@Greg: ?Do you remember where on the JMT you were unable to find a spot for the XMid Pro 2? ?And, how much further you had to go to find a suitable spot? ?I ask because one of the reasons for getting the Pro 2 over the Pro 1, is half my backpacking trips will be with a 2nd person and half will be solo. ?So, on the half with a second person, we would either need two (expensive) single-person DCF tents with space to pitch them both, or one 2-person DCF and finding a single larger spot to accommodate the larger footprint.
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When I did the High Sierra Trail, the only place where I was not sure I could have pitched my Copper Spur UL3 (giant footprint compared to the XMids, was at the rock sites just before the Trail Junction to Whitney Summit/Whitney Portal. ?Everywhere else, including Guitar Lake, it was very easy to find suitable sites.
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@David: ?The vote of confidence in high winds really helps because that is my concern with a trekking pole tent. ?
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One big takeaway is that once I buy the tent, I will have to practice pitching it at home multiple times so I am comfortable with it.
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It is also clear that Durston's sell out as they seem to be, once again. ?This is why sales are not necessary. ?At this point, I do not see myself doing any backpacking this season, so I can wait until next spring to buy the tent in time for the Summer 2025 backpacking season. ?I can also see that Durston is getting more popular since there are long periods of silence between my sending them an email query and their responses. ?I hope that *if* I do need a repair, they are more prompt since they do have a legendary reputation for standing behind their packs, just like ZPacks and the others.
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CJ
