Trekking tent Forclaz Trek 900 Test & Experiences – Does the Ultralight tent prove itself on the Bikepacking Trans Germany?

One of the currently cheapest Ultralight tents is offered by Decathlon. We’re talking about the Trekking tent Trekking tent Trek 900 Ultralight*. . The tent is partially freestanding and weighs only about 1.3 kilos when complete. In addition, the tent shines with a particularly small pack size of only 39 × 11 × 10 cm. This makes it a great fit for small backpacks or a bikepacking handlebar roll.

The tent was developed for the three-season use (spring, summer, autumn). One thing in advance: In terms of quality and stability, it seems to be the ideal tent for bikepacking and trekking tours in Central Europe.

The tent is available as:

• 1 person tent* and also available in sizes as.
• 2 person tent* and
• 3 person tent*

I’ve tested the tent extensively and will tell you what I like and don’t like about the Trek 900.

You’re in a hurry? Click here to go directly to the Forclaz Trek 900

The Forclaz Trek 900 trekking tent is available at Decathlon in the following sizes:

• 1 person bikepacking tent*
• 2 person trekking tent*
• 3 person tent Decathlon Ultralight Tent*

Decathlon Forclaz Trek 900 Highlights

✅ Lightweight & small pack size: The Forcalz Trek 900 has earned the designation ultralight. The complete package weighs just 1.3 kilos. The pack size is very compact at 39 x 11 x 10. This makes the tent ideal for bikepacking, cycling or trekking tours.
✅ Partially self-supporting: For a firm stand and optimal space, the Decathlon Ultralight tent requires 4 pegs in the ground. If necessary, you can also set it up on stone or gravel without pegs and without bracing – more about this in the test.
✅ comfortable space: For an ultralight tent, the space is just right. There is enough space inside for a sleeping pad and a small backpack. You can sit upright in the tent and there is plenty of space in the vestibule.
✅ Low-priced tent: The tent is almost unrivalled in its class! This makes it currently my price-performance recommendation among the TOP tents for bikepacking and for bike trips.

…and much more. I present them to you all the details in this Decathlon Ultralight Tent review.

Note: I requested a test copy from Decathlon. I was given the Ultralight tent free of charge for a field report. Many thanks to Decathlon for the uncomplicated sending of the Ultralight 1 person tent.

The price of the Trek 900 is also attractive: the ultralight tent costs approx. 130 € at Decathlon. Good ultralight tents can cost three times as much. How will the tent prove itself in practice?

• How quickly can you set it up and take it down?
• Is the tent long lasting or do you have to accept sacrifices in quality due to the low price?
• How stable is it in crosswinds and what does the water column mean in practice?

These questions are answered in the Decathlon Trek 900 test! I packed the Ultralight tent directly into my bikepacking handlebar roll. With my gravel bike, packed bikepacking bags from Topeak and the Forclaz Trek 900, I was out on the bumpy gravel roads and MTB trails of the Bikepacking Trans Germany Route.

Find out in this trekking tent test whether the Trek 900 is suitable for you or not 😉 What are the main features of the Decathlon Ultralight tent? What did the tent do and what did it not do?

Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight Test – The tent in the practical test

The Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight Tent was used on my tour on the Bikepacking Trans Germany Route in Germany and the Czech Republic.

I liked the tent on the whole tour and therefore I will continue to use it. Of course I will update the test report with further practical experiences, e.g. regarding the water column.

In my Trek 900 test, I pitched the ultralight tent on a variety of surface conditions: The ground on this trip was a lot of things:

• From soft forest soil to gravel
• From sharp and mown grass to asphalt

I pitched the Decathlon Ultralight tent several times on grass with soft ground. These are the best conditions for the tent, because according to Decathlon it has to be fixed with pegs to stand ideally. The tent is therefore not described as completely free-standing, but as partially self-supporting.

In practice, I had also set it up on gravel floors and on concrete slabs. In these places then the fastening of pegs was not possible. So the tent was only held by its own Y-shaped tent poles. Without pegs, the interior does not unfold its full volume and the tent is also not very wind stable. In a pinch, however, this also works and of course I have tested the setup without the pegs 😉

Only the inner tent of the Forclaz Trek 900 can be pitched. In the summer, I really like to sleep exclusively in the inner tent and enjoy the close-to-nature experience 🙂 the inner tent has a high percentage of mosquito netting and so the view of the starry sky is unobstructed. You also have best ventilation in the tent.

The footprint, i.e. the groundsheet, can be purchased as an accessory. I have always pitched the tent together with the footprint and I strongly recommend it! The tarpaulin protects the tent floor from wear and tear and also protects sensitive equipment in the tent, e.g. a sleeping pad. The Footprint is also small, light and inexpensive. With the footprint, for example, only the outer tent can be pitched without the inner tent or, in the event of rain, the inner tent can be pitched first (I haven’t tested this yet).

Weight and pack size

The Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight Tent is particularly light and compact. This is also one of the great strengths of the trekking tent.

The tent itself is delivered in a practical storage bag. There is room for the outer tent and the inner tent. A zipper closes the bag neatly and two compression straps can be added to save space. There is also a practical storage bag for the pegs and the cords.

I weighed the following total weight of the 1-person Ultralight tent myself:

Total weight: 1301 grams – Ultralight so 😉

Decathlon makes these weight specifications on its product page:

• Outer tent: 365 grams
• Indoor tent: 420 grams
• Tent poles: 290 grams
• Tent pegs (10 pcs.): 100 grams
• Transport sleeves: 45 20 grams + 12 grams
• Repair set (tent pole sleeve and tent patches): 20 grams

The inner tent can also be pitched without the outer tent. Likewise, you can pitch the outer tent without the inner tent. For these cases, I have weighed the following:

• 767 grams for the inner tent and tent poles (incl. 59 grams tent packing bag)
• 731 grams for outer tent and tent poles (incl. 59 grams tent packing bag)
• 59 grams for pegs, guy ropes, repair kit and the small pack sack

As with any ultralight tent, I definitely recommend using a groundsheet. The footprint weighs an additional 150 grams and you can buy it here.

I had the tent in the handlebar pulley of my gravel bike Bombtrack Beyond 1 for the entire tour. On a bike with a flare bar, the space between the handlebars is limited and only compact tents fit between the handlebars. Thanks to the pack size of 39 × 11 × 10 cm (measured by myself) this is no problem at all with the Trek 900.

The tent poles are not included in the pack size, nor are the footprint and pegs. But that’s not a problem at all. The tent fits easily into the following bags with a small pack size:

• Bikepacking: Tent and accessories fit in a handlebar roll between the handlebars (pictured below: Topeak Bikepacking bags – go to the Topeak Bikepacking bags review here).
• Bike tour and bike trip: In traditional bike bags everything fits except the tent poles. These are best attached directly to the luggage carrier.
• Trekking and hiking: When hiking fits the complete trekking tent incl.. Tent poles already in a very small backpack.

Material and workmanship of the Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight

As usual with ultralight tents, the material of the tent is quite thin. You shouldn’t be put off by this, because the tent won’t tear right away! In practice, the Trek 900 Ultralight has proven to be a durable ultralight tent. Even if I still lack the long-term experience with the Decathlon tent of course.

In addition, a small bag is included in the delivery. The aluminium pegs can be neatly stowed in it. The appearance of the pegs I find at first impression somewhat unspectacular. They are silver matt and therefore have a “used look” and appear simple.

According to Decathlon, for environmental reasons, the anodizing of the pegs was deliberately omitted. With this I can well come to terms. There is nothing to complain about when it comes to the function of the robust pegs: even if you drive them into the ground with a lot of force, they retain their shape in an exemplary manner.

The pegs are in a practical storage bag. In the same case, in a separate compartment, is the repair kit.

I find it a pity that no carrying case for the rod is included. So here you have to improvise yourself. Positive is the repair kit, which is supplied immediately. This can be used to repair a broken tent pole.

Inner and outer tent

The following material is used on the Trek 900:

• Outer tent: Polyester (PES) 20D
• Inner tent: Polyester – no indication of material thickness.
• Bottom: Polyamide (PA) 40D

Seams are often the weak point of a tent. Moisture can easily penetrate here. Therefore, all seams were sealed with thermo-bonded tape.

Footprint of the Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight

The footprint can be purchased as an extra accessory. The accessory is small, light, inexpensive and fits perfectly with the Ultralight tent thanks to its shape and the anchoring eyelets.

Why a Footprint? This ground sheet protected the floor of the Decathlon Ultralight tent and should definitely be in the luggage.

Here you can get the Footprint groundsheet:

• Footprint floor tarp for Trek 900 Ultralight 1 person* or
• 2 person footprint*
• 3 person ground sheet*

Poles and pegs – Decathlon Ultralight Tent Test

The tent poles are 100% aluminium. Typical ultralight strengths are used for the material. When used with the footprint and transported in the carry bag, I expect this to be a tent that can be used for many years.

The tent poles are held together by a rubber. The rubber makes it easier to push the tent poles together. The outer tent is then simply clipped to the poles. I’ll show you the setup in detail later in the article.

In practice, I used four pegs to pitch the tent. This makes the tent stable. Decathlon recommends using more pegs in the instructions.

Structure

The inner and outer tents of the Trek 900 are not connected. Both can be built together or separately.

The Trek 900 is a partially self-supporting tent, i.e. it stands without pegs and without being braced. The tent poles form a Y-shaped dome: this means that the tent poles stand on three legs and are self-supporting to a limited extent. In a pinch, you can sleep in the tent without using pegs (which I have done).

However, it is only by attaching the pegs that the full space in the inner tent can be used and the tent reaches its full stability.

The instructions explain the assembly of the tent logically and comprehensibly. Once or twice you need the instructions for assembly. After that, the process becomes second nature and it takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes to set up.

The structure can be summarized as follows:

1. Laying the inner tent on the ground
2. Hook the inner tent into the tent poles and clip tightly
3. Attach the outer tent to the frame
4. Tie down the tent, fasten the pegs and tension the tent

Colour coding is provided on the tent poles, inner tent and outer tent. This helps when pitching and you intuitively attach the outer tent to the poles the right way round. With other tents, I am regularly confused here.

Also practical: The outer tent can be pitched from the inside, e.g. in the rain or if you want to travel light without an inner tent. For this you need the ground sheet in any case. As you know, I recommend these accessories to everyone anyway.

It is also possible to pitch the inner tent without the outer tent.

Now you will learn all the steps for pitching the tent in detail:

Structure Footprint (floor tarp) – recommended:

1. Place footprint on the floor
2. Clamp tent poles into the footprint in the eyelets at the edge

You don’t have to use the footprint, but it will increase the life of the Trek 900 and provide additional protection against water intrusion from below.

Inner tent structure:

1. Clamp the tent poles through the eyelets on the edge of the outer tent.
2. The outer tent has several sturdy plastic hooks: Clamp the plastic hooks to the tent pole.

The inner tent has two aluminium eyelets in the middle: Attach the inner tent to the tent pole with the eyelets. This raises the tent roof poles.

4. then secure the inner tent with four pegs: two on the right side of the tent, one at the front of the vestibule and one at the back of the tent. The inner tent is now already standing securely.

The inner tent and the tent pole are now already standing on their own and you can use the full space in the tent. On warm summer nights you can also sleep in the inner tent only.

Structure outer tent:

1. Place the outer tent over the inner tent and the tent poles and in the middle, at the highest point of the tent, hook the outer tent onto the tent poles with 2 aluminium eyelets.
2. Hook the outer tent on the bottom right of the tent with two eyelets and tension it
3. Hook the outer tent on the left into the tent pole
4. Secure at the front and back with an additional peg. Here you have already put pegs into the ground for the inner tent – these can also be used in practice.

Additional setup steps: The tent can also be braced with the tent cords if required, e.g. if strong wind is expected.

It takes approximately 7 to 10 minutes to completely erect the tent.

The outer tent without the inner tent can also be set up if you want to save weight, for example. In case of rain or if you want to save weight, you can also pitch the outer tent only.

Space & comfort – Forclaz Trek 900 experience

Let’s let the numbers speak first (manufacturer specifications according to the product page):

• Cabin length (inner tent): 210 cm
• Cabin width(inner tent): 60 cm
• Cabin height (inner tent): 95 cm
• Total height of the tent: 110 cm
• Width of the vestibule: approx. 70 cm

So far so good. What does this mean in practice?

The space is just right for an Ultralight tent: With the one-person tent, you can also comfortably put a large sleeping pad in the tent. Next to the sleeping mat there is still some space for odds and ends. I like to charge my electrical devices here and accordingly the power bank, smartphone and the bicycle GPS navigation system lie next to the sleeping pad in the tent.

There is also plenty of room above or below the sleeping pad.

I usually put my change of clothes and a small bag there. This works wonderfully and without the tent walls being pressed outwards.

For me with 1.84 meters body height, the tent also has the ideal height and I can sit comfortably upright without touching the tent ceiling.

Organization compartments are also some with the tent: At the head end there is a large compartment for eg GPS bike computer, wallet (hopefully ultralight 🙂 ) and other equipment.

There is also an organizational net on the tent ceiling. The tent also has several loops and plastic hooks for attaching, for example, a headlamp inside the tent. Thanks to the organisational options, the equipment is neatly stowed away and yet quickly at hand again.

What there is no room for inside the tent is stowed in front of it: there is a wide vestibule with plenty of space: I can easily fit my complete bikepacking bags and lots of accessories.

Officially the vestibule offers space for a 70 litre backpack which can be quite good. Cleverly with the vestibule, one section has an integrated groundsheet which should protect the contents well from moisture and rain. The other part of the vestibule does not have a floor tarp. There you can e.g. put down dirty shoes and do not dirty the tent. The contents are nevertheless protected from above.

Quality and stability

Even the lightest ultralight tent should of course be durable. As far as durability is concerned, you should pay special attention to the following factors:

• Linkage
• Zippers
• Tent floor

What about the quality of these factors in the Trek 900? One thing in advance: The inner tent and the outer tent itself seem robust and tear-resistant enough to me. In addition, all seams are neatly finished. When pitching, you can also pull hard on the tent, e.g. tension the inner tent, without breaking anything.

It is still too early for a final assessment of quality and reliability. Here’s my first impression. So what about the important factors?

Tent poles: The tent poles are made entirely of aluminum. Inside the bars are held together by a rubber cord. Similar designs have proven successful in other tents, such as the MSR Hubba NX. Tent poles and also the cord seem sturdy. Assembled, you can also bend the aluminum rods neatly. Very good. Sturdy plastic is used for the clips on the inner tent and the eyelets are made of sturdy aluminium. All good so far.

There is criticism for the Y-connection part on the tent poles: This supporting element is also made of plastic. If these elements break, then you can’t set up the tent again until you either temporarily repair the part along the way or replace the poles.

Zipper: The two two-way zippers performed reliably in the test. The zippers each have a small string attached so you can grab them quickly and comfortably.

The tent is designed so that there is never too much tension on the zipper when opening and closing. The same applies to the zippers on the outer tent.

Tent floor: As described above, the tent floor is made of polyamide in 40D thickness. In terms of durability and weight, the right choice of material was made for an ultralight tent. As with any tent, I recommend using an additional groundsheet to protect the floor. The custom-fit footprint for the Forclaz Trek 900 is available from Decathlon.

If something should break, there are replacements for the important parts. I like very much that you can easily reorder the spare parts on Decathlon.de. For example, you can buy the outer tent, inner tent and parts of the frame. You can find the spare parts directly in the shop on Decathlon.co.uk if you search for “Trek 900”.

In addition, there is a 5-year warranty on the tent. I read through the warranty terms and they sound quite fair. Another plus.

Weatherproof (waterproof and windproof)

The tent is mainly designed for the months of spring, summer and autumn. This is clearly shown by the good ventilation and the choice of materials:

• The inner tent has a high percentage of mosquito netting. This supports the ventilation
• The tent walls of the outer tent are quite high (also supports the ventilation).
• Ventilation can be regulated by tightening or loosening small straps
• There is another large slit at the top of the outer tent for roof ventilation.

The selected materials ensure that relatively little condensation forms inside. The ventilation in the tent I find overall pleasant and correctly chosen for a tent of this type.

I would describe the ventilation in the inner tent as very good and at the same time you are protected from strong winds. It should be noted that the Y-shaped poles are only attached at three points in the inner tent and possibly the groundsheet. This type of pole is typical of a partially freestanding tent. If strong wind is to be expected, the tent should therefore be additionally tensioned in any case.

Decathlon states the wind stability at 60 km/h (16.67 metres per second, wind force 7) and had this value confirmed by an independent laboratory in the wind tunnel.

There is plenty of space between the inner tent and the outer tent. This provides additional good ventilation. This should also prevent moisture from penetrating from the outer tent through the inner tent into the tent interior.

I could not determine an excessive formation of condensation. During my test ride on the Bikepacking Trans Germany Route, I was spared heavy rains. Thus, I have no practical experience on the water resistance of the Decathlon Ultralight tent.

My assessment of the water resistance: To make water penetration more difficult, the seams of the Forclaz Trek 900 have been sealed. Decathlon makes the following statements about the water resistance of the Trek 900:

• the outer tent is rated at > 2,000 mm and
• the floor of the inner tent is specified with 3,000 mm water column.

Decathlon states that the tent has been laboratory tested in tropical rain-like conditions. But what does that mean in practice?

My MSR Hubba NX has comparable water resistance ratings to the Trek 900 Ultralight. I have never had any problems with water penetrating the tent from the outside. So I take a very relaxed view of this issue. For the typical areas of use of the tent in Central Europe, the water column should be easily sufficient. The Footprint groundsheet offers an additional > 3,000 mm water column.

Conclusion – Trek 900 test report experience and summary

The Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight impressed me in the test: It is one of the cheapest Ultralight tents and convinces at the same time with high quality.

The pack size is very small and therefore the tent can be stowed in a bikepacking handlebar roll and also fits in a small trekking backpack. Space is adequate – by ultralight standards I’d say the space is dialed in just right.

Another plus is the low weight of just 1.3 kilos. True ultra-light trailers can also leave the outer tent at home and are then on the road on a warm summer night with only feather-light 767 grams.

Yes, the Trek 900 is only partially self-supporting. I’m sure every buyer knows that, because it’s in the first sentence on the product page. In my practical test I almost always used 4 pegs to guarantee a firm stand.

The tent setup is wonderfully fast and easy. Just as I wish. Likewise, the tent is quickly stowed away again in the supplied pack sacks and the tour can continue.

The tent is offered in a color (gray / orange): This I find very chic but of course you are not best camouflaged with such a color in the forest. An outer tent in green as a color variant, would be desirable here.

Fortunately, the lightweight can be had for a small price.

I had a lot of fun on my tour with the tent and look forward to further tours with the Decathlon tent.

Forclaz Trek 900 buy – yes or no?

If you’re looking for a reliable ultralight tent for bikepacking and trekking tours, you should take a look at the Decathlon Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight directly. Low weight, a small pack size and an affordable price are all on the plus side of the Trek 900.

In terms of reliability and robustness, the tent offers exactly what you need for outdoor tours in Central Europe. From me there is a clear recommendation.

You need more space? The ultralight tent is also available with more space for 2 and 3 persons.

The Forclaz Trek 900 trekking tent is available at Decathlon:

• 1 person tent* and also available in sizes as.
• 2 person tent* and
• 3 person tent*

Good

✅ Lightweight: weighs only 1.3 kilos in the complete package
✅ Small pack size: Fits in a bikepacking handlebar roll and in a trekking backpack
✅ Space in the inner tent just right for an Ultralight tent
✅ Favorable price
✅ Easy to set up and dismantle
✅ Ideal tent for moderate climates like ours in Central Europe

Bad

❌ Only partially self-supporting: Therefore limited use, e.g. on concrete floor
❌ Y-connection on the plastic tent pole
Grey/orange color is chic but rather flashy for wild camping

Useful accessories for the Forclaz Trek 900 at Decathlon:

• Footprint floor tarp for Trek 900 Ultralight 1 person* or
• 2 person footprint*
• 3 person ground sheet*

Trekking tent Forclaz Trek 900 Alternatives

Naturehike Cloud UP 1 Upgraded

Naturehike Cloud up 1 Zelt Ultraleichte, 1 Person Einzelzelt 1 Mann, für 4 Jahreszeiten, Camping (20D Hellgrün Upgrade)

• 【𝐄𝐢𝐧𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐳𝐞𝐥𝐭】Die Innenzeltlänge von 210 cm ist für die meisten Erwachsenen geeignet. Die leiterförmige Innenraumstruktur kann mit aufblasbaren Matratzen und Schlafsäcken genutzt werden.
• 【𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭】Geeignet für das Zelt einer Person, die Tragetasche ist Φ13 x 41 cm groß und das Gewicht inklusive sämtlichem Zubehör beträgt etwa 1,5 kg, was die Belastung des Rucksacks reduziert und ein guter Partner für alleiniges Wandern und Bergsteigen ist.
• 【𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭】Die Außenschicht besteht aus ultraleichtem, wasserdichtem 20D-Nylongewebe, PU4000+, die Nähte sind fest vernäht und mit wasserfestem Klebeband ausgestattet. Mehrere wasserfeste Klebebänder an den Ecken verhindern wirksam das Eindringen von Wasser.

135,00 EUR

Bei Amazon kaufen* Preis inkl. MwSt., zzgl. Versandkosten

* Werbung - Aktualisierung am 2024-04-06, Preis kann gestiegen sein, Als Amazon-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Verkäufen, Bild:Amazon

An affordable and popular tent from the Chinese brand Naturehike. A solid tent and again cheaper than the Decathlon tent. The pack size, however, is larger and a whole 300 grams heavier.

MSR Hubba NX

Angebot

MSR Hubba NX - superleichtes, freistehendes 1-Personen-Igluzelt - Farbe: hellgrau

• Maximaler Platz: Viel Bewegungsfreiheit im Kopf- und Ellenbogenbereich im gesamten Zelt, Großer Eingangsbereich seitlich bietet Platz für die Ausrüstung.
• Wohnlich: Große StayDry-Tür mit Regenrinne, anpassbares, Überzelt mit Belüftung.
• Einfacher Aufbau, einfach zu packen: Integriertes Hub-Gestänge-System mit farblich gekennzeichneten Clips, ultrakompakter Kompressionspacksack.

540,00 EUR −17% 446,66 EUR

Bei Amazon kaufen* Preis inkl. MwSt., zzgl. Versandkosten

* Werbung - Aktualisierung am 2024-04-07, Preis kann gestiegen sein, Als Amazon-Partner verdiene ich an qualifizierten Verkäufen, Bild:Amazon

One of the most popular tents among bikepackers, cyclists and hikers. For good reason, because the MSR Hubba NX convinces: freestanding, as well as similar in weight and pack size or only slightly heavier and 2cm more in length. But the tent is a little more robust. On the negative side, the price is almost three times that of the Forclaz Trek 900.

Zum ausführlichen MSR Hubba NX Praxistest (Test & Erfahrungen)

What do you think of the Forclaz Trek 900 Ultralight trekking tent? Do you have any questions? Feel free to write me your comment.

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