Following the recent launch of the impressive, all-new X-Dome series, Durston has burrowed back in the workshop to tweak and lighten some of its already-svelte existing tent models. The 2025 X-Mid 2 is one tent in particular that's benefitted, dropping below 2 lb (0.9 kg) for the first time in its existence without giving up any interior space or all-out weather-ready integrity. It's the same X-Mid 2 upon which backpackers and other backcountry journeyers have come to rely, just less a few ounces.
First launched in 2019, the X-Mid 2 is the two-person version of Durston's original product, the X-Mid 1. As Durston has expanded with even lighter shelters spun from exotic materials and full-frame freestanding tents like the X-Dome, the X-Mid 2 has remained a solid ultralight option that offers an intriguing pound-for-pound value proposition.
The X-Mid 2 has only gotten better with age, as Durston has managed to gradually whittle weight down from the 2.4 lb (1.1 kg) of the original 2019 model to 2.2 lb (1 kg) by 2024. Now it makes its biggest year-over-year loss by dropping nearly 5 oz (140 g) to break the 2-lb barrier.
Weighing in as low as 1.9 lb (880 g), the 2025 X-Mid 2 gets lighter than ever without losing space or features. Durston relies on a combination of ultralight high-tenacity 15D sil-polyester fabric, narrow seams and narrow seam tape to shave weight without sacrificing overall space or performance.
The company says the revised tent maintains similar strength and storm-worthiness as its predecessor and, therefore, won't let backpackers down when it matters most. All the walls are angled at 50 to 55 degrees for optimal shedding of both snow and wind, and the sil-poly fabric is said to maintain its tautness better than the sil-nylon common on other tent models.
The X-Mid 2 has a full double-wall design with a tub-floored mesh inner tent and an outer rainfly that extends low to the ground. The setup lets campers adjust to the conditions between fully battened down in bad weather to open mesh for warm, stuffy nights.
The X-Mid 2 relies on two trekking poles as the frame, and beyond that, pitches quickly with just four stakes at the corners, no mandatory guy lines needed for its fast-pitch form. The trekking poles are set up to the sides of the left- and right-side doorways, providing clear ingress/egress and better space management for the two vestibules. Magnetic fly door toggles make it easier to open and close the fly doors with one hand.
Inside, the X-Mid offers a parallelogram floor plan that measures 52 in wide by 92 in long (132 x 234 cm) for a total sleeping area of 33.2 sq ft (3.1 sq m). Interior peak height registers in at 45 inches (114 cm), and Durston's offset pole configuration keeps more of the roof raised at or near peak height than other tent designs, particularly single-pole pyramids. The triangular end sections of the floor plan, between the floor edges and occupants' heads and feet, are meant for storing gear, and four interior pockets provide space for smaller belongings.
The 1.9-lb packed weight relates to the complete tent body and rainfly. The eight available stakes add 23 g (0.8 oz), and the stuff sack adds another 13 g (0.5 oz), pushing total packed weight for all those components just over 2.2 lb (1 kg), not including the multipurpose hiking poles.
The newly updated 2025 X-Mid 2 is available to order now and starts at US$284 with stakes, $274 without. The X-Mid 2 strikes us as a very light, advanced tent for under $300. Durston also offers the more high-tech X-Mid Pro 2 that barely breaks a single pound but will cost you over double at $639+.
Source: Durston
