Mid 1

I busted out of work and escaped to the forest. No problem finding two trail brothers ready to roll out with me. After my last six trips of the three to seven day section hike variety I made the decision to try some new gear. Thirty plus pounds was kicking my old ***. The trek started at Ashby Gap Va and ended at Front Royal Va some 20 odd miles south on the AT. Not a difficult section, but includes some hills to climb and numerous side trails with tempting names. Moseby's wilderness camp, yes the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy, the old AT trail section, and more. Well I did myself a big favor and put my 65 liter Deuter in the back of the closet along with my Osmo Hornet, a very nice tent, no issues and purchased the MID-1 and Southwest 55. Then I went through my entire load and did a complete rebuild. My pack weight for three days was nineteen pounds and I still have to work harder on the four and half pound "feed bag". That includes 1700ml of H2O to. Here's what I found: I NEVER had to adjust a pack strap. That in itself was freaking eye opening. No moleskin and no Salonpas either! Here's some more, I don't need all the zippers, straps, and closures to be comfortable or to find my stuff. Who knew? This is supposed to be a review of the MID-1 so I should mention it. Versus the Osmo Hornet, it's half the weight and takes 5 minutes to set up in the dark. Probably would have been four minutes if I had staked it right side up the first time, hey no was looking. It kept the wind…

I have not yet been on trail with my new Mid 1 tent so a full review will have to wait, my first impression from my first pitch is very good. I have experience with Dyneema single pole tents so the learning curve was pretty short. The Mid 1 was super easy to set up and get a very good pitch on the first try. I have seen reviews concerning stress on the fly zipper and since my other tents have both used peak guy lines I went ahead and added one. I have found that it allows you to use less tension on the doors and hopefully protect the zipper.

The inside is ginormous for a one person tent and the vestibule has a lot of space too. Really looking forward to getting this tent out on the trail.

I absolutely love this tent, i'm 6'1" and fit in it perfectly. Added protection from the elements and bugs, and only weighs 1lb, It takes up a sliver of space in the pack, maybe 3/4" thick layer, it's basically non existant. Dyneema is the best hiking fabic out right now and this tent is just perfect, I have zero complaints after only 3 nights, but I honestly think I will be using this tent for years into the future, I don't see how I could hurt it or damage is with proper care and common sense.

One of my favorite features is the clip on the vestibile door, I love that it can be swapped depending on the wind, and campsite, and I love on nice evenings being able to fold both doors back and enjoy a view. Would recommend this tent to anyone looking for a durable ultralite tent.

I took the Mid 1 on my five day backcountry trip through East Fork in the Sawtooths and it performed as expected. The weight is obviously the largest attractor; with such minimal weight, you get a phenomenally well-constructed shelter. The setup is remarkably easy, and once you have it dialed in, it's probably the fastest I've ever been able to pitch and break camp.

The weather in the Sawtooths saw regular rapid temperature changes, and as with all single-wall tents, you will get a lot of condensation. I found that once I adjusted the two top vents, the problem was mitigated, but it’s still unavoidable in these types of climates.

There are plenty of other tents that will accomplish what the Mid 1 does, but I keep coming back to it for its simplicity, efficiency, and overall balance of performance.

Ultimately, what sets the Mid 1 apart is how well it disappears into your pack but shows up big when you need it. If your priority is going light without sacrificing too much livability or durability, this tent earns its place. I would recommend it to any serious backpacker who knows how to manage a single-wall shelter and values fast-and-light travel.