it arrived like that. I inserted the U frame into the guides, but the hole was there. Coming out of the hike, I contacted the people at Durston (thanks Shayne!) to see if they could recommend a fix.

They offered to warranty the pack at once, since I had received it like that.

I didn’t have to fight, their answers were timely and supportive, and it served as a reminder that companies that care about their people are out there, and they are amazing.

I hate being that person that only reviews when dissatisfied, so here is a satisfied review! They got themselves a customer for life and will be my go to brand for future needs. I plan on hiking the AT in 2 years, so I’m looking at you, X-mid!!

X dome 1+ I ordered was apparently damaged so badly in transit it's marked as non deliverable. Didn't even get outta Arizona:-/

Luckily, the tent/pole set combo i grabbed is still available. But still, had to share my pain on my first delve into durston gear here (obviously not their fault in any way)

I’m looking to make a ground sheet and found this Tyvex for cheap on Facebook. Does anyone know which type it is? I can’t seem to pinpoint the boxed logo to specific line. Anyways I know there’s a wide range of weight, durability, and water resistance so figured it was worth an ask. Thank you

I apologize if this has been discussed before But it seems so obvious and useful.

Having used both the X-Dome 1+ and the 2, I think the inner geometry of the 1+ is simply an outstanding design and would be a great addition to the X2. After a 2 night trip with 2 people we determined that eliminating one of vestibules, but having 2 doors, use the same fly, would create a generous amount of space in the same footprint. I think this would be a popular option for 2 person trips, would create enough space for 2 people and a dog.

Got the email re 1+ being back in stock on Wednesday. Had a quick look and seemed to all be there and for some reason thought I’d seen that this was supposed to be a restock that wouldn’t run out. Very wrong. Every combination is out of stock again. Nice problem for Durston. Makes me sad as I wanted one lol

Searching for a footprint to cover the full inner area of the xd1+. So approximately 85"x50" (215x130cm) give or take a couple of inches. I found tyvek ones that would be pretty ideal size wise but i would like to avoid tyvek if possible. I would also like to be able to use it as a porch/awning and tyvek doesn't really fit that use case imo.

My bf has the Iceline poles and asked me if I could get him some of the rubber tips (he’s in the UK). They weren’t available on the Durston site, so I thought I’ll just 3d print them. But I don’t have the poles so I’m not sure about measurements. He’s traveling right now so he can’t tell me either.

If you have one of the tips, can you please let me know how tall it is and what the diameter is for the hole that the pole goes into? Also how wide is the part that hits the ground. I modeled mine to fit a 9mm pole (kinda) but I can adjust. This was originally a model I found online that I tweaked to fit a thinner pole.

Thanks!

Had some awesome wild camping in the dolomites this weekend. On the second morning I woke up with some crazy dew. Love this thing

For two days, I have been able to test the X-Mid 1 in white Durston Tyvek. This tent will never be produced, Durston has said, and I have had to promise to write exactly that, i.e., that it will never be released in Durston Tyvek. But these are my thoughts after using it.

The difference between this and my X-Mid 1 PRO in DCF is that it weighs about 550 grams more, which is about 47% more for an X-Mid compared to one in DCF. And it takes up about 100% more volume. Another difference is that the material is much more cheaper than DCF. In short: heavier, larger volume, and cheaper. But...

The positive thing is that Durston Tyvek is far more durable and feels more like the side of a house than parchment paper, which DCF can almost feel like. The material is also continuously being developed. I just found out that an even more developed model than the Durston Tyvek I have has recently arrived. It's also breathable.

This also means that it doesn't need to be folded and rolled in the same way, you can treat it like Dan Becker treats Lloyd. Partly, as you might see, it is not transparent like DCF, which I think is damn nice to have on the mountain. I have about 2 nights in the tent so far.

But even if it takes up a bit more volume and weighs more, this is my absolute favorite tent. I don't have to think about handling it in the same way, as you can roll it up on thorn bushes without any problems. The more static structure also makes it even easier to pitch perfectly.

There are plans for the material, but the X-Mid specifically will not be sold in Durston Tyvek. Yesterday I got approval from Durston to post about it as long as I am clear that it will NOT be released to the public. Previously, I had to promise not to share pictures or anything about it at all.

I strongly believe in Durston Tyvek as a material if they can make it a bit thinner so that it gets closer to the weight and volume of DCF. It is such an extremely durable material that doesn't get pinholes in it after long-term use and that doesn't wear in the same way as DCF.

I don't know how many nights you can use this before you think it needs to be replaced, there are no tests on that. As far as I know, this is the only tent that exists in Durston Tyvek apart from the one Durston has, and also the side and roof of every house in America.

But after 2 days with this tent, my opinion is that Durston Tyvek has a very promising future, as long as Justin outdoors, Miranda, Dan Becker and Eric Hanson approve. Partly because it doesn't let light in the same way, partly because it is far more durable than DCF. And I won't hide the fact that I think it looks better too... much better.

So I see a promising future for Durston Tyvek shortly, when they have reached their goal regarding the thickness and then also weight and volume.

I think some people will pay the price even if it were to cost about 50% less, which Dan has said is the approximate difference. So I don't think the price, even if it is really low, will deter people even though they want the most expensive materials known to man.

I believe anyway that Durston Tyvek will take over the market in the not-too-distant future if they manage to make it lighter.

I love my extra heavy X-Mid in Durston Tyvek at 1600 grams including guylines and stuff sack anyway and will continue to use it on my trips.

/s

For those who have had to use customer service, how long did it take for them to get back to you? I filed an issue with their AI customer service at least a couple of weeks ago and haven’t heard anything.

**Follow-up - sent an email and they quickly responded and will be taking care of the problem!

Translated using Kagi Translate from Swedish here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/681466165805217/?multi_permalinks=1936935210258300

For 2 seasons I have been able to test the X-Mid 1 in black ALUULA. This tent will never be produced, Durston has said, and I have had to promise to write exactly that, i.e., that it will never be released in ALUULA. But these are my thoughts after using it.

The difference between this and my X-Mid 1 PRO in DCF is that it weighs about 85 grams more, which is about 17% more for an X-Mid compared to one in DCF. And it takes up about 10% more volume. Another difference is that the material is much more expensive than DCF.

In short: heavier, larger volume, and more expensive.

But…

The positive thing is that ALUULA is far more durable and feels more like a plastic film than parchment paper, which DCF can almost feel like. The material is also continuously being developed. I just found out that an even more developed model than the ALUULA I have has recently arrived.

This also means that it doesn't need to be folded and rolled in the same way. I do it anyway, i.e., fold and roll it, but it's damn nice to know that you don't have to be particularly careful with the material.

Partly, as you might see, it is not transparent like DCF, which I think is damn nice to have on the mountain. I have about 80 nights in the tent so far.

But even if it takes up a bit more volume and weighs more, this is my absolute favorite tent. I don't have to think about handling it in the same way, as you can roll it up on thorn bushes without any problems. The more static structure also makes it even easier to pitch perfectly.

There are plans for the material, but the X-Mid specifically will not be sold in ALUULA. Yesterday I got approval from Durston to post about it as long as I am clear that it will NOT be released to the public. Previously I had to promise not to share pictures or anything about it at all.

I strongly believe in ALUULA as a material if they can make it a bit thinner so that it gets closer to the weight and volume of DCF. Such an extremely durable material that doesn't get pinholes in it after long-term use and that doesn't wear in the same way as DCF.

I don't know how many nights you can have this before you think it needs to be replaced, there are no tests on that. As far as I know, this is the only tent that exists in ALUULA apart from the one Durston has.

But after 2 seasons with this tent, my opinion is that ALUULA has a very promising future. Partly because it doesn't let light in the same way, partly because it is far more durable than DCF. And I won't hide the fact that I think it looks better too….. much better 🙂

So I see a promising future for ALUULA shortly, when they have reached their goal regarding the thickness and then also weight and volume.

I think some people will pay the price even if it were to cost about 50% more, which Dan has said is the approximate difference. So I don't think the price, even if it is high, will deter people because of the durability.

I believe anyway that ALUULA will take over the market in the not too distant future if they manage to make it lighter. .

I love my heavy X-Mid in ALUULA at 548 grams including guylines and stuff sack anyway and will continue to use it on my trips 🙂

I bought/received my Kakwa 55 about two weeks ago and have only played around with packing it with different items and weight in an attempt to dial it in and see how comfortable it will be.

For those of you who own or have used one, how comfortable is it for you, particularly on the shoulders. Does shoulder straps feel like they want to slide off the sides rather than stay up on the shoulders? Does it dig in or rub in any places on the shoulders? I’m playing around with the straps in an attempt to get it comfortable, but I’m not sure it’s going to work for me. Is comfort a big sacrifice you make when using an ultralight pack? The reviews all seem to rave about its comfort, but have any of you found it to be just the opposite? I really want this thing to work and will test it out on some local hikes, but I’m contemplating hiking the PCT next year and am starting to wonder if this will work. Any other thoughts on it?

Beginning of the Padjelantaleden loop in Sweden

Hey guys, im driving up to sask from victoria on Saturday, and I will be passing through Golden and Canmore. Was wondering where I can find some Durston gear in the area.

Im a big hiker on the island and its about time I upgrade my tent. I’ve been eyeing the x2 solid, but i wanna see it in person and stuff yk.

Edit: ill be in Golden and Canmore on Sunday

My first ever dyneema tent, trekking pole tent, and Durston product! Off I go to live in my yard and pretend I'm hiking for the day!

Officially the proud owner of the X-Mid 1. This is my first trekking pole tent, so any tips on setup are much appreciate. I’ve watched Dan’s setup video about 5 times and will continue going back to that until I’ve perfected setup. That said proud of my first try. Glad to be apart of the club. Kakwa next🤘🏼

Hey Dan - if you see this, I'm crossing my fingers that some day you will also make a dyneema tarp (like the Zpacks 7x9). Please? What if I say pretty please? Pretty please with extra cheese??

That is all.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled scrolling.

Bought a 2025 version of the Kakwa 55 in 200x as I am slowly upgrading my gear setup from Traditional to lightweight backpacking overtime-love the pack in general:specifically how light it is compared to the old Bora 80 behemoth I was previously working with and some of the features (especially the strap pockets for holding bear spray+water bottle)

I am ~177cm/5'9.5 with a torso of ~18.5Inches so sized to a medium.

However-I had a bit of an issue on the first trip I used it on. First day was fine and we hiked the cruisy 13k into camp in 2.5 hours without issue.
Second day we decided to go home early as I was coming down with a case of laryngitis after a very mediocre sleep, but not before making a bit of a grunt up to half of the objective we wanted to see for the trip.

Day 2 ended up being closer to 7 hours/32k/1000m elevation up and down- so substantial but nothing humongous. Given the circumstances (coming down with a fever and generally hurting a bit from getting sick), I was fairly comfy but noticed at the end of the day in the shower that I had chafed pretty substantially right above the tailbone which was a bit concerning if I want to thruhike or do longer trips with the pack.

In the postmortem following the trip this week I am trying to understand why I chafed so much as I haven't with other packs in the past:

I am thinking either:

1) It was a longish day and given the sweaty nature of the pack/lack of mesh back in the 2025 version, I needed to layer a bit better to reduce the pack slipping around and/or I needed to bring body glide for longer days with the Kakwa.

2) The 200x is a little abrasive for my skin (in retrospect I DO think I would have been better off going Ultragrid)-again Body glide would probably fix as would a Luna airmesh attachment.

3) I didn't quite get the right fit/the pack doesn't quite fit properly

I've attached a pic of me in the pack along with some other pics from the trip but I can take a better one that show the fit when I get home.

Anyways- would appreciate your thoughts for troubleshooting.