Product of the month

Plan to roam the countryside with a tent on your back this summer?

XENON UL 2 TENT FORCE 10, £300

This two-person tent replaces the outstanding Nitro Lite 200. The layout is identical but F10 have made some savings on materials, bringing the cost down by a whopping £150. At this new price an excellent four-season tent becomes much more affordable – but is it still up to scratch? Well, it may not look flash, but the Xenon UL 2 scores highly on almost everything. Like its predecessor, it is designed to withstand severe weather – and sailed unflappable through a long weekend of strong winds and rain during my test. It does show a slight gain of around 270g in weight – but at 1.65kg, it is still viable for solo ventures. And if there are two of you, there is plenty of space. The layout allows lots of headroom – with a generous 1m or so between the two poles. The inner tent is 1.3m wide at the shoulders, plenty for a pair of sleeping mats. Unlike many backpacking tents, the porch is genuinely big enough for two large rucksacks. Finally, on a welcome practical note, there are 10 good-sized pockets – four on either side and two in the ceiling.

VERDICT: Light, strong, spacious, practical and good value, this excellent tent is an outstanding choice for backpackers. JP. • More backpacking tents tested at www.countryfile.com/gallery/ backpacking-tents