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wildernessbug
1
Sep 10, 2018
Is it easy enough to set it up where using stakes is tough? Especially in the High Sierra (where I usually go), there are so many spots with extremely hard grounds and I wouldn't want to end up panicking when it's late and I can't go further to find a softer ground.
wildernessbugThe X-Mid is one of the few trekking pole shelters that can set up fully with only 4 stakes, so if you do have difficult staking ground, then the X-Mid would be quite a bit easier to use than most other trekking pole shelters which require 6 - 12 stakes and they're so fiddly you often have to re-position those stakes to get it right. Even with a traditional tent you still usually need two stakes for the vestibules and/or because you don't want it to blow away when you go pee. So when the staking is tough, the X-Mid would be slightly more difficult than a heavier traditional poled tent but quite a bit easier than most trekking pole shelters.
I do think that conditions where you can't get stakes in are pretty rare though. I've been through the High Sierra in 2014 on the Pacific Crest Trail and never had any unreasonable difficulty in putting in stakes. A large portion of people on the PCT use trekking pole shelters. For example, the Sierra Designs High Route is designed for environments like the High Sierra and it relies on 6 stakes. More common than not being able to stake at all, is encountering hard ground where you've brought the wrong stakes (e.g. fat stakes that are too hard to pound in when you really need some thinner nail stakes). So bringing the right stakes is important. Check out the Vargo Ti Nails: https://www.vargooutdoors.com/titanium-nail-peg-ultralight.html
But certainly it would be possible to set up camp somewhere on rock or bedrock where you simply can not get stakes in at all. In this type of circumstance you'd need to anchor to rocks/boulders instead of using stakes, so having some extra cord on hand would be handy. Obviously the fewer anchor points required the better in this case, so the X-Mid would be harder than a traditional tent but not dramatically so.
wildernessbug
1
Sep 10, 2018
dandurstonI guess you're right. That makes sense. The tent really looks great and I am definitely ready for something lighter. I was just on the JMT and I shared the weight of my Kelty Salida with another person. But by myself that tent is just way to heavy and I am ready for an update. For some reason I have just been a bit hesitant to buy a non-freestanding tent. Even though I know that most thru-hikers use those. I think I'll just make that leap! :) Thank you!