Vango F10 Classic UL2 review: ‘It looks like the legendary Force Ten A-frame but is smaller and much, much lighter.’

As a young boy in the 1970s, all my early camping experiences involved A-frame tents, firstly with my dad’s slightly moth-eaten, post-war cotton tent retrieved from the attic and pitched in the garden, and then later with the large, green canvas tents we used in the Scouts, with us boys packed in like sardines in rows down each side.

About the time I was making my first tentative steps into the outdoors world, a certain chap called Christian Bonington was leading a bunch of his pals including the likes of Doug Scott and Dougal Haston on a grand adventure in the Himalaya to climb Mount Everest by its unclimbed South West Face. The tents they used for the approach trek and lower camps on the mountain were the distinctive orange Force Ten Classic A-frame tents made by Vango at their Glasgow factory. In fact, the Force Ten was a common sight on high altitude expeditions of the 1970s and into the 1980s, and the images of mountaineering heroes standing by their orange A-frame tents were burned into a thousand young (and old) minds.

Force Ten Mark 5 tents were a mainstay of Himalayam expeditions in the 1970s

Fast forward to 2026, and Vango have introduced a range of products to celebrate the company’s 60^th anniversary, and one of the models in this limited-edition collection is a re-imagined version of the Force Ten Classic, using lighter materials and named the Classic UL2. Its looks and layout are very much in keeping with the tent it is inspired by, however in practice it’s a very different beast. Weighing in at only 2.5kg, it is a quarter of the weight of the tent of the Mark 5, and much smaller too – the UL2 is, as the name suggests, designed for two people, whereas the Mark 5 was a 4-person tent. Vango did also produce Mark 4 (3-person) and Mark 3 (2-person) versions of the Classic, and the UL2’s dimensions are more or less based on the Mark 3.

But how does the classic A-frame design stand comparison to today’s supposedly more sophisticated tent designs, and is the Classic UL2 just for those who want to relive their youth or wallow in nostalgia, or is it still a viable option? We find out these and other questions in the following review.

Classic UL2 pitched below Goatfell on the Isle of Arran

Materials & design
Aside from the smaller size and footprint of the Classic UL2, it’s the materials that Vango have used that really set it apart from the Classics of the past. Not only have they opted for modern, synthetic fabrics for the UL2’s flysheet and inner tent – unlike the heavy canvas of the Mark 5 – they’ve actually used their all-new Protex 10.SRN fabric for the flysheet, an ultra-lightweight 10 denier silicone and PU reinforced ripstop nylon with a 3,000mm HH (waterproof) rating. This is 100% PFC free to reduce environmental impacts, and the bathtub-style groundsheet – a 20 denier ripstop nylon groundsheet with 6,000mm hydrostatic head – uses a 100% PFC free silicone and PU coating. To complete the tent’s weatherproofing, all flysheet and groundsheet seams are factory taped for a watertight seal.

Roomy interior is a major advantage of the Classic UL2’s design

The Classic UL2’s poles are seriously chunky, however being made from carbon they are also incredibly light, certainly compared to the alloy poles used in the standard Classics. There are five pole sections – two at each end and one across the top – which are connected by an apex piece at the top of each ‘A’ at each end, to form the classic A-frame from which the inner tent is attached to. Light but strong is a theme that runs through this tent’s design, and the use of high strength Dyneema core guylines, which are lighter and more durable than traditional guylines, and 16cm anodized alloy V pegs found exclusively on the F10 range, keep that ethos going. This all contributes to keeping the overall weight of the tent down, while maintaining strength and stability.

Pitching
Pitching the Classic UL2 is straightforward, however for best results it’s important to be diligent in lining up guylines with seams to get a ‘taut’ flysheet that repels wind and rain. After laying out the inner tent, you connect the poles together and place the free-standing structure over the footprint of the tent. It’s obviously quicker/easier with two people (especially in windy conditions!), however we found that it’s certainly possible for one person to do it alone. The inner tent is suspended from the A-frame structure using a combination of loops and eyelets, before the flysheet goes over the top, connecting directly to the inner tent at both ends, and pegged out at middle and ends. Before pegging out though, it’s vital to remember to fix the toggles that connect the inner to the flysheet in the middle of each side, as this gives the inner tent structure – holding the sides away from the occupants – and is very awkward to do retrospectively.

Carbon poles and apex connectors are far lighter than on previous Classics

Inner-first pitching tents have their pros and cons of course; in bad weather the inner can get wet in the time it takes you to get the flysheet on, however with the Classic UL2 this is an extremely quick process so it’s not a deal-breaker by any means. The advantage of this set-up is that you can use just the inner tent in warm/dry weather; it’s also easier to manage the tent, without guylines and flysheet/inner getting muddled which can happen with pitch inner/outer together tents. Without the flysheet the tent will stand up on its own, but you really need to connect a couple of guylines and peg it out to give extra stability if there’s any kind of wind.

In use
Compared to today’s array of sophisticated tent designs, which utilise all manner of shapes and configurations to maximise internal space or strength, or minimise weight, the timeless shape of the Classic UL2 is refreshingly simple. It’s very practical too; we were surprised by how spacious it felt, and even with two people and two medium sized dogs inside, we didn’t feel cramped. There’s room for two full-sized sleeping mats, and the fact that headroom and the width is the same at both ends make it really usable, especially when getting dressed/undressed and just generally moving around inside.

We didn’t find the one entrance particularly limiting, and although the porch space isn’t massive, the fact that the internal space is so good means we didn’t need to leave much gear in the porch. In fact, you could easily stow your gear down the far end of the tent and use the porch exclusively for cooking.

The inner tent is mostly ‘solid’ fabric, however there’s mesh vents at both ends, and Vango suggest that you can also adjust the height of the sides of the flysheet to allow more airflow on particularly warm nights. Conversely, you can peg the bottom of the flysheet lower to the ground to keep out cold drafts in windy weather, and the relatively high (10cm) sides of the bathtub groundsheet – which is thicker and more waterproof than the fly – also helps keep drafts out. Certainly we felt very comfortable overnight in temperatures hovering just above freezing and in pretty strong winds.

Classic UL2 behind another Vango 60th anniversary piece, the Ultra 35 pack

Verdict
The big question we had before testing the Classic UL2 was whether its existence was a purely an exercise in nostalgia, or whether it could actually compete with modern tent designs. The conclusion we came to pretty quickly was that yes, it absolutely can compete with the latest designs, and is as valid a design today as when it was first conceived all those years ago. The A-frame design gives a stable structure comparable with semi-geodesic tents, and the space inside is extremely generous, a real boon when camping for multiple nights, or in wet weather conditions. The 2.35kg (trail weight) is very respectable for the protection it offers, and we could see it being used for everything from UK backpacking trips and overseas trekking trips, to one-night mountain sorties.

And aside from the technical and practical attributes of the Classic UL2, we found it just a joy to use – it’s simplicity and familiarity making it so hassle-free and just fun to be in, and the experience only enhanced by childhood memories of using A-frame tents and images from the legendary Himalayan expeditions in the 70s always in the back of our minds. Sure, it’s not cheap at £500, but with only 150 of these tents being made the users’ club for the Classic UL2 is going to be pretty exclusive, and we’re certain that every one of those users is going to be camping with a smile on their face!

More info at: www.vango.co.uk