2017 Marmot Force 2P Tent Review – Ultra Lightweight & Top Quality

This Marmot Force 2p Tent Review is about the 2017 version of the famous backpacking tent. This is an ultra-lightweight freestanding 3-season quality tent.

Key features & benefits

What type is it

♦ The Marmot Force 2p Tent is a 3-season tool, and as such, it is built as a double layer structure with the inner tent and the fly. The upper body of the inner tent is completely the No-See-Um Mesh, so this is a structure which does not keep the warmth and this is one of the reasons why it is not a winter tent.

♦ The tent is also fully freestanding, but as usual, this applies to the inner tent only. To have a fully functional fly, it is necessary to stake it to the ground. But indeed, you can manage without it if the terrain is such that staking it is not possible.

Who is it for

The weight of the Marmot Force 2 tent is only 3 lb 8 oz (1585 g). This makes it a great tool for backpackers. If so, then it is great also for a variety of other outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, mountaineering, biking, kayaking, and you name it.

But it is fair to say that this is not the lightest option on the market. To realize this, it is best that you check my another text with a long list of such ultra lightweight tools.

Though, in the specifications below, you will see also the minimum weight which is only 2 lb 12.5 oz (1260 g). About this terminology please see more in this text.

Sizewise, with its dimensions 86 x 52/41 x 41 inches (218 x 132/104 x 104 cm), this tent is formally declared as a 2-person tent. But you could use it that way only with somebody who is very intimate to you; this is a very narrow tent for two people and you can put only 20 inches pads inside.

But the truth is that you have two vestibules and two doors, so you have a lot of space for gear and two people can indeed manage with such a tent.

The packed size is 18 x 6.7 inches (45.7 x 17 cm), so it can be transported in various ways, either on/in a backpack or on a bicycle, in a kayak, on a motorbike, etc.

What is new in the new model

Here are the most important differences:

Materials and construction

You have the best of the best here. Note, there is a confusion in various sites about numbers and materials. The data given here are from the Marmot’s site.

The poles

There are 4 poles in total. Two of them create loops in the head and in the feet section. One ridge pole connects these two poles, in fact, they are permanently connected to each other. There is one extra transverse brow pole which pulls the side walls up and makes the doors and the side walls almost completely vertical. All poles are shock-corded, no chance to lose any piece of them.

The material is aluminum and the poles are DAC NFL, with 9.3 mm and 8.7 mm diameter. The DAC is the leading manufacturer of tent poles, and NFL is the type they developed for ultra-lightweight backpacking tents.

The fabric

• Canopy fabric is 15D No-See-Um mesh F/R; this symbol means fire-retardant.
• Floor fabric is 40D 100% nylon, W/R, F/R.
• Fly fabric is 30D 100% nylon ripstop, silicon PU, W/R, F/R. This is a full-coverage fly with a vent on the bigger vestibule.

So you realize that this fabric is reasonably durable for a tent built with the intention to be an ultra lightweight tool.

Waterproofness

You have 2000 mm rating for the floor, and 1800 mm for the fly. So these are great numbers, and with all seams taped you will be completely protected from elements.

Doors and vestibules

You have them 2, the doors are the same size but the vestibules are asymmetric. They create 6.9 + 5.2 sq ft (0.64 + 0.48 m²) of protected space for gear.

Setup

All is color-coded, so it is very easy to set this tent up. You need this coding because of the asymmetric vestibules design. The inner tent attaches to the poles (which are freestanding even without the tent attached to them) through clips.

Inside structure

The tent floor is not completely rectangular, so at the head section you have 52 inches, and only 41 at the feet area. There are two mesh pockets, one for each user, and you also have one lampshade pocket at the top.

The fabric is reinforced at the places of the highest tension, like in the corners. So clearly, you have a lot of attention to details in this great tent.

Good and less good features & rating

Here is my short summary:

The price

The current Amazon price for this tent is around $330, so not exactly something you could call an affordable tent. But this is quite a technical tool built from top quality materials. See how I rate it:

Specifications

• Type: backpacking, freestanding, 3-season.
• Capacity: 2 people.
• Min weight: 2 lb 12.5 oz (1260 g).
• Max weight: 3 lb 8 oz (1585 g).
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 86 x 52/41 x 41 in (218 x 132/104 x 104 cm).
• Floor area: 29 sq ft (2.7 sq m).
• Vestibule area: 6.9 + 5.2 sq ft (0.64 + 0.48 m²).
• Packed size: 18 x 6.7 in (45.7 x 17 cm).
• Doors: 2.
• Vestibules: 2.
• Poles: 4.
• Warranty: limited lifetime.

Marmot Force 2P Tent vs competitors

See how the Force 2 compares with these two top models, both from 2017. Note that the Big Agnes tent is currently without a match regarding the weight.

Final thoughts

If this tent is not what you are looking for, please check my page with tents and shelters, there are many great models described in detail, for everybody’s pockets, and for every purpose. You might want to check this luxurious Big Agnes Copper Hotel HV UL2 Tent and also this Exped Mira II HL Tent which is in a similar style as the Force 2p tent.

If you have questions or comments, please use the comment box below. I wish you a nice day.