Durston X-Mid Professional 2+ Tent Overview

Backside Line

Few tents steadiness consolation and weight in addition to the X-Mid Professional 2+. Amongst all of the tents in our lineup of the finest ultralight choices, this one delighted us essentially the most, making it our high choose for adventures with two folks. The primary time we entered, we had been astounded by the quantity of space- not simply the ground area, however precise livable area. We simply match two lofty sleeping quilts inside with out worrying about touching the pinnacle and foot ends. Mixed with wonderful doorways, vestibules, pockets, air flow, and straightforward setup, it was easy to fall in love with this tent.

Though Durston Gear is a comparatively new firm, they’ve been steadily gaining reputation on long-distance trails due to a mixture of fantastic design and aggressive costs. The Professional 2+ is their most premium mannequin, that includes a bigger design than the normal Professional 2.

After testing it within the native forests of Minnesota, we discovered ourselves dreaming of our subsequent massive journey with this tent greater than with some other we examined. The design performs a big function on this success; the Professional 2+ employs an offset pole geometry to maximise inside quantity extra successfully than different two-pole setups. This identical design additionally permits for simple setup, requiring solely 4 stakes for a fundamental pitch.

The value will nonetheless be a barrier for many individuals. Like all DCF tents, there’s no avoiding the truth that a tent created from expensive materials can even be costly. Thankfully, the choice of a silnylon flooring helps cut back the worth a bit, making it extra reasonably priced than different tents on this weight vary.

Ultimately, we’re left with a tent that balances the vital points of tent design higher than some other we’ve examined. Each half feels thoughtfully and cleverly designed, and the few negatives we encountered are intentional design trade-offs to allow a greater expertise elsewhere. For the best way we backpack, that is the one shelter we’d select if we needed a delightfully comfy expertise at a weight that makes our backs grin.

Consolation

With a beneficiant 32.5 sq. ft of flooring area and a lofty 49 inches of top in an offset pole design, the X-Mid Professional 2+ is essentially the most comfy and spacious tent in our lineup. For its weight, there’s no different tent we’d moderately spend our nights in. Maybe the most important testomony to that is what we skilled throughout our first setup of the shelter.

After testing many different smaller tents, the primary time we crawled into the Professional 2+, we actually laughed at how a lot headroom there was and the seemingly ridiculous quantity of livable area. In comparison with most different ultralight tents, the Professional 2+ felt like a breath of recent air for area. We had been in a position to comfortably match a two-person setup with plush three-season quilts and a couple of.5-inch sleeping pads into the inside with loads of headroom and footroom. There was sufficient room that if you happen to and your tent buddy are round six ft tall, anxiousness a few moist footbox or cramped headroom is a factor of the previous. 

A part of what makes this tent so efficient is the beforehand talked about offset pole design. Durston Gear has a whole whitepaper that delves into the specifics of tent design and volumetrically environment friendly geometry. In abstract, the offset design is optimized to supply essentially the most livable inside area potential in a two-pole configuration. We have now firsthand expertise with producers making daring however unsubstantiated claims about their tents, notably concerning their potential to accommodate taller people, however we’re pleasantly shocked by Durston Gear’s design on this case. It genuinely appears to supply a beneficiant quantity of livable inside area with a two-pole design, particularly when in comparison with a basic A-frame.

That stated, simply because the X-Mid has math on its facet doesn’t make it excellent. The draw back of an offset pole design like that is that it’s inherently asymmetrical. Which means that if each persons are sleeping face to face, one individual will find yourself with a sloping wall nearer to their face than the opposite.

We had been cautious about this when testing, however had been pleasantly shocked by the quantity of headroom obtainable when sleeping within the non-ideal orientation. Frankly, it’s much more than when sleeping in different shelters within the appropriate orientation, and we’re grateful that the design accommodates each kinds of sleeping orientations.

A number of small but considerate design options improve consolation. The big sidewall pockets are simple to make use of, and the spacious L-shaped doorways enable easy entry no matter your mendacity place. The headroom is spectacular, partially because of the 49-inch peak top but in addition due to the prolonged diagonal of sustained headroom, which gives a extra livable expertise in comparison with a single peak.

Lastly, the vestibules are huge and improbable. We appreciated with the ability to lean our backpacks in opposition to the trekking poles at evening to forestall them from falling over, whereas nonetheless having the world protected by the smaller vestibule even when the principle door was open. They’re handy for any sleeping orientation and supply wonderful splashback safety because the fly extends practically to the bottom.

Weight

We measured the Professional 2+ at 21.8 ounces on our scales, which is spectacular for a tent that provides this a lot consolation. There are literally two variations of this tent obtainable, and their weights differ. The model we’re testing incorporates a silnylon flooring as an alternative of a Dyneema Composite Fiber flooring. This provides two additional ounces however saves $100, which we imagine is an honest commerce that most individuals would settle for.

Moreover, we admire that silnylon packs down a bit smaller than DCF, making the packed measurement of a giant shelter like this extra manageable.

The Pro2+ isn’t the lightest two-person shelter in the marketplace, but it surely’s additionally not aiming to be. The inclusion of a plus in its title means that it targets a extra comfy expertise for many who prioritize consolation over having the lightest weight tent obtainable.

Ease of Use

With solely 4 stakes and two trekking poles wanted to pitch the tent, we discovered the Professional 2+ fairly simple to arrange and use. For individuals who haven’t used a trekking pole shelter earlier than, setup would require some adjustment, so we suggest working towards at dwelling just a few instances earlier than taking it on an journey. Nevertheless, amongst trekking pole tents, the Professional 2+ makes it comparatively easy. Stake out a rectangle utilizing the 2 corners, push up the 2 trekking poles into the peaks, and also you’re accomplished.

The draw back of this simplicity is that that you must make sure the rectangle is sq.; in any other case, the pitch will likely be uneven. Leaving just a few inches of wire in both course with the nook Lineloc tensioners permits for changes to rectify this, however it’s possible you’ll have to re-stake to attain an excellent pitch. Though 4 stakes are the minimal, we suggest carrying two extra so the doorways could be staked out for handy one-handed opening and shutting.

One benefit of the design is that when inserting the trekking poles into the rainfly, they will stand on their very own. Many different tents require a further stake whereas stabilizing the pole till three factors of pressure can safe it, however the Professional 2+ doesn’t have this difficulty.

On the unfavorable facet, the selection to have the rainfly prolong so near the bottom limits the shelter’s versatility on uneven terrain. We perceive the design alternative – the low rainfly gives wonderful safety from wind and rain – but it surely represents one other trade-off in optimizing a tent’s design. When testing different X-Mid tents with the identical limitation, we’ve set them up on rocky ledges and numerous uneven surfaces, persistently discovering methods to make them practical, so we don’t think about this to be a big downside.

Moreover, the footprint is kind of massive. The difficulty arises primarily as a result of its rectangular form makes it tougher to suit into pure spots in comparison with shelters with a extra hexagonal design. Given the quantity of inside and vestibule area obtainable, there’s no avoiding the massive footprint; greater tents are inherently tougher to place in tight areas. Nevertheless, Durston Gear supplies guides for various pitching strategies that may collapse the vestibules, providing a significantly diminished footprint measurement when area constraints come up, which provides a pleasant versatility bonus.

On the inside, utilizing the tent is equally simple. The doorways are massive and comfy for getting into and exiting.The closure mechanisms for each the rainfly and mesh doorways are all magnetic which makes securing and shutting them a breeze. And the height vents could be propped open with a kickstand from contained in the tent, which makes it tremendous simple to make use of.

Talking of these peak vents, additionally they allow one other neat trick. As a substitute of unzipping the door to position a trekking pole, you may move it by way of the height vent and angle it up into the height. That is advantageous in wet climate, because it helps reduce rain getting into the inside, or in desert situations, the place lowering zipper use is essential to forestall failure.

Climate Resistance

With a design that successfully sheds wind and a rainfly that reaches all the best way to the bottom, the Professional 2+ is one in all our favourite shelters for weathering a storm. The offset pole geometry helps disrupt the massive facet panels that always problem A-frame fashion tents. There are nonetheless attachment factors halfway up the perimeters and on the peak, which might considerably assist in resisting robust winds.

The DCF material used within the rainfly is a wonderful materials for climate resistance. It options minimal stretch and gives excellent water resistance resulting from its development. Not like silnylon, it doesn’t soak up water and sheds it simply, making it fast to dry and guaranteeing it received’t overwhelm your pack after getting moist.

Though we general love the Professional 2+ for storms, it stays a big shelter. If winds strike it from the facet, it should battle extra, similar to some other tent. It’s vital to attempt to orient it with the height ridgeline dealing with into the wind for optimum efficiency. We are able to’t complain an excessive amount of right here, as comparable tents can even carry out poorly when hit from the facet and don’t possess nearly as good a profile for slicing by way of the wind when oriented correctly.

Sturdiness

With 0.55oz/sq yd DCF for the fly and 15D silnylon for the ground, the Professional 2+ boasts acceptable sturdiness for an ultralight tent and aligns with its friends and our standards for a tent on this class. DCF is a wonderful materials for rain flies, and the tensile energy of the material has been examined over time on lots of the longest trails.

The 15D silnylon flooring is an attention-grabbing alternative for lowering price and packed measurement. In accordance with testing performed by Durston Gear, it performs equally to 1.0 ozsq yd DCF as a flooring materials, although they provide each choices.

In our testing, we discovered that the 15D silnylon utilized by Durston Gear holds up properly in opposition to the trials of a thru-hike. We carried an X-Mid Professional 1 with the identical 15D flooring for 1,000 miles on the PCT. One evening, we unintentionally arrange on a pointy, abrasive granite rock and woke as much as deformation within the silnylon however no tears or punctures.

After permitting the material a while to calm down, it returned to its unique form. We’re nonetheless going to deal with the fabric with a bit extra care than the 20D or 30D flooring present in different shelters, however we’re happy with its efficiency.

Ought to You Purchase the X-Mid Professional 2+?

Should you’re out there for a supremely comfy backpacking tent that boasts nice climate resistance at an unbelievable weight, we imagine the X-Mid Professional 2+ ought to be on the high of your listing. No different tent impressed us as a lot throughout testing. It’s the one we wish to seize for practically each journey with one other individual. Quite than dreading crawling right into a cramped inside, the Professional 2+ is spacious sufficient to make even taller customers sigh with aid.

All that efficiency and luxury come at a price, and like all DCF tents, the Professional 2+ is dear. To its credit score, it’s truly on the cheaper facet of this class of tent owing to the silnylon flooring possibility, however even with that it’s a piece of change. For somebody embarking on a thru-hike with one other individual, we imagine it’s a worthwhile funding in long-term consolation.

What Different Ultralight Tents Ought to You Take into account?

If the Durston X-Mid Professional 1 Tent is the proper match, our finest ultralight tents information has many different choices.

Zpacks Offset Duo Overview: No tent comes nearer than the Offset Duo to rivaling the Professional 2+ for what it does finest. The Offset Duo stole our hearts throughout testing by providing an unbelievable mix of legit consolation for 2, wonderful options, and related sturdiness. In some ways, the editor’s alternative award might have simply gone to the Offset Duo. Each tents got down to create a very comfy expertise for 2 folks at an excellent weight, they usually solved sure design challenges in barely other ways. And on the finish of the day, the Offset Duo isn’t a factually worse tent than the Professional 2+, it’s merely a special expertise, and one we’d enthusiastically suggest for anybody . To our fashion of backpacking, we nonetheless desire the Professional 2+, however if you happen to’re not fairly as taken with it as we’re, the Offset Duo ought to be the following tent you give your consideration to, it’s really unbelievable.

Lanshan Professional 2 Overview: If the worth of the Professional 2+ is a bit an excessive amount of for you, our favourite finances tent is to the rescue. With a complete weight of 32.3 ounces, it’s not as featherweight because the Professional 2+, however nonetheless boasts respectable livability. It’s roomy for an A-frame fashion tent, even for taller folks, and though pitching isn’t fairly as easy, we nonetheless managed to get an excellent pitch on the primary strive. The climate resistance received’t be nearly as good resulting from bigger material panels on the pinnacle and foot finish, and the trekking poles are in the midst of the doorways, however general, we nonetheless got here away impressed throughout testing. And for the worth, it’s actually arduous to beat.