An excellent, roomy tunnel tent
Vango has been making excellent tunnel tents for many years and the F10 Xenon shows its expertise in this field. Like other Vango tunnels the tent has Gothic arch poles (whose shape increases stability and gives steeper walls and so better snow and rain run-off than standard hoops) and Vango’s TBS internal guying system, which also aids stability. There are also five guylines. This is a tent that will stand up to severe weather.
The fabrics have good hydrostatic head ratings, especially important for the groundsheet, and all seams are taped. The inner tent has a big mesh panel in the door but is otherwise solid fabric, which is warmer and more windproof than ones with lots of mesh. The door is vertical rather than sloping, which means condensation on the flysheet can’t drip into the inner when the door is open. The flysheet door has a hood over the two-way zip so the latter can be left open at the top for ventilation without rain getting in. Overall though, the tent is designed for maximum protection against the weather rather than ventilation.
Pitching is easy as the tent goes up as a unit. Four pegs are all that’s needed though except in calm weather I’d always use every pegging point and guyline. Once pitched the inner is quite taut and doesn’t sag or flap like inners do in some unit-pitching tents.
The Xenon is very roomy inside with excellent headroom and space for two people to sit up. The floor does taper a little at the rear and it isn’t quite as long as the other tents tested. That shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re well over six foot. The porch is very roomy too, with ample space for safe cooking and storing packs and wet gear.
The Xenon isn’t as light as some alternatives – though it’s still less than a kilo per person – and it only has one porch but it is roomier and more stable than most. The price is good for a top quality tent.
