Forceatt Tent Review – A Faulty Backpacking Tent

When I received my Forceatt tent, I went into reviewing it with an open mind. Upon first opening the package and attempting to set it up I got frustrated. I really struggled setting it up and thought of writing a really negative review. However I decided to give it another shot. After all everybody deserves a second chance. Here is my unbiased, second run at a Forceatt tent review.

To be fair, it didn’t get easier the second time around. Setting up the Forceatt tent is really difficult. I managed to do it, however the design has some pretty serious flaws. It is impossible for the Forceatt tent to compete amongst the best camping tents on the market.

The Good

• Great waterproofing – 4000 mm HH.
• Double wall tent, separate mesh inner wall and 190T polyester rainfly.
• Weights only 4.4 lbs, very lightweight.
• Really easy to fold up.
• Very low price.

The Bad

• Poorly designed fibreglass pole. At the end of the second time setting it up, the aluminium coating at the end of the pole fell off.
• Difficult to set up, takes more time than it should.
• When you push the pole through the mesh wall, you can easily puncture it.
• Too small door, impossible to get inside the tent in full winter clothing.
• Very small inner space.
• Not enough stakes in the package.

The packaging of the Forceatt tent is pretty standard. A polyester bag, with a single hole that you can pull together and close. All in all easy to carry, however it doesn’t have a separate handle. You need to put it on your backpack, not the best to carry it in your hands.

Who Is The Forceatt Backpacking Tent Best For?

I tried out the single person version of the Forceatt backpacking tent. Honestly it was so small, that I highly doubt even one adult can sleep in it without touching the walls all the time. It is a single person tent at best, and it has several design flaws. (Dimensions: 102.36″L x 54.33″W x 47.24″H)

One of its selling points is its low price ($46 in 11.2023). For this much money you are treading in value tent category. You would expect every tent at this price point to have some flaws. However what makes me concerned is the durability of the product.

I set it up only two times, and managed to puncture the mesh wall with the pole. Imagine doing this for years. Also the whole mesh inner wall can get punctures in it, as the inner space is so tiny you will inevitably touch the walls of the tent while you are inside.

With this concern, I honestly think even if you are a solo backpacker and you are looking for a value option, you can do better than the Forceatt backpacking tent. I know this might sound harsh, but I personally didn’t like this tent. You can do much better than this for this amount of money.

How Waterproof Is The Forceatt Backpacking Tent?

The polyester rainfly is 4000 mm HH waterproof. This is enough to make it a four season tent. However there is one big issue with the fly.

I struggled to cover the whole tent with the rainfly. I think the company could have included at least four more stakes in the package. I didn’t have enough stakes to make the rainfly taut from all sides and have it cover the whole inner wall from everywhere.

You don’t have to worry about condensation with this product. The whole inner wall is made of mesh, so the ventilation is really solid, I would say there is a minimal chance you will suffer from condensation.

There is no separate ground cloth in the package. However the bottom of the tent is very thick, I have no questions that you don’t have to worry about water seeping through the bottom of the tent, to the inside. Overall the waterproofing qualities of the material are really good, but in my opinion the tent design lets you down a little bit.

Is The Forceatt Backpacking Tent Worth Its Price Tag?

Even though the price of this product is so low, my answer is a resounding no.

In my opinion the questions surrounding the durability of this tent is a big issue. The difficulty of setting it up is a big no-no for me. I don’t want to get frustrated every time I go camping. Similarly the door is just too small. I want to get in and out of the tent effortlessly.

It doesn’t matter how low the price is, if you can’t use the tent effortlessly and it will give you constant headaches. If you want to have a better tent at a similar price point, check out the Naturehike Mongar 2 or the Kazoo Venus backpacking tent.

How Fast Can You Set Up The Forceatt Tent?

For the first time I couldn’t even set up this tent. The issue simply lies in the design of the pole. The tent comes with a single pole, that you have to run through a hole on top of the wall. There are two metallic sticks – one on each side – that you have to secure the pole to.

This whole process is very difficult. The pole is shock cord connected, so while you are running it through the hole it comes apart pretty easily. It is difficult to run the pole inside the metallic stick, and you might need multiple tries to get it right.

For the second attempt I managed to set up the tent. It took a total of 8 minutes. That for me is a little long, considering it is a single pole tent and should not take that much time.

Forceatt Tent Review – Design And Features

Let’s go through the features of the Forceatt backpacking tent one by one and and find out what I thought of the design!

The Inside

The dimensions of the tent are 102.36″L x 54.33″W x 47.24″H. It is advertised as a two person tent, but I don’t see it housing more than one person to be fair. It has no vestibule, so you need to store your gear on the inside.

One of the biggest criticisms I have of this tent is how little the door is. I had my winter jacket on and found it really hard to get inside without bringing the whole tent down. Granted, I am a pretty big man but still…

Breathability

Actually breathability is one of the positive features of this tent. The whole inner wall is made of mesh so you have a steady airflow inside. The rainfly has one door and one small window you can close with a tape. Basically you can get a steady airflow by opening both.

I am not concerned of condensation inside this tent. Even if you have both the door and the window closed, the fly doesn’t touch the ground. So the air can get in and out of the tent unobstructed.

Footprint

This tent doesn’t come with a separate footprint. It has however a thick ground, that protects you perfectly against the wet ground or any rocks. You don’t have to worry about water seeing into the tent.

The Stakes

This is where the problems start. I counted 10 aluminium stakes. They are the typical cheap stakes you get with value backpacking tents. However for me they should have packed more stakes. I could easily do with 14 stakes. If I want to use separate stakes to secure the main structure of the tent and the rainfly, I would need more stakes. Now I could not completely make the rainfly taut, so it didn’t cover the end of the mesh wall. This is a big risk when it comes to waterproofing.

Of course I can use less stakes to secure the inner wall, but in my eyes it costs almost nothing to put more stakes in the product. It would also make it much easier to set up the tent. It would also make the whole structure more secure.

The Pole

The Forceatt tent comes with a shock cord connected fibreglass pole. It is the typical pole you would expect in a tent of this category. The one I had, the metallic cap came off the pole really easy just after setting up the tent two times. This makes me think of the durability of the pole.

The Seams

The floor of the tent and the mesh are sealed together with double stitches. I had no issues with water seeping through. Also upon observation the seams looked well sealed and well designed. I think this is actually a strong part of this product.

Pockets

There are no pockets inside this tent. I am overall thinking it is really hard to store your gear inside the Forceatt tent. There is no vestibule to hold your backpack or store your dirty shoes. You need to keep everything inside the tent.

Weight

The Forceatt tent weights 2 kgs (4.4 lbs). This is pretty low weight, but not nearly ultralight territory. That would be around 3 lbs. For a single person tent I think this is an ok weight. Certainly the thick ground adds most to the weight, and the single pole design is actually a plus here.

In my opinion the wight of this tent is alright, not super light but ultimately it is not so heavy that it discourages me from using it.

Conclusion

Even though the Forceatt camping tent has some positive features, I would not recommend it. I have serious questions about its durability and design. You might not find a more waterproof single person tent for this amount of money, but you can certainly find a better designed waterproof tent for the same price.