Durston Gear X-Mid 1 Solid vs Sea to Summit Alto TR1
Two shelters, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The X-Mid 1 Solid takes headroom, vestibule space and price; the Alto TR1 takes pitching on hard ground and floor space. On a bike the pole set usually decides it before the rest do.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.
Where they differ
6 of the 7 things we can measure come out differently.
Poles to carry
the X-Mid 1 Solid has no pole set at all, the Alto TR1 doesA trekking-pole shelter has nothing to fit across your bars, which removes the constraint entirely — but you then need poles from somewhere, strapped to the frame or bought separately. It is a different problem, not a smaller one.
Pitching
Alto TR1 needs less from the groundFreestanding matters on a bike trip more than on a hike: gravel bars, wooden platforms and hardpack are where you end up when you are following a road, and none of them take a stake.
Floor area
0.31m² more floor in the Alto TR1Inner length by inner width as published. On a bike trip the floor also has to take whatever you brought inside off the bike, so a few centimetres is not nothing.
Peak height
11cm more headroom in the X-Mid 1 SolidWhether you can sit up, which decides how a rained-out afternoon goes.
Vestibules
1 more on the X-Mid 1 SolidWhere wet kit and panniers go. On a bike trip it is also where the bags off your bike spend the night, which is more volume than a hiker brings.
Price
$150 between themAs we hold it. Shelter prices move more than most gear, so check before you commit.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| Durston Gear X-Mid 1 Solid | Sea to Summit Alto TR1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Poles to carry | None — trekking-pole shelter | 450mm folded |
| Minimum weight | 890g | 936g |
| Pitching | Needs stakes | semi |
| Floor area | 236 × 84cm — 1.98m² | 215 × 107cm — 2.29m² |
| Peak height | 119cm | 108cm |
| Vestibules | 2 — 2 cm² | 1 — 0.7 cm² |
| Price | $230 | $380 |