Durston X-Dome 2

I tested the Durston X-Dome 2 with the mesh inner and the regular length carbon fiber poles. On my scale, the trail weight is 1.25 kg (2.8 lb), slightly less than the advertised weight of 1.26 kg (2.8 lb).

The X-Dome 2 is not the lightest two-person tent on the market but it is one of the lightest double-walled, fully freestanding tents that can fit two wide 63.5 cm (25 in) sleeping pads. The 15 denier silpoly fly and light carbon poles keep the weight low. The tent can be purchased with solid inner and aluminum pole set options, but both add weight.

The X-Dome 2 pack size is small for a two-person tent. The regular poles fold down to 46 cm (18.1 in), so they will likely be carried on the outside of a pack. The short carbon poles fold down to 33 cm (13 in) and fit horizontally inside most packs. The short poles are a little heavier than the regular poles but I prefer them because I like to keep important gear inside my pack, where it will not be damaged or lost. Just the fly and inner pack can be compressed to a small size to fit inside a pack easily.

The Durston X-Dome 2 has three pitching options. It can be pitched like a traditional tent: inner first, with the poles clipped to the inner and the fly placed over the inner/pole structure. It can be pitched fly first, with the poles clipped to the outside of the fly and the inner clipped to the inside of the fly afterward. Or the inner can stay clipped to the fly for an all-in-one pitch with the poles clipped to the outside of the fly.

I use the all-in-one pitch most of the time. It is the quickest and easiest way to set up the tent and the inner stays dry if it is raining during setup. Setup speed is fast for the X-Dome 2 and I have found it to be one of the easiest and quickest 2-person tents to pitch. The one difficulty with the tent setup involves the feet that the poles slot into at the corners. The fly and inner each have separate metal feet at each of the four corners and the pole structure must slot into both of these feet. Often, I have to reach under the fly and search for the feet, which adds time and difficulty to setup. If you do not separate the inner and fly often, I recommend attaching the feet by tying them together or using velcro strips.

Separating the inner from the fly is useful when the fly is wet with rain or condensation. The wet fly can be packed outside of a pack while the dry inner can be packed inside the pack. Packing up the X-Dome 2 is quick because the fly can be stuffed straight into its stuff sack instead of needing to be folded and rolled.

Getting in and out of the X-Dome 2 is easy. The fly has large double doors on each side: a big main door and a smaller door that both roll back. The inner has a big door and a smaller door as well. Together, with the height of the tent, these openings give plenty of room to get in and out and to load and unload gear.

The double doors also add versatility. Both can be opened for a tent that is wide open to the outside. In bad weather, the big door can stay closed while I get in and out through the smaller door.

The inner opens with three straight zippers. Straight zippers snag less than curved zippers and are easier to use with one hand. Every zipper on the X-Dome 2 works with one hand.

Magnetic toggles hold the doors when they are rolled back. They are easy to use and work well most of the time. The toggle on the small door could sit a little lower. The bottom of the small door often unrolls and hangs down.

Stormworthiness is the ability of the Durston X-Dome 2 to keep its structure in strong wind and to keep its occupants dry in rain. Wind performance comes down to the shape of the tent and how well it can be made stable. The shape of the X-Dome 2 is poor for wind because its vertical walls form four large panels that catch wind. With only the four corner stakes installed, it will feel like it is starting to collapse in wind of about 50 km/h (31 mph) or stronger and the poles could break if that wind speed is exceeded. The X-Dome 2 has many ways to add stability. Cups at the top of each door peak hold a trekking pole that reinforces the door panel. The tent also has 10 stakeout points around the perimeter and 12 guyout points. In strong wind, I install both trekking poles and almost always use the mid-panel and lower guyout points at each end. I have not yet had the X-Dome 2 in wind strong enough to find its limit but with both trekking poles and every guyout point in use, I estimate it can hold its structure in wind of up to 100 km/h (62 mph). The best orientation for wind depends on whether trekking poles are in use. With trekking poles in the door peaks, I pitch the X-Dome 2 with a door side facing the wind. Without trekking poles, I face the head or foot end into the wind.

The mesh inner has a solid fabric panel around the bottom, including across the doors; it keeps wind from cooling a sleeper and does a decent job of stopping snow drift and sand from blowing into the tent. For frequent strong wind, snow, sand, or winter use, the solid inner is a better choice. I have found the solid inner also keeps the tent about 5°C (9°F) warmer, which is a nice bonus in winter.

The silpoly fly does not stretch or sag when it gets wet. It comes down low to the ground, which reduces rain splashback into the tent. The wide brow pole runs to the edge of each door, so in rain that falls straight down the doors can stay open without rain reaching the inner. The fly coverage protects the inner well when getting in and out of the tent in all types of rain. The all-in-one and fly-first pitches also keep the inner dry during setup. Noise from wind and rain is minimal.

The Durston X-Dome 2 is a double walled tent, which means there is a fully enclosed inner to the tent and then a separate fly. A double wall does not reduce condensation; but it does add a physical barrier between the occupants/gear inside the tent and any condensation that forms on the inside of the fly.

There are two large vents, one at the head end and one at the foot end. Opening both creates a good cross breeze. With the mesh inner, the large doors also let a lot of air move through the middle of the tent when they are open.

The X-Dome 2 has a lot of interior volume. A large interior means a sleeper is less likely to touch condensation on the walls. I have found that tents with more volume also tend to have less condensation in general.

The fly can be separated from the inner when the fly is wet with condensation, so the inner stays dry when the tent is packed. Wiping down condensation is difficult on the head and foot end walls and the ceiling because the inner blocks access to the fly; it is easy once the inner is removed, but that adds time to takedown.

Overall, the X-Dome 2 handles condensation well. In conditions that cause condensation, every tent will get some. The design of the X-Dome 2 minimizes condensation and provides the benefits of a double-wall when condensation does occur.

The symmetrical floor of the Durston X-Dome 2 is 223.5 cm (88 in) long and 132.1 cm (52 in) wide. Two wide rectangular sleeping pads, each 63.5 cm (25 in) wide, fit side by side. With two rectangular wide pads, there is a little space left at the corners to store gear.

The walls of the inner are very vertical on all sides with a peak height of 109.2 cm (43 in); because of this, a sleeper can sit up almost anywhere in the tent. The wide brow pole keeps the upper walls spread out, so two people can sit up at the same time with plenty of head or shoulder space.

There are large pockets at the head end and the foot end, and smaller pockets at each corner. With two large pads inside, these pockets hold the gear that does not fit on the floor. There is a door and a vestibule on each side. Each vestibule is 0.83 m² (8.9 sq ft) and can fit a full pack and shoes, or a fully assembled camping chair.

The X-Dome 2 fits two people up to about 188 cm (74 in) tall. Solo, there is plenty of space to weather a storm. With two people it still feels roomy for a two-person tent.

The fly of the Durston X-Dome 2 is made of 15-denier silpoly. I have found it plenty durable. A fly does not take much abuse, so it only needs to be strong enough not to tear in the wind. The floor is made of 15-denier nylon. Nylon is more abrasion resistant and more durable than polyester. It is a good choice for the floor because it is still light and compact but would absorb water and sag and stretch if used for the fly.

The poles are available in carbon fiber or aluminum. The carbon poles use carbon fiber inserts at the joints, with a glue that holds them firmly in place. I have had no issues with the carbon poles and have not heard of other people having issues either. Many people think they need the aluminum poles for extreme conditions. The aluminum poles might be a little stronger, but using trekking poles for reinforcement and guying out the tent fully matters more than the pole material.

Zippers often fail on tents but the straight zippers on the X-Dome 2 are less likely to fail than curved zippers. The door zippers are also good quality YKK #5 zippers. It is important to clean zippers if in sandy or gritty conditions to avoid the zippers getting damaged or “sticky”. The cordage, clips, and sewing are all good quality.

The reviews on the Durston website show few durability issues. Durston has a reputation for taking care of its customers and anyone who breaks a pole set or has a similar problem should contact Durston Gear for help.

Durston Gear covers defects in design, materials, and manufacturing with a two-year warranty. They also offer free repairs for wear and damage that the warranty does not cover, such as floor abrasion or a worn-out zipper.

The Durston X-Dome 2 is one of the best two-person tents on the market. It is light, stormworthy enough for most trips, and easy to use. The setup is quick and versatile, and its features make life in the tent better. It is not a perfect two-person tent and there is still room for improvement, which is exciting for future iterations.

The X-Dome 2 is not for everyone. It is for the two people who only need room for two wide sleeping pads, a little gear in the corners and pockets, and the rest of their gear in the vestibules.