Durston xdome

Saving 3.7 ounces vs a stronger, more durable pole set.

It’s a very personal, situational decision.

Personal because it depends on what you value.

Situational because some situations you might want to save that 3.7 ounces, other situations, it won’t matter that much.

I personally am a little clumsy and hard on my gear. I would get the aluminum.

Since you own the Stratospire Li, I would think you value being lighter, so I think the extra cost of the fiber poles would be worth it to you. You could get both pole sets so that you have stronger poles if it’s going to be more windy or shoulder season.

I personally am waiting for the X Dome 1+ Pro. I’ll probably get that with Aluminum poles.

The Durston Bat Signal has been deployed. I’m sure he’ll chime in.

I know of the “Ounces become Pounds” saying, but I would not pay extra for the lesser implied strength of the Carbon-Fiber poles, to gain the weight-savings of a single hamburger patty…

Durston shared a video of them wind-testing the aluminum pole version up to 68mph, before a guy-line failure. (Thought I would have liked to see the carnage when it let go…) LOL

I thought that was really impressive. I’d like to have seen it tested at different directions. And while Dan commented that it would have been rude to ask DAC to test the Carbon-Fiber poles for comparison, I’d have loved to have seen that as well.

I’m not in the market for an X-Dome, but if I were, it would be the aluminum pole-set, 100%.

https://youtube.com/shorts/sOvNE6d0cLA?si=BUDTJCxHd9qK9MR2

A lot of pressure not to be mediocre. There’s not a lot of room for innovation. Every feature added or removed is a compromise of another. The popularity of DCF is waning. New fabrics are on the horizon perhaps with stronger poles. Secrets being kept. Will it be financially viable to ramp up production in the middle of the summer? The rush comes early.

We have a good FAQ on this on the X-Dome page, but essentially for the X-Dome 1+ the carbon and aluminum pole sets are approximately equal in strength. In all our main tests of strength and rigidity, they are within 5-10%, so I personally prefer the carbon because you save a nice bit of weight for no real downside other than upfront cost. Both of them can withstand winds over 110 km/hr (70 mph) when properly pitched with guylines and the optional trekking poles, but that requires a perfect pitch and I encourage staying a safe distance away from that upper limit. Even with a solid pitch, I’d aim to keep things under 80 km/hr (50 mph) to be safe.

Whereas with the 2P, it is a larger tent with more wind drag, so I opted to choose a stiffer size when creating the aluminum set. So for the 2P there is a larger weight difference between carbon and aluminum because the aluminum is not only a heavier material but also a more robust set. For most people doing “3 season” use the carbon works well, but if you’re pushing it into rougher conditions then for the 2P the aluminum is nice (but still not a 4-season rated tent).

Most people are choosing the carbon. Roughly 75% of people go with carbon and now that we have the inserts very reliable, I personally don’t think there is a reason to go aluminum on the 1+, but for the 2P it can be a good option.

Personally, I value the weight savings and would pay for the lighter poles. Compared to a single-wall trekking-pole tent, this tent is a lot of weight relatively speaking, and I’d want to save ounces where possible. HYOH, obviously.

I got the 1+ carbon. It seems pretty darn stout. I haven’t have any heavy winds or snow yet, but I’ve had it in moderate winds and a couple inches of snowfall and it has been great. To me, the biggest thing to consider in deciding between the carbon and aluminum is, how careful are you with your gear? I think that in use, once the tent is up, there is not much difference, but in handling, the aluminum will handle more abuse (like if you step on the pole sack with the pole in it) than the carbon. If you damage an aluminum pole in this way you will likely see it – a dent or a bend. But you can damage a carbon pole in ways that are not all that obvious to the casual glance but will fail when you put it under load . S0, if you are a rough and tumble sort, and tend to throw your gear around, then I’d say get the aluminum. Otherwise, get the carbon – at least for the 1+. That’s my feeling.

The popularity of DCF is waning.

I see no evidence of this, and actually think it’s quite the opposite. I see more Co’s, particularly those in Europe and Asia, are starting to design and build more tents with it.

I do agree though – in time there will undoubtedly be a fabric that will replace it.

When Dan releases DCF XDome 1P I’ll get the carbon pole set rather than aluminum.