In this episode, Andrew chats with gear designer and biologist Dan Durston. Dan is an accomplished backpacker and longtime Backpacking Light member. He went from gear enthusiast to gear tester to successful gear designer and small-business owner in a remarkably short time. His most recent shelter, the Durston X-Mid Pro 2 (read our review), is one of the buzziest ultralight shelters to hit the market in quite a while. All this despite the fact that Dan doesn't have a background in engineering or design.

In this wide-ranging interview, Andrew and Dan talk about design philosophy, the difference between designing for shelters and packs, his journey from tester to designer, upcoming projects from Durston Gear, and more.

click here for show notes: https://backpackinglight.com/podcast-62-dan-durston