I pitched my Xmid 1 on a platform once . I was exhausted and dehydrated after bushwhacking for hours by headlamp down a steep “trail” that completely disappeared under blowdown’s and new conifer growth that was so think that even if it had been daylight I still don’t think I would have been able to see where my feet were going. This had really slowed me down and frustrated me after a long day, especially since I had anticipated much easier travel . I had opted not to fill up at the last water source since there would be water at camp and I wanted to keep pace also it had just rained 10 inches only letting up 2 nights before and there had been no shortage of water over the last 40 miles .But as the trail disappeared so did the streams which had been in abundance on every other section of the trail and because my fast pace had turned to a crawl I had been with out water much longer than I wanted. So as I rolled into camp tired and thirsty I was a bit dismayed at first because there was only platform sites here and for good reason it was a drainage zone and there was water everywhere had I been here 2 nights before I am sure those platforms would have been more like rafts anchored in an angry river . Okay no rest for the wicked , how am I going to set up a trekking pole tent on a platform? guess I’m going to have to invoke the mullet brake out the extra guy line and go full Macgyver on this .
But no, to my surprise it was probably the easiest and nicest pitch I could ask for ,no extra cord necessary !It was like Dan had designed the XMid with this platform in mind while there was zero gaps in the decking ( the wood probably had expanded with moisture) they were perfectly aligned with the geometry of the tent and without much effort or any damage to the platform I was able to tap my stakes firmly in place between the boards and get some much needed rest comfortably suspended over the flooded terrain.
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