The Ion 2 comes ready to use, and while you may expect that when you're paying £300+ for a tent ready to use really doesn mean ready to use. There's no sealing seams, they come ready sealed and capable of withstanding a Lake District downpour, and not attaching the inner to the outer for all-in-one pitching; that's how it comes in the bag. The poles are colour coded and while that used to be a selling point it's become the default for most manufacturer these days so nothing really to write home about, but for some indiscernable reason they seem to slide into place easier than others. Where this really shows is at the porch end with the arch apex automaticaly falling directly above the centre of the porch; the result is a perfectly weighted and tensioned fleesheet.
Having used a variety of F10 tents over the years there's no getting away from the feeling that the Ion 2 is just too lightweight to withstand the conditions where the F10 brand excels, but when you look at the specifications the numbers firmly remind you that modern fabrics really are significantly lighter fot the same strength and durability. The flysheet, and particularly the groundsheet, appear thin and flimsy but actually they're thin and strong. The wind can blow outside but insid
e you wouldn't even know.
A solid and stable design and strong but lightweight fabrics are the marks of a good tent and on their own enough to tempt a knowledgable buyer but it's the fine touches that really make the difference and push the Ion 2 up the wish list. You expect pockets at the door end on the inner but along with the pockets on either side you get perfectly angled pockets high up in the corners for angling a headtorch or storing essentials. The door and entry has seen special attention with a rain gutter that really works; to the point that you can sit inside in the rain with a well pitched tent and leave the door open. The gutter will take the rain away from the door zip and the perfectly tensioned porch fly will shed it quickly and efficietly. If the wind changes direction and you do need to shut the door the inner of F10 Ion 2 also boasts a "single-handed" zip operation and it's no glib boast, it really is simple to open with one hand while balancing a brew made in the adequately, without being excessive, sized porch.
In terms of space there's a lot of 2 man tents on the market, especially lightweight ones, that push the boundaries between 2 man and 1 man but not the Ion 2. For one person it's more than spacious and for 2 it's less than a squeeze; sure you'll fill the space between 2 of you but the good headroom adds a feeling of space and with a porch that's more than sufficient for a couple of packs it really is a 2 man tent. The high point has even been cunningly positioned so that you can raise your upper body from the hips from horizontal to vertical without touching the inner or fly, giving enough headroom to sit comfortably if conditions are bad outside.
Testing in the height of summer with an overwarm sleeping bag and torrential rain outside there was a little condensation under the sleeping mat but the ventilation prevented any condensation on the inner walls or roof.
Conclusions:
Quick and simple to pitch straight from the bag. Deceptively strong and stable for the weight with real attention to detail. A great example of how new fabric technology can reduce weight without reducing performance.
Features:
- All in one pitching
- Freestanding, Semi Geodesic design
- Gothic Arch pole structure
- 30D Ripstop nylon 6, 5000mm HH, siliconised flysheet
- 70D Ripstop nylon 6, 5000mm HH, PU backed bathtub groundsheet
- Breathable ripstop inner tent
- All flysheet and groundsheet seams are factory taped
- FlexLite 7001-T6 poles
- Flysheet vents with mesh coverings
- Dyneema pegging points which can be modified for use with skis or snow anchors
- Rain gutter zip covers divert rain away from the door zip
- Part mesh inner door
- Mini Line-Lok guyline runners
- Pole sleeve tension adjusters keep the flysheet taut
- Low profile pole sleeves
- Duraflex buckles and zip pullers
- Multiple reflective points on the pole sleeves, pegging points and vents