Like most of us I have been through a lot of shelters. My favorite for a many years was the BD Betamid, but when it was time for my thru in 2010 I knew I needed bug protection and went with a SMD Wild Oasis. It did the job but I came away wanting more ventilation when it was buggy and more room when it was stormy. After my trip I did a MYOG addressing these issues and incorporating my second trekking pole for better headroom. It worked but, honestly, it was way to quirky to set up and after a half dozen trips I moved on, settling for a BD Beta Light with a S2S Nano for when it was buggy.
When I saw Dan’s X-Mid 1 I was very impressed and, even though the Beta Light was barely used I had to have one. I got it a couple of months ago, crawled in and loved it. The use of the second pole is perfect. There was only one problem. I like floor-less. Sorry Dan.
The outside is unchanged.
A full bug screen was added, both doors and a skirt. Where I hike rain and skeeters are not usually an issue at the same time so choosing between bug and rain mode is not a problem.
There is enough cross ventilation that the peak vents aren’t needed in bug mode, they have no netting.
The skirt is is cut long enough to work even it the tarp is set higher.
I used the regular no-see-um from Quest Outfitters. I was tempted by the ultra-light but thought the regular might be a little easier to deal with for sewing and not snag as much.
For the zipper I wasn’t sure on the size so went with the #5. #3 would have worked but the #5 stacked nicely with the existing zipper.
Setting the poles at an angle instead of vertical allows laying out straight in the middle of the tent and makes it feel roomier.
