Duplex vs. XMid Pro 2: Triple Crowner spills tea!!

Dan Durston's pitching guide for Xmid tents:

Juergen's comparison of Duplex vs Xmid:

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Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike, 2021

Continental Divide Trail Thru-Hike, 2022

Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike, 2023

Nijmegen Vierdaagse, Holland, 2024

John Muir Trail ++, 2024

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[durstongear]

Thanks for sharing your experience and sorry the X-Mid didn't end up working as you hoped. I'll provide some comments and explanation for a few of the topics you raise.

SHORT GUYLINES
The corner guylines are short to save weight and avoid tangles but this is something that is easy to swap if you prefer longer lines. We include extra cord with the tent and recommend changing to longer lines if you would like to be able to tie to rocks. Replacement cords can be quickly route through the tensioners so it only takes a couple minutes to have the cords however you like them. I personally prefer shorter lines and then I add extensions with a girth hitch if I want to tie to rocks, but for 2024 I did make the stock lines longer for more adjustability.

PITCHING
With regard to the pitching process, I respectfully don't think that the X-Mid demands a higher degree of perfection than other tents. The ease of pitching this tent is one of the main reasons why people like it. The core pitch is just staking out a rectangle and then as long as it's reasonably close to square and the poles are extended firmly it's going to be pretty good. Other tents like the Duplex have more stakes and require more estimating of distances and less intuitive angles. It looks like you quickly get a nice pitch in this video so maybe the issue is moreso the size (discussed below) rather than the actual pitch method.

For the video, a lot of the 18 minute length is optional extras and variations, as it covers the basic pitch in just 30 seconds. I do suggest putting in the stakes halfway in case you need to move them, but that is a good tip for any tent and not intended as an admission that getting the stakes in the right spot is unusually hard. Anyways, I'm hardly neutral but I think most people find the X-Mid simpler to pitch than the Duplex since it does pitch with fewer stake and has a simpler base shape.

SIZE
The X-Mid Pro 2 is a larger tent for sure but the actual footprint isn't that different (only 13% by area) and you can collapse the vestibules to make both tents just the 46" x 90" floor area. I have a video on how to do that and I think that would have resolved your issues with fitting into small sites on the PCT. 

I think the main reason why the X-Mid can feel harder to fit into small sites is because the lower cut fly that won't float over obstacles as well as the Duplex (which has that large gap). This is a tradeoff where the low cut fly offers more protection from drafts and splatter while the high cut fly floats over objects/uneven ground easier. A common complaint with the Duplex is that it is very drafty which the X-Mid much improves, but yes there are times where the high cut fly is nice. I think there is quite a bit of personal preference here, where some people value the high cut fly and others value the added protection of more coverage. 

For a solo thruhiker, I think our X-Mid Pro 1 is often the better tent. It's super spacious for a 1P tent with more interior volume than the Altaplex, yet fits into quite small sites. It's also easier to get flat terrain because you need a smaller spot.

MAGNETS AND STRUTS
I appreciate the feedback about the magnets. They were weaker in 2022 so I updated them for 2023. It looks like you have a 2023 tent so I'm surprised you didn't have good results. They should hold firmly if the door is rolled up reasonable well, but maybe the magnets lost magnetism. For 2024 I have added an additional magnet toggle which is normally used for the inner door but can also be used to double up the fly door to make it very secure. For the struts, I'm not quite sure what happened at that one corner to cause the damage but it's not a normal occurrence. We've only got 1 or 2 reports ever of that type of thing, so perhaps there is something we can make stronger here but it's not normally a failure point in the tent. We are happy to repair this for you under warranty.

Thanks for trying our tents,
Dan

[craigsmith]

So much appreciated your video, and all of the comments. I have exclusively used the Zpacks Duplex and Triplex for several years and have mostly loved them, but struggled not having a wet footbox and/or head since I am 6'2". The other serious issue with the zpacks tents is how easily rain/dew runnoff pours in if you are on any slight incline, and the floor/tub wall gets pushed out past the outer ceiling edge. I have modified both tents with pole cup extenders (using UL poles instead of a stick) and guylines to add vertical space at the ends of the tent, but still struggle to keep the water out if I am not pitched on perfectly flat, level ground. To have the perfect zpacks duplex or triplex pitch, you must ALSO have perfect level ground to avoid any of these issues. That said I have been in the most incredible weather with extreme wind coming from all directions, rain, sleet, hail, SNOW (at times during the same storm event) and have been amazed and grateful how these tents have literally saved my life from exposure..even though water was dripping on my head from inside condensation haha! I concluded the next "upgrade" would be the Duplex XL, or the HMG Ultamid, but have been put out at the cost and the additional weight of the Ultamid (although I'll probably buy it anyway - gear junkie!), and not forgetting the challenges of the duplex/triplex needing perfectly level ground to keep the water from accidentally pouring in.

Then I learned of the X-Mid. Have not pulled the trigger on it yet (need a bit more $$ still), but am fascinated on its design and headroom and just needing 4 stakes to get it pitched (besides the doors)! The additional vertical space for the head and foot space looks like a dream come true! PLUS it weighs LESS than the Duplex XL. This video and comments have convinced me to definitely purchase the X-Mid Pro2. From all I have have seen (review wise), and from what I personally know from exclusive use of the Triplex and Duplex, the main pain could just be those magnetic straps for the vestibule and screen doors, and like a previous commenter has said: it is half the fun to work/play/mod the gear!

As an Entrepreneur myself I am also very pleased to support Dan (as I have with Joe and Zpacks). Free Enterprise Rocks!

I live in the Intermountain West where my backpacking trips go deep and high in the wilderness and I normally see no one for days, so footprint size is rarely a problem. Those issues you mentioned of finding enough real estate on the PCT sounds like a zoo to me, imo.

[blueklister]

It is harder to find a spot to pitch the 2P Durston, so I can understand why you switched, but the Durston is clearly more weatherproof than the Duplex. Durston has fixed the magnets problem with stronger magnets. I switched out the guy lines with longer ones so I can either pitch it right down on the ground, or tie off to anything handy. The video clip of Dixie in a Duplex in Iceland during a wind storm shows the folly of toggles instead of zippers for the fly. Admittedly I have X-Mid 1P, so it’s easier to find a spot to set up. Of all the tents I’ve owned since I started backpacking in 1974, the Durston is the most intelligent, well thought out tent I’ve owned.

[HikeRx]

What if you used your own longer guy lines?

[neilorourke]

I’m finding this video as I start looking for a proper backpacking tent.

Thank you for sharing your experience and concerns. You did mention in another comment that this wasn’t delivered as much as a comparison but instead as motivation on why you switched.

I would have thought that with so many miles of bringing the Duplex there would be more counter points against it as well. It looks like you’ve adapted to its quirks and have high expectations on what it would take to replace it.

This was a valuable watch. I’m glad the algorithm flagged this for me.

[ryanmelius]

Thanks for the articulate review. Very thorough.

[MissyMatherne]

Very helpful!! Lots of info and no fluff. Much appreciated!

[catrest]

Thank you so much for the thorough review! You haven't turned me off my plan of getting an X-Mid 2 (the silpoly though), but you have certainly given me things to consider. I appreciated how unbiased your evaluation of the tents seemed.

[DDF]

I found a better way to pitch the 2P than Dan's recommendations.

With Dan's method, you lay the fly first but then its a crap shoot if the inner will lay over roots or rocks in a tight spot, just like you found.

Instead, I first lay down a polycro footprint cut to size of the floor exactly where I want the inner to lie, avoiding the worst roots and rocks.

Then I lay the fly on top. The key is to first stake out the fly corner that connects close to the inner (not the vestibule corner), right next to the footprint corner.

Next, stake down the opposite end of that same short side because you just line the fly up parallel with the footprint.

Then move to the opposite side and peg the next two stakes down so the fly is in a rectangle.

In tight spots with lots of roots and rocks, it would take me up to 30 mins before, readjusting the stakes several times. Now, 10 minutes tops.

I also switched to longer dynema core guylines, and skinny pitch when I need to. There's no way I would have been able to pitch in all my sites with the stock guylines.

Its been a great tent for me now.

[jungleperry]

disagree with your ranking as it seems inclimate weather isn't that much of a concern for you. for me it's really important. Also, you used a XMid pro 2. did you look at the Pro 1? because it's not too large to pitch in smaller areas.

[syindrome]

5:10 Can you clarify on the size difference? Manufacturer website states that the Duplex is 93" x 100" and Xmid 2 pro is 80" x 100". So the outer dimensions of the Duplex are larger...

[pauliedavis]

Very thoughtful and interesting comparison. Thanks for posting and hi to Mrs. B! You look so healthy and rested! 😃

[Andy-Mesa]

I'm not gonna write an essay like Dan did, but I also used the X-Mid on the PCT this year (Pro 1) and I'll agree that the Pro 2 is way too big for the PCT and I would not have enjoyed finding tent spots that could fit it, but otherwise I found none of your complaints an issue for me. I don't pitch it the way Dan instructs, and my method fixes all your issues and works first time every time. I came up with it on my second or third pitch before starting the trail. I also found the vents made a *huge* difference, as evidenced from the nights where I forgot to deploy the vents compared to the nights where I did. I do find the zippers to be too tight and not smooth, and it's a constant worry.

[BrokenDrum]

Love my X-Mid Pro 1. I’m certainly not an expert at pitching any tent, but I found the Durston easy to pitch. Roomy and comfortable, too. BTW, I’m a 60+ female.

[joespctwalkabout]

I tented near you during that huge windstorm near Tehachapi and no tent was adequate in that storm !! I was giving the Durston some consideration as well as the Z-Packs and your video really helps. Very honest and informative. I enjoy your professionalism with your explanation and using the technical term "persnickety" Thanks !!

[Fallline]

well, I have the Durston X Mid 1 p and it is awesome.. both set-up and space. Now I do not have the pro and the X mid has a removable liner which to me is perfect for me

[andrea]

The thing that I don't get is, when loogking at the measurements on the manufacurers websites, the xmid should be slightly smaller ... at least when the vestibules are staked out on both ... strange

[TennesseeSlim]

Just add longer guy line easy. Also take the tension off the zipper when pulling close and open helps to increase the life of the zipper

[NickLivingLife]

Subscribed. Nice video, thanks :). Ive got a Durston xmid pro 2 somewhere in the post from Canada to England right now so I'm probably a bit late watching reviews hehe. Hoping to start my triple crown journey in the next few years once I have done all of the Camino de Santiago variations, so your vlogs will be really useful for me. Thanks again :)

[shoresy]

Fantastic review. Appreciate your thoughts on both tents.