Durston Gear X-Mid 1 Solid vs Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo
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 vestibule space; the Lunar Solo takes weight, floor space and headroom. Their pole sets are close enough that neither wins on the bars, so this comes down to what you want from the shelter itself.
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
5 of the 6 things we can measure come out differently.
Minimum weight
150g lighter on the Lunar SoloTrail weight where the maker publishes one — fly, inner and poles, without the stuff sacks or the footprint. Worth reading against the pole length rather than instead of it: a Bikepack edition is usually a few grams heavier for shorter poles.
Construction
X-Mid 1 Solid is double wall, Lunar Solo is singleA double wall puts a gap between you and the condensation; a single wall saves the weight of the second layer and puts the condensation on the inside of your shelter. Which is right depends on where you sleep, not on which is better.
Floor area
0.78m² more floor in the Lunar SoloInner 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
6cm more headroom in the Lunar SoloWhether 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.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| Durston Gear X-Mid 1 Solid | Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum weight | 890g | 740g |
| Construction | double wall | single wall |
| Floor area | 236 × 84cm — 1.98m² | 228 × 121cm — 2.76m² |
| Peak height | 119cm | 125cm |
| Vestibules | 2 — 2 cm² | 1 — 0.8 cm² |
| Price | $230 | $215 |