F10 Helium UL Air 1 Tent

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A backpacking 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 Vango F10 Helium UL Air 1-man tent’s hybrid tunnel design creates a compact and reliable shelter for adventures in the wilderness. The additional internal volume of the dual upright design adds to the tents versatility. TBS® Pro and AirBeam® technology deliver exceptional strength and stability and it’s easy to pitch with a combination of our unique pumpsack and your bike pump. Protex 15.SRN has proven itself reliable in the F10 range with the advantage of being lightweight & fully taped. The strategic vents allow for a through flow of air, reducing condensation. Extremely lightweight with a small pack size, ideal for bike packing.

Our Verdict

The tent’s AirBeam® technology is the Helium’s unique selling point. Instead of traditional poles, you inflate one thick middleAirBeam®, which supports the tent; this is very simple to inflate and surprisingly more stable than I first thought. The AirBeam is robust and supports the tent well; it is perhaps stronger than your stander pole, as it 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 beam. I have used both the bike pump and the pump sack, and 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. It’s well-ventilated, which helps reduce condensation, especially with the sizeable O-shaped door, which opens up the tent.

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 & Inner weight: 1070g
• Poles weigh: 52g
• Total weight: 1122g (excludes pegs & bags)
• Internal Dimensions: W210 x D95 x H95
• Pack Size: L33.0cm x D13.0cm
• Capacity: 1 Person Tent
• Pitching Time: 7 Minutes

Material & Construction

• Fabric: ProTex 15.SRN
• Groundsheet: 70D Ripstop Nylon 6
• Inner: 15D Nylon
• Protex 15.SRN
• Yunan Poles
• TBS Pro®
• Pre-Angled Poles

Help & advice:

• Choosing a Tent
• Hydrostatic Head