I ended up being convinced to try out trekking pole tents, so I grabbed the Durston X-Mid 2 in solid.
Cons: On days we left a camp, I sometimes missed having a trekking pole for steep climbs. I may bring 1 or 2 of the Durston poles and just take the weight penalty if I know we'll be keeping a camp.
The solid version had more condensation than I would have liked for a double wall. I may buy the mesh inner to have both and test out.
My biggest issue was the size of the footprint for this tent. I got the 2 person to be able to camp with my son, but I had a hard time finding areas to pitch on 2 of the spots we chose for camp. I'll likely be looking for a 1 person tent to have as an option for future hunts that I know will be in the timber (open to suggestions).
Hey thanks for posting your follow up to your OP. I find it super helpful when people do that!
If I don't have a trekking pole, I can generally find a stick. Sometimes I will cut one. I do prefer proper poles packing in and out though. But while hunting, I like chucking sticks when done!
I have a Notch Li and really like it, but it is very small inside. Might be worth looking into as it is very light and compact.
There's some good info on condensation prevention from BPL and Henry Shire.
TT and Durston both hinted at new models of their trekking pole designs using regular tent poles. Durston seemed to have a bit of a hissy fit about TT posting first though. Not sure what the drama was about but makes me interested in whatever both companies release and how they handle wind and light snow.
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