Durston X-Dome 1+

My testing of the X-Dome 1+ was done with the mesh inner and the regular length carbon fiber poles option. On my scale, the trail weight for the tent is 985 g (2.2 lb)- slightly less than the advertised weight. While not the lightest one-person tent on the market, it is one of the lightest freestanding double walled tents that does not use Dyneema material in its construction. Pack size is small for the tent due to the silpoly material used for the fly. While you will likely need to store the regular length poles on the outside of your pack, if you get the short pole option, they are short enough to fit horizontally in all but the smallest packs. Personally, I like storing my poles inside my pack, even if the short poles are slightly heavier. If you choose the solid inner and/or the aluminum pole set, that will also increase weight.

Setup of the Durston X-Dome 1+ is very simple. The standard setup option has the inner tent attached to the fly and then uses external poles to provide structure for the tent; this all-in-one pitch keeps the inside of the tent dry during setup, makes it easier to set up in strong wind, and allows for a very quick setup. The X-Dome 1+ has two other pitching options: 1) the tent can be set up with the poles attached to the inner tent using a different set up clips and then the fly put on over top and 2) the tent can be set up fly-first and then the inner clipped in after the fly is set up. Being able to separate the inner from the fly is useful if the fly is wet from condensation or rain and you want to store them separately inside your pack. The benefits of the inner-first pitch is that you can leave the fly off your tent if you want to feel more connected to the outside or watch the stars. The ability to pitch the tent three different ways provides a lot of versatility and is rare - most tents have only 1 or 2 pitching options. The one issue with setup is that each pole corner must be placed into two separate grommets: one grommet that is attached to the fly and one that is attached to the inner. I rarely separate the fly from the inner and tied the two grommets together to make setup easier and quicker.

The X-Dome 1+ is a fully freestanding tent. It does not require any stakes for setup, even for the vestibules. That being said, I usually use a minimum of four stakes at the four corners and often will add stakes to the head and foot end guyout points, the door, and the back wall.

Getting in and out of the tent is made easy by a tall door height and a double door system that extends across the entire side of the tent. The zippers can be operated one-handed and the T-shaped inner door does not have any curves that can snag the zipper. The X-Dome 1+ uses magnetic toggles to tie back the doors.

The material the tent is made of allows for the tent to be stuffed when storing it. You do not need to fold or roll the X-Dome 1+, which saves a lot of time when packing. The poles collapse fairly easily but, due to having more segments, the short poles take a bit longer to put together and disassemble.

Stormworthiness consists of the ability for a tent to maintain its structure in strong winds and how a tent performs in rain. The ability for a tent to maintain its structure in strong winds is determined by the strength of the materials it uses, the shape of the tent, and the number of guyout points that can be used to support those materials. The fly material and connection points for the Durston X-Dome 1+ are strong enough that they are not going to rip or tear before the pole structure breaks. The X-Dome 1+ has two pole material options: carbon fiber and aluminum. I have done all of my testing with the carbon fiber poles and think they are strong enough for the majority of people. Whether you choose the aluminum or carbon fiber poles, the pole structure will be the weak point that fails first in strong winds (if no guylines are used). To support the pole structure, the X-Dome 1+ has 17 guyout points in addition to the 4 corners that most people will stake out at a minimum. You can also use trekking poles to support the peak of the tent and provide support for the long wall panels on the door side and backside of the tent. Installing the trekking poles provides a big increase in wind performance. With the four corners stakes outed, trekking poles installed at both locations, and guylines installed at the 8 side corner guyouts points and the 2 lower end guyout points, the X-Dome 1+ can maintain its structure in sustained wind of 100 km/h (62 mph), at a minimum.

For the mesh inner option, there is a panel of solid material that extends partway up the wall of the tent and reduces how much wind can affect you while sleeping. It also does a decent job of preventing snow or sand from blowing into the tent. The solid inner option provides full cover to prevent anything from blowing into the tent while still having a triangular mesh window that can be exposed by unzipping the solid material cover. The solid inner also provides a small warmth increase when using the X-Dome 1+ in below freezing temperatures.

For rain, the silpoly fly material of the X-Dome 1+ absorbs minimal amounts of water and does not sag or stretch when wet (nylon flies will sag and stretch when exposed to moisture like rain or condensation). The taped seams and waterproof zippers on the fly effectively keep water from leaking into the tent. A wide brow pole provides fly coverage that extends fully over the inner of the tent. Unless conditions are windy, rain will not get into the tent when the door is open; I find this design characteristic to be particularly useful when getting in and out of the tent. With both the mesh and solid inner options, rain is blocked from splashing into the tent by solid material along the walls of the inner.

When experiencing both strong wind and strong rain, I have found the X-Dome 1+ to be a quiet tent. Some tents will flap loudly in the wind or rain will be loud when it hits the fly.

The Durston X-Dome 1+ is a double walled tent, so there is a physical barrier with the inner between anything inside the tent and condensation that might accumulate on the inside of the fly. Double walled tents do not reduce condensation, they just provide that physical barrier. The large amount of interior space inside the X-Dome 1+ also makes it easy to avoid touching the walls, even when changing clothes or stretching inside the tent. To reduce condensation, the X-Dome 1+ has two large vents in the roof of the fly. With a slight breeze, the top vents effectively ventilate the tent. It is also possible to partially or fully open the door to improve ventilation. I have found that condensation develops less in the X-Dome 1+ than other one-person tents I have used; I attribute this to the ventilation options but also the overall volume of the tent. I think a larger volume helps decrease the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the tent, which is a factor in condensation development. If condensation does occur on the inside of the fly, it can be difficult to wipe the moisture off due to the double-walled design of the tent. It is easier to use a cloth to dry the inside of single-walled tents. You can unclip the inner and store it in your pack separately from a fly that is wet from condensation or rain and also wipe any condensation from the inside of the fly when the inner is unclipped. Overall, the X-Dome 1+ is a top performer when it comes to condensation prevention and management.

The Durston X-Dome 1+ is a big tent. The size and footprint is similar to some small 2-person mountaineering tents. That size provides a lot of livability benefits. You can fit a long extra wide pad (198cm x 76cm / 78in x 30in) in the X-Dome 1+ and still have space in the corner for some extra gear. The vertical walls on all four sides and tall inner height makes it so you can easily sit up in any part of the tent. I find it easy to change my clothing and pack up my gear from inside the tent. I have even done a full stretching routine inside the X-Dome 1+. Because of the vertical sidewalls, you do not have tent material in your face when lying down. In addition to the extra floor space inside the tent, there are also two pockets for gear storage: one large one midway up the headend wall and a smaller one closer to the ground on the door side of the tent. There is a large amount of vestibule space as well. I can easily store my pack and shoes in the vestibule and not worry about them being exposed to rain. The vestibule will also fit a fully assembled ultralight camp chair. Overall, the X-Dome 1+ is a roomy tent with a lot of livability. A great option for waiting out a storm or if you need some extra space for a small or medium sized pet, or just like having a lot of room in your solo tent. The length of the X-Dome 1+ may be an issue for some people. If you are using a thick sleeping pad and a lofty sleeping bag or quilt, people over 188 cm (6 ft 2) will touch the inner walls at the head and foot end - even if laying diagonally along the long edge of the inner.

The Durston X-Dome 1+ uses a 15-denier silpoly material for the fly. The mesh inner floor uses a 15-denier silnylon and the solid floor uses a 20-denier silpoly. The carbon fiber poles are all-carbon, including the inserts, with thicker pole segments used for the ridge pole and brow pole. The aluminum poles are thicker than the carbon fiber poles and also use thicker pole segments for the ridge and brow poles. The zippers are #3 YKK zippers for the inner and fly with the fly zippers being the waterproof aquaguard version. Sewing quality and manufacturing of the tent is solid.

First-generation X-Dome 1+ tents had two durability issues: 1) the glue used for the aluminium inserts that connect carbon fiber pole segments would weaken and result in the aluminium inserts falling out and 2) the floor was very susceptible to abrasion. Current generations of the X-Dome 1+ have addressed those issues by using better glue and carbon fiber inserts and by using more durable floor materials.

Overall, the X-Dome 1+ is a good balance of using lightweight materials that will handle all but the harshest conditions. Particularly with the current generation of tents, I do not worry about durability issues with any part of the tent. If you have any issues, the warranty for the X-Dome 1+ is 2 years.

The Durston X-Dome 1+ is an excellent all-around tent. It is light, roomy, stormworthy, versatile, and easy to use. I have used it for everything from ultralight summer trips to multi-day winter expeditions and it has performed very well.