Based in British Columbia, Durston builds some of the lightest high-performance backpacking gear on the market, putting it through the absolute wringer of the Canadian Rockies during R&D. Its latest launch packs on a few ounces compared to some of its older shelters but unfurls into a roomier, more convenient freestanding double-wall dome that promises superior storm-readiness. The X-Dome series looks like it could be the ultimate compromise between on-ground camping comfort and low, back-saving weight.
We first came across Durston in 2023 when it launched the X-Mid Pro 1, a Dyneema-bodied version of its original X-Mid 1 ultralight A-frame tent. The Pro might outweigh a baby's breath, but it doesn't outweigh many tents or shelters, halting the scale needle at 1.1 lb (499 g).
The all-new X-Dome continues Durston's story with a dome form factor promising more livable space and freestanding convenience than A-frame or pyramid tents, along with serious weather-ready strength. Instead of relying on hiking poles for support like the X-Mid series, the X-Dome pitches with an Easton carbon fiber pole system that includes a dual-hub main pole with extended X shape and a small center pole.
The center-spread X-frame system adds strength (Durston shows in the video down below how the X-Dome can hold well more weight on its peak than the competition) while better lifting and distributing the fabric for more interior volume. The pole system secures outside the tent, making for quick set-up that also allows campers to pitch the fly first, then pitch the inner mesh tent below the fly to keep the inside dry in the rain. The poles secure both the fly and inner tent at the same four corner points, further expediting set-up.
Unlike some other styles of tent, dome tents provide a low, streamlined form that lacks broad, flat surfaces, improving performance in the wind. Durston helps to further maximize the X-Dome's wind-readiness with the high-diameter carbon fiber poles and its newest high-tenacity sil-polyester fabric blend, which promises improved strength-to-weight combined with no-snag ruggedness and fast-drying performance.
The X-Dome doesn't require hiking poles to pitch, but campers can secure a pole to each side of the tent to reinforce the structure for furious Patagonian-level winds. With hiking poles in place, the tent is able to support a purported 40-lb (18.1-kg) backpack on its roof in Durston's video.
The X-Dome keeps breathing even when fully battened down thanks to a double-wall construction and two peak vents. The separate fly creates a roomy vestibule outside the doorway.
With its double-wall build and dedicated pole system, the X-Dome was always going to weigh more than a hiking-pole-supported tent like the X-Mid Pro or HyperLite Mid 1. But at 35 oz (992 g) with four stakes, the X-Dome 1+ still carries very light while offering the more livable freestanding form factor of a dome.
As far as ultralight solo dome tents, the X-Dome isn't quite the lightest out there, but it does offer advantages over some that weigh less. We won't be dropping 4-lb (1.8-kg) water bladders on each to see which remains standing, but a quick spec comparison with comparable tents shows that each model has something to brag about.
For instance, the X-Dome lacks the four-season burliness of the 1.5-lb (680-g) single-wall Samaya Radical 1, but as a double-wall design, promises better ventilation throughout the three seasons it'll see use. Also, it costs a fraction of the Radical 1's US$1,500+ retail.
With its 23-sq-ft (2.1-sq-m) trapezoidal floor, the X-Dome has more floor space than the 2-lb (907-g) Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 (20 sq ft / 1.9 sq m) or 1.8-lb (812-g) Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 1 (21.8 sq ft / 2.03 sq m). The X-Dome's "1+" designation means it's best as a solo tent but could be used to squeeze in two adults in a pinch, or when trying to pack as light as possible. With 42 inches (107 cm) of headroom, the X-Dome also offers several more inches than either the Fly Creek HV or Hornet EO and more upper volume thanks to the cross pole at the peak. Those two competitors also use a semi-freestanding Y frame in comparison to Durston's fully freestanding X frame.
That's not to suggest the X-Dome is the best of the bunch but just to show it's a worthy new competitor with its own compelling blend of ultralight construction and camping comfort. The market seems to agree, as Durston's initial X-Dome 1+ production run sold out not long after its October launch. The company is now offering preorders for a second run of the $369 tent, with deliveries scheduled to begin in April 2025, just in time for the spring/summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. Durston is also working on a larger two-adult X-Dome 2 model for 2025 launch.
Watch Durston founder Dan Durston all but hurl himself on top of his latest creation to prove its strength and go through the thoughtful design details in the 8.5-minute intro video below.
Source: Durston Gear
