Thoughts on a force ten mk3 for solo tours

mikeyboy

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Hi all,reading the various threads regarding tents recently,
Ok so you can spend anything from £50 up to £1k :blast
I’ve currently got a vango omega 350 which is great but it’s a bit of a faff to put up and pack away.
Also it’s a bit big for solo stuff.
I’m seriously looking at the force ten mk3 (cotton fly)
It’s a similar pack size as the omega,maybe 1kg heavier,
I seem to recall that they are a piece of cake to erect.
And are pretty much bullet proof .
Rose tinted specs or good idea:D
 
Good solid tents though an old design

I could sell you a Hercules AST which is a lot stronger for no more weight, also old but not as old!
 
Wow, I have a Force Ten with nylon flysheet, vintage 1980. Can't bear to part with it. Old tech. Very quick to erect, very robust. Heavy, by modern standards, so not for backpacking. Very comfortable and very waterproof (if proofed). Nobody will steal it :jager
 
There's a Mk 4 on Gumtree for £100 or 2 for best offer. You might get your money back selling on the second one.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
There's a Mk 4 on Gumtree for £100 or 2 for best offer. You might get your money back selling on the second one.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
Thanks but I don’t want a mk 4,
Mk 3 has a shorter pack size so I’m guessing shorter poles


I should add,I’m looking at a new one,not used.
 
Brilliant tents as you've probably gathered.

When travelling longer distances in Antarctica we used what's called a pyramid tent but always carried a spare tent because if your main one gets blown away then you're quite likely to die.

The spare known as a pup tent was Force Ten.

I've also had one for travelling around Europe on a bike and it was great :)
 
Had Force Ten tents for years. Still have a MK4 and a MK5. Used them all over Europe. Love the lack of condensation, and bombproof reliability.
The old ones (as you likely know) are made in Scotland (Vango being an anagram of Govan). My MK5 was made in China and seems slightly less durable material than the originals.
Great place to buy is Sports Warehouse on Coburg Street in Edinburgh...
 
Had Force Ten tents for years. Still have a MK4 and a MK5. Used them all over Europe. Love the lack of condensation, and bombproof reliability.
The old ones (as you likely know) are made in Scotland (Vango being an anagram of Govan). My MK5 was made in China and seems slightly less durable material than the originals.
Great place to buy is Sports Warehouse on Coburg Street in Edinburgh...
Never knew that! I do like a good bit of useless information! :thumb2
 
Blacks of Greenock have the Mk3s in stock too.

Brilliant tents. I've spent so many nights in a Mk3 I couldn't recommend one enough.

I have my Dad's old Mk5 which is still going strong. A touch too big for a solo motorbike tour.
 
20 years ago (ish) three of us lugged one halfway up Mont Blanc (and another couple of 4000m mountains)! One carrying the outer, one the inner, and one with poles/pegs. 3 can fit in a Mk4, but better with just 2 if you like sleep :)
normal_Picture%20039.jpg

Here we were!!! Happy memories :)

Solo, I am planning to carry my Mk4 on the GS at some point. I have one of those Cymarc plates that replaces the rear seat...I was going to strap it on there
 
They’re easy to put up and if I had to find a fault it’d be that at if you pack up when the outer is damp you can’t shake it to get rid of some of the damp. Having said that, I find that the plus points of having a cotton tent far outweigh the negatives.

The only thing better is a cotton teepee and they don’t pack down as small so buy it, you won’t regret it.
 
20 years ago (ish) three of us lugged one halfway up Mont Blanc (and another couple of 4000m mountains)! One carrying the outer, one the inner, and one with poles/pegs. 3 can fit in a Mk4, but better with just 2 if you like sleep :)
normal_Picture%20039.jpg

Here we were!!! Happy memories :)

Solo, I am planning to carry my Mk4 on the GS at some point. I have one of those Cymarc plates that replaces the rear seat...I was going to strap it on there

I get my MKIV in a 40l roll bag and if the outer is wet I put that in a nylon roll bag before packing it in with the rest of the tent.

We used to split a MKIV between 2 of us when winter climbing in Scotland or in the Alps in summer but once you’d added ropes, sleeping bags, food and general climbing kit it was a heavy load 😲
 
Thanks but I don’t want a mk 4,
Mk 3 has a shorter pack size so I’m guessing shorter poles


I should add,I’m looking at a new one,not used.
Dreadfully sorry old chap......just trying to help

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 
Mike if you get one, have a look round for the inverted Y piece to the tent poles, it means you have two up rights at the back and over the tent
and two uprights at the front of the tent but at an angle, so no tent pole in front of the entrance and no tent pole inside the tent just need two extra pole's.
Make's a big difference getting in and out of the tent and the space inside the tent.
The tent poles stand up by them selves and you hang/ clip the tent under poles.
 
The Mk3 has an A frame at each end if I remember correctly.

The Mark 2 has an A frame at the front and a single pole at the back.

Happy to be corrected.

By the way Mike, when you get it, don't forget to put it up in the garden and spray it with water to proof it for the first time.

Can't remember why, but I recall you have to do it with a new cotton fly.
 
Hi Mike, My mark 3 force ten is 38 this year, cotton version. Seen off all weathers,the outer fly is now nearly white but looked after will last really well. The new ones may have less quality rubber guying points but easily replaced with inner tube cut down. Had a fleet of 15 when working at special ed school. Always dry out as soon as you can , best tent ever for durability. Have had many others that didn’t fare so well. Old school.

Have a under ground sheet footprint helps also. I have a nylon front extension that’s real light and brilliant when it’s real wet. :thumby:

Andrew
 
The Mk3 has an A frame at each end if I remember correctly.

The Mark 2 has an A frame at the front and a single pole at the back.

Happy to be corrected.

By the way Mike, when you get it, don't forget to put it up in the garden and spray it with water to proof it for the first time.

Can't remember why, but I recall you have to do it with a new cotton fly.

Mk 3 ordered:D
Yes you have to soak the fly sheet then allow to dry,
It causes the fabric to shrink and the stitching to swell.:thumb2
 
I had a white fly sheet made for mine so I could pitch it on mountains and not risk the tent being removed by a helicopter for being pitched where it shouldn’t 😀

It was much thinner than a standard one but only cost me about £50 to have made and weighed next to nothing so it was slipped over the tent to disguise it once the tent was up. Probably not a good idea if you were coming back after dark in a near blizzard but I always found it.
 
Perfect day for a trial pitch,I’ve given it a good soak with a hose to proof the fly sheet:thumb
 

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