F10 Xenon UL Air 2 Tent

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A bikepacking tent that utilises AirBeam® technology to create a strong and stable shelter that’s fast and simple to set up.

Vango says: 

From the Award Winning Project Hydrogen Collection, the F10 Xenon UL Air tent utilises AirBeam® technology combined with TBS® Pro to create a stable tunnel design which is quick and easy to pitch using a combination of our unique pumpsack and your bike pump. Perfect for those seeking greater headroom in the inner tent area, the Xenon tent also features a large vent over the door allowing plenty of air flow and shelter from the rain. Protex 15.SRN has proven itself reliable in the F10 range with the advantage of being lightweight & fully taped. It also benefits from a low weight and small pack size, perfect for intensive activities, such as trekking, biking packing and all mountaineering adventures.

Our Verdict

The tent’s AirBeam® technology is the Xenon’s unique selling point. Instead of traditional poles, you inflate two thick air beams that support the tent; these are very simple to inflate and surprisingly more stable than I first thought. The AirBeams are robust and support the tent well; they are perhaps stronger than your stander pole, as they can’t be snapped.

The Air Beams go up with a standard bike pump. However, the tents stuff sack also doubles as a “pump sack”, which can also be used to inflate the air beams. To get a feel for how they both work, I inflated one of the Xenon’s beams with a bike pump and one with the pump sack. I strongly recommend the bike pump over the stuff sack. I would class this as a bikepacking tent, so you will only use the Xenon with a bike pump; if you chose to use this as a stander backpacking tent, you’re taking a heavy tent than is needed and, without the bike pump you will struggle to get the beams up to the 6 PSI needed.

Once blown up, the tent is incredibly simple to erect; the inner and outer go up simultaneously, so it’s just a case of pegging it out. Internally, the tent is long with plenty of room to sit up; two can fit in, but you will need more room for a wide or double mat. One person with all their gear can easily fit, but two would be a squeeze. Internally, there are ten pockets inside the tent, four on either side of the tent and two above for headlamps.

I’m a big fan of the O-shaped door, which has a small clip that can lock “the door”. Two large vents also promote good airflow, keeping the tent airyated and helping reduce condensation.

The tent snuggly fits into its stuff sack when you first get the tent however, after you have inflated the tent, it’s impossible to get all the air out of the beam, so putting the tent back into its stuff sack can be a bit of a chore.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Inflatable AirBeam® Structure
• Protex 15.SRN
• TBS Pro®
• Part Mesh Inner Door
• O Shaped Inner Door
• Bathtub Groundsheet
• Breathable Ripstop Inner Tent
• Dyneema Guylines
• Dyneema Pegging points
• Fast Pack Tent Bag
• All in One Pitching
• Flysheet Door Can be Opened as a Vent
• Flysheet Vents with Mesh Covering
• Fully Taped Seams
• Inner Pockets
• Main and Secondary Door
• Mini Line-Lok Guyline Runners
• Multiple Reflective Points

Specifications

• Flysheet & Innner weighs: 1746g
• Total weight: 1746g (excludes pegs & bags)
• Pack Size: L39.0cm x D17.0cm
• Capacity: 1 Person Tent
• Pitching Time: 6 Minutes

Material & Construction

• Fabric: ProTex 15.SRN
• Groundsheet: 70D Ripstop Nylon 6
• Inner: 15D Nylon
• Tunnel Tent Design
• Protex 15.SRN
• Yunan Poles
• All in One Pitching
• Gothic Arch Pole Structure
• TBS Pro®

Help & advice:

• The Ultimate Guide to Ultralight Tents
• Time-Saver Guide to Choosing a Tent
• When pegs go bad – Everything you need to know about tent pegs
• Are Tent Footprints Worth It?