Decathlon Forclaz MT900 Trekking Dome Tent Review

Overview

The Forclaz MT900 Trekking Dome Tent is a one-person, three-season shelter built around a Y-shaped pole that splits into three feet, giving a semi-freestanding structure. It weighs 1,300 g and costs £159.99. That is a fraction of what the Western brands charge for a comparable solo dome. The trade-off is what the price implies: ordinary materials, a mesh-heavy inner and the wind manners typical of a dome rather than a tunnel.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	1,300 g
Structure	Semi-freestanding Y-shaped dome
Seasons	3
Packed size	39 x 11 x 10 cm (4.2 L)
Bedroom length	210 cm
Bedroom height	95 cm
Total height	110 cm
Doors / porches	1 / 1 (70 cm side porch)
Flysheet waterproofing	2,000 mm
Groundsheet waterproofing	3,000 mm
Wind resistance	Habitable at 60 km/h (CSTB-certified)
Poles	8.3 mm 7001 T6 aluminium
Pegs	7075 T6 aluminium, “anvil” head
Pockets	3 (1 at the head, 2 on top)

Performance

Weight and packability. Live for the Outdoors weighed its sample at 1,302 g, which matches the claimed figure. The reviewer called it impressive for the money and not quite ultralight. Most ultralight thru-hikers will see 1.3 kg as the weight of a good double-wall solo tent, not a minimalist one. It sits roughly 350–380 g above Decathlon’s own MT900 trekking-pole tarp tent, which weighs 920–950 g. The pole is short, and the whole kit packs to 39 x 11 x 10 cm, so it slides into a pack without much negotiation. Live for the Outdoors also judged it a good fit for price-conscious bikepackers.

Pitching. The tent pitches inner-first. The inner is laid out and pegged at its four corners, at the integrated porch footprint and at a central rear peg. The poles go on, and then the flysheet drapes over the whole thing. Colour-coding on the pole, inner and fly keeps the sequence intuitive. Live for the Outdoors found it easy to pitch. Owners of the broader MT900 family report similar five-minute pitches.

Inner-first setup does mean a wet inner in a downpour. Decathlon’s workaround is an optional footprint (listed at £24.99), which lets the fly go up first. The Y-pole is only semi-freestanding, so the tent still needs pegs and guylines to take its final shape.

Space and livability. The pole layout produces near-vertical walls and 95 cm of bedroom height, with 110 cm overall. That is enough to sit up and change clothes without the usual solo-tent contortions. The 210 cm inner length suits taller hikers. Live for the Outdoors rated the internal liveability well, though a step below MSR, Sea to Summit and Big Agnes. The 70 cm side porch holds a pack of up to about 70 litres, but it is a storage nook and not a place to cook out a storm.

Weather. The flysheet carries 2,000 mm waterproofing and the groundsheet 3,000 mm. Both are ordinary figures for a tent at this price. Decathlon says Forclaz tents are lab-tested under 200 L/m²/h for three hours, a simulated tropical storm. The tent is rated habitable at 60 km/h when pitched taut with every guyline deployed. Live for the Outdoors flagged the usual dome-tent caveats: less stability in high winds, a cold, draughty mesh inner and the inner-first pitch. Owners of Decathlon’s lighter MT900 variants have warned that the poles are light and that exposed, very windy camps are not their best use. The 60 km/h rating supports that caution. This is a tent for sheltered woodland, valley and shoulder-season camps, not exposed ridgelines.

Ventilation and condensation. Two large top vents close with Velcro. The inner pairs mosquito mesh with water-repellent fabric to cut condensation and draughts. The mesh helps airflow on warm nights but costs warmth when it is cold and breezy.

Build quality. Live for the Outdoors described the hardware and materials as slightly cheap and basic next to premium models. The aluminium pole and the 7075 aluminium pegs are good for this price. The rest of the kit is what £160 buys.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 1,300 g with a 4.2-litre packed volume, light and compact for £159.99
• Quick, colour-coded pitch with a short, simple Y-pole
• 95 cm bedroom height and a 210 cm inner give real sitting room and length
• Aluminium pole and pegs included
• Lab-tested for heavy rain and certified to 60 km/h wind

Cons

• Dome-tent wind behaviour; the 60 km/h rating leaves little margin on exposed sites
• Mesh-heavy inner can feel draughty in cold weather
• Inner-first pitching leaves the inner exposed in rain unless the optional footprint is bought
• Fabrics and hardware feel basic next to premium tents
• Not semi-freestanding in practice without pegs and guylines; the three-foot pole still needs staking
• Heavier than trekking-pole tents, including Decathlon’s own at 920–950 g

Who Should Buy This

This tent suits budget-minded backpackers and bikepackers who want a conventional, quick-pitching double-wall solo shelter with proper headroom. It also suits UK and European three-season hikers who camp mostly in sheltered spots and don’t want to spend £500 or more on an MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack or Sea to Summit Alto TR1 Bikepack. Gram-counting thru-hikers, hikers who already carry trekking poles and anyone aiming for exposed, windy camps should look at a trekking-pole tent or a sturdier tunnel design.

Verdict

The MT900 dome delivers most of what a solo three-season hiker needs for about a third of the price of the big-name competition. It gives up wind stability, weight and finish to get there. Buy it if you camp in moderate conditions and value comfort and cost over every last gram.