Decathlon Forclaz Camping and Backpacking Gear: 8 Pieces Worth a Closer Look

Introduction

Decathlon has built a reputation for outdoor gear that covers an unusually wide spread of budgets, and the Forclaz label sits at the more serious end of that lineup. The eight pieces in this roundup have all been used repeatedly in the field rather than simply unpacked for a first look, which makes them a fair test of what the range actually delivers.

The selection covers a compact canister stove, a camp pillow, an inflatable sleeping pad, a down sleeping bag, two trekking pole tents, a freestanding backpacking tent and a pair of trekking poles. Prices run from around £15 for the pillow to £229 for the two-person backpacking tent, so there is a clear entry point and a clear top end.

What ties these items together is that most of them sit in the middle and upper tiers of the Forclaz range. That is where the materials get lighter, the fabrics feel better in the hand and the designs show more thought, and it is the part of the range most worth understanding before you commit to a purchase.

What to Look For in the Forclaz Range

A few numbers matter more than anything else when comparing this kit. For tents, the useful markers are the sub-one-kilogram and sub-two-kilogram thresholds: the one-person trekking pole tent comes in at 920 g and the freestanding dome tent at 1.95 kg, and both figures carry real meaning for how a pack feels over a long day.

For sleep gear, the numbers to watch are the R-value on a pad and the fill power and comfort rating on a bag. A pad with an R-value of 1.5 is a warm-weather pad, while a down bag rated to a 0°C comfort level with 800 fill power is a genuine three-season option.

Decathlon splits the range into tiers. The MT900 line is the lightest and best finished, the 500 series sits in the middle and still feels well made, and the entry-level pieces are cheaper and heavier. Handling the fabrics in store is the quickest way to tell the difference.

Forclaz MT500 Camping Stove

The MT500 stove is a compact canister burner built around a design approach that will look familiar to anyone who has used a premium lightweight stove. Three fold-out prongs support the pot, and the burner sits inside a deep lip that shields the flame from moving air. The gap between that lip and the base of a pot or mug is deliberately small, which helps the stove run efficiently instead of losing heat around the sides.

The piezo igniter fires first time, and the control valve gives fine adjustment from a simmer up to a full boil. Total weight is 85 g, and it will boil a litre of water in 3 minutes and 4 seconds, which puts it among the more powerful canister stoves at this size.

At £29.99 it costs substantially less than the premium stoves it resembles, and nothing about the build feels like a compromise at that price.

Forclaz Trek Pillow

Most lightweight camp pillows are a single air bladder with a fabric skin, and they are often the least comfortable part of a sleep system. The Forclaz Trek pillow takes a different approach: a 36 by 25 cm inflated base, 7 cm thick, topped with a layer of foam and covered in a soft fabric that is genuinely pleasant to rest your head on.

The cover lifts off and can be washed, which matters on a trip where everything else stays damp and grubby. The valve has a non-return design, so air goes in without escaping between breaths and you are not wasting effort when inflating it at the end of a long day.

At 170 g it is heavier and bulkier than the smallest trekking pillows on the market, and the trade-off is deliberate. For £14.99 you get noticeably more comfort for a modest weight penalty, which is usually the right call on a backpacking trip.

Forclaz MT500 Inflatable Sleeping Pad

The MT500 is a summer sleeping pad. Its R-value of 1.5 is modest, and that is fine in warm conditions but not something to rely on in cold weather. In the large size it measures 190 by 60 by 5 cm, which is a long, wide platform rather than a tapered ultralight mat, and it weighs 600 g.

Wider and longer pads have become more common because the extra surface area translates into a better night’s sleep, and this pad follows that logic. The top surface has small grip dots that stop a sleeping bag from sliding off during the night, and the fabric is undyed.

Inflation and deflation use separate valves, so you are not fighting escaping air while filling it, and packing it away is just as straightforward. For £50 the MT500 is a comfortable, generously sized mat for spring and summer trips.

If you camp outside those months regularly, a pad with a higher R-value will serve you better, and the MT500 is best understood as a warm-weather specialist rather than an all-year option.

Forclaz MT900 Down Sleeping Bag

Anyone camping in temperatures below about 7°C at night should be looking at a down bag rather than a synthetic one, and the usual obstacle is price. The MT900 down bag is rated to a 0°C comfort level with a -5°C limit, and it costs £159.

It uses 500 g of 800 fill power down, which is a high grade of insulation in a meaningful quantity. Total weight is 950 g in the large size, and because down compresses so effectively the packed size can be reduced well below the stuff sack it arrives in.

The shape is mummy cut with a close-fitting hood, and there is a baffle at the front and another at the back to stop warm air escaping around the zip. A generous toe box keeps feet warm without feeling pinched, which is a detail that matters on cold nights.

Forclaz MT900 Trekking Pole Tent 1-Person

At 920 g, this is the lightest tent Decathlon has made, and staying under a kilogram is a significant achievement for any backpacking tent regardless of budget. It pitches with a trekking pole rather than a dedicated pole set.

The inner is mostly mesh for ventilation, with solid fabric lower down so a cool, draughty night does not cut straight through. Interior height is generous enough to sit up in comfortably, and the layout gives one large vestibule with the opposite side left completely flat, a configuration that is unusual to see.

Build quality is high and the design is clearly well thought through. The price had not been confirmed at the time of writing, with expectations of just under £150.

Forclaz MT900 Trekking Pole Tent 2-Person

The two-person version of the MT900 trekking pole tent weighs 1.3 kg, which makes it a genuine lightweight backpacking tent for two. It uses a flysheet with no dye in the outer fabric, an approach that reduces the environmental footprint and also helps reflect some summer heat.

Interior space is bright, roomy and easy to live in, and the tent performed well in real use on a wild camping trip, handling everything asked of it. Of all the gear in this lineup it was the biggest surprise, and it ended up being one of the most highly rated pieces.

For two people sharing the load, the packed weight works out very reasonably, and the trekking pole pitch keeps the overall kit simple. It is best suited to the warmer months rather than a full winter season, and at £159 it represents solid value for a tent this light.

Forclaz MT900 Backpacking Tent

The MT900 backpacking tent is the heaviest tent here at 1.95 kg, but it stays under the two-kilogram mark that matters to a lot of backpackers. It is a freestanding two-person dome tent built for three-season use.

The interior is well equipped: two pockets at the head end, two roof pockets that are genuinely useful, a small hanging hook and fixings at the top of the inner if you want to run a cord line for drying or organising gear.

The standout feature is the vestibule design. Each vestibule is around 70 cm wide, and the groundsheet extends from under the tent out into the vestibule itself. Combined with high sides, that means a pack or a pair of boots can sit outside the sleeping area and stay dry even when the ground is wet. It is a detail that is hard to find on other tents without adding a separate groundsheet.

The price rose this year to £229, and it still reads as good value for a tent with this much space and this level of finish.

Forclaz MT900 Trekking Poles

The MT900 trekking poles are £39 each, and they are the one item in this lineup where the value argument is difficult. There is nothing wrong with the build: the adjustment is precise, the height markings are clear, the fixings are good, and the poles collapse down neatly. In construction quality they beat plenty of poles sold at similar or higher prices.

The issue is the material. These are aluminium poles, and at £39 each, carbon fibre would be a reasonable expectation. For a backpacker weighing up performance against price, that makes them the weakest proposition in the Forclaz range, even though the item itself is well made.

Buying Advice: Which Forclaz Tier Makes Sense

The clearest guidance across this range is to aim for the MT900 tier if your budget stretches to it. That is where the gear gets lighter, the materials improve and the designs feel more considered, and the difference is noticeable in daily use. The 500 series is a genuinely good middle ground, with a few pieces that lean towards summer conditions. The lower end of the range can be a little cheap and cheerful, and it is heavier, so it is worth handling the fabrics in store before deciding.

Matching each item to the season it was built for matters more than chasing the lowest weight. The MT500 sleeping pad is a warm-weather mat, the trekking pole tents are at their best through the warmer months, and the MT900 dome tent covers a full three seasons. The down sleeping bag is the piece that works year round, and the stove and pillow are useful in any conditions.

Decathlon covers a very wide spread of budgets, and the practical approach is to buy the highest tier you can comfortably afford for the items you use most.

Conclusion

Taken as a set, this Forclaz gear makes a strong case for itself. The stove is powerful and inexpensive, the pillow is far more comfortable than its price suggests, the sleeping pad is a solid summer mat, and the down sleeping bag is warm, light and rated for genuine three-season use. The two trekking pole tents are impressively light, and the dome tent earns its place for anyone who wants space and three-season capability.

The trekking poles are the exception, well built but priced high for aluminium. For everything else, the MT900 tier is where the range delivers the most, and it is the tier worth prioritising if you can.