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Vango Tents.

Highflight

By Highflight
in Star Parties & Astro Events

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Chris H

Chris H

Posted
Posted

If you want a Vango and are prepared to spend more go for one of their Force 10 tents, they are excellent. I have one and have camped often in it in the mountains of Snowdonia and it has never let me down. They come at a premium price but if looked after they will last for years.

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  • 2 months later...
Ogri

Ogri

Posted
Posted

I like Vango a lot, had many of them over the years (had the very expensive lightweight jobbies for backpacking but don't bother with them now), and presently use a Zetes 300. Been through some atrocious weather with it too, as well as hot weather in Eastern Europe, where the venting was tested and found to work well enough.

I had a limit of 4.5kg I wanted a tent to be for motorbike touring, and a tough well built 3 man at that weight (solo it's palatial, two up it's great, 3 would be right out, with not enough room to put the motorbike gear and luggage - leathers, lids, body armour, boots - all bulky).

To get a big but handy porch at that weight limit would get the build strength of materials way too low, to get the build quality, the materials would have then put the weight up to 6 - 8 kilos.

I already had one of those, and had to share it amongst two motorbikes when touring - it's the darned bulk of that extra weight that's the pain.

So I got the Zetes 300 as a logical compromise, and it was a compromise that really paid off.

That said, the little porch is big enough for me to sit in and do the cooking outside (especially parking the other end into the wind), and Vango do a decent sized porch extension for not a lot of money (which I might even get at some point). It's a dinky looking little thing, but as the advert states, a bit like the tardis inside, it's deceptive.

Very comfortable for a month in Europe touring, and it never let a drop in (and the really bad July storms caught me in the Eifel, before I had a chance to outrun them heading South). I think that one you are looking at would give you a slightly bigger porch and a touch more headroom by the looks of it, but I do like the simpler two pole convenience of a tunnel tent in practice, tbh (my other one is a geodesic), and it's very quick to put up once you have done the initial assembly (I always assemble and season them before using a tent in earnest anyway, even with the modern materials).

I don't think the Sigma 400+ is made any more though is it? I don't see it listed on the Vango site, but they do list a new model Zetes, the 400. May be worth a look at that if you want a bit more room?

I do recommentd people actually go to see these Zetes erected, and go inside them to see what they are really like (well, same for them all I suppose). I had a very pleasant surprise with mine.

Zetes 400 | Tents | Vango

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Ogri

Ogri

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Just a thought! Something to look out for when it comes up on sale at Tescos - their picnic mat!

It's warm material one side, and waterproof the other, and ideal under self inflating mats as another bit of insulation as well as preventing wear and tear to the groundsheet. It rolls up about the same size as an ultralight self inflating mat too.

I got mine for £4 and it was worth every penny.

You can also use it out of the tent as a picnic mat too! :)

PS if you like doing out of season camping as well, the Vango Nitestar 450 is brilliant value. It's bulky, but you won't freeze to death in one of them. I use a silk liner with it as well, which turns it into a 5.5 season (or when it's hot, use that as a sleeping bag on top of the Nitestar). http://www.outdoorgear4u.co.uk/category/sleeping-bags/adventure-family-bags-/vango-nitestar-450-sleeping-bag.php They rate it as extreme -26, I've been down to -25 comfortably in my old 4 season bag, and this is even better.

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alfingido

alfingido

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Posted

I used to sell tents ( and camping equipment) for a living and I would seriously suggest you find a retailer with display tents that you can look at. Most tents nowadays, especially the popular makes ( Vango, Royal, Coleman, Gelert and Wynnster) will be fully waterproof however, some can be a pig to erect on anything less than a calm dry day.

Have a look at some and talk to the people that put the tents up.

If money is not the deciding factor, look at Khyam tents. A little dearer, but most are the Quick erect type

I put up an 8 man Khyam tent, on my own in the dark with a thunderstorm brewing. It was raining and windy and took me less than 15 minutes from getting it out of the car to zipping the door up to make a cuppa.

I only use Khyam now, I have a large Rigidome ( 8 berth) a Highlander ( 2/3) and a Viz a Viz type.

Have a look HERE at the Khyam site. I would recommend the Biker.

Allan

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Ogri

Ogri

Posted
Posted

Allan, that's a cracking deal on that Freelander at the site you linked too.

I came across a few people with Goldwings and Harleys towing trailers, that used those Rapidex type pole systems tents, and they are very impressive tents! Not sure if they were the same make, but they were identical in concept.

If I was into that type of motorbike touring, that's the tent I would grab like a shot - not too bad the small one at 10.5kg too.

Chris if you are car based camping, take a serious look at it. The room with that main tent living area, is excellent (one of the boys with a Harley, he serviced his Harley in it, and could almost park it in there at night!).

Everyone I saw with them, used those footprint groundsheets.

There's a red one in the background under the pear tree in this piccy, I think it was the biggest of that type I saw on the trip.

eta: Just noticed the height on the Freelander - it's only 1.25 mtrs. The ones I saw were all full standing headroom in the main tent area. :)

th_Summer2009224.jpg

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alfingido

alfingido

Posted
Posted

eta: Just noticed the height on the Freelander - it's only 1.25 mtrs. The ones I saw were all full standing headroom in the main tent area. :)

th_Summer2009224.jpg

I think they got the size wrong, it should read 185cm. I've seen those and they are huge like you say.

Allan

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Doc

Doc

Posted
Posted

Here is my tent. I think it was a Vango or a copy of one. Cannot remember I'll to dig out the paperwork.

Plenty of room for two people and also two 16" Lightbridges when it was used at SSP.

post-13619-13387742504_thumb.jpg

post-13619-133877425052_thumb.jpg

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alfingido

alfingido

Posted
Posted

Heres a shot of my Khyam Rigi Dome. Taken in 2002, tent still going strong and still looks like new. Looks small here, but you can stand up in all of it, central area is 10ft x 10ft. Loads of room.

4336595293_805ab26be2.jpg

Plenty of room for 3 of us in one bedroom ( split into 2 x 2 ) and a Meade LX90 and associated kit in the other, to keep it nice and warm!

Allan

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Ogri

Ogri

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Yes that's right Allan, I found the spec elsewhere, 1.85 it is! :)

I found this Khyam Freerider too at another site, slightly different to the Freelander, a fair bit lighter, and an impressive 5000mm HH.

Khyam FreeriderTent - NEW FOR 2010 - UNBEATABLE PRICE from Somerset Camping

Pack size at 64x23x23cms looks very useful to me too - I could strap the 'scope to that.

Hmmmmm. If I can rework a few things and lose 3kg from my usual gear, I think I might get that myself!

Found a site with a very nice series of 17 photo's of the Freelander, just click the little left camera icon below main piccy. It looks really nice, and the venting looks extremely competently done too. Impressive!

Tente Freelander - Tentes 3 places - Khyam Don't faint at the prices though! lol!

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  • 2 weeks later...
RikM

RikM

Posted
Posted
If you want a Vango and are prepared to spend more go for one of their Force 10 tents, they are excellent. I have one and have camped often in it in the mountains of Snowdonia and it has never let me down. They come at a premium price but if looked after they will last for years.

Force 10's are top tents. I have used then in Snowdonia, Dartmoor and the Highlands. Bombproof and stormproof.

Rik

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  • 11 months later...
  • 1 month later...
Superewza

Superewza

Posted
Posted

Just got a Spectre 200 for myself, the dad has a Nitro 200 and i used one of their three man tents for a DofE expedition (which surprisingly actually fit three people with enough room for the gear in the porch, not much room left though). Solid tents, if the design is good for you then don't worry about quality.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Catdui

Catdui

Posted
Posted

Hi Chris, I have both Khyam Ridgi Dome and a couple of Vango Tents Both makes are really good. In terms of your gear I suppose it depends how much you have and what scope etc. Like Allan (alfingido) I find the Ridgi Dome brilliant for the 2 of us plus all our gear.

Clear Skies, Have Fun. Catdui.

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  • 1 year later...
Alfven

Alfven

Posted
Posted

Anyone got a Vango Sigma 400+ ? Just putting the feelers out to see if they're any good for 2 people plus some gear.

Vango Tent Information

Thanks.

Chris.

A Vango 400 should be fine. I have a large twin axle 6 berth Bailey [ up for sale ] for camping with the family but when I head out on my own I take my trusty and quite heavy Vango Force 10. When I tell you that it's now over 30 years old and that the seams are as tight as the day it was sewn, you will realise how well made they are. They used to be made in Scotland but I'm not sure if this is still the case. You are also very lucky to live on the [big Island ] were you can get really good deals in the likes of GO Outdoors.

"Please Bring One To "Norn Iron" !"

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

Posted
Posted

If you find a tent you want I would seriously recommend buying it from GoOutdoors. Do all the web searches for the cheapest, in stock, price and then go to GoOutdoors and they will undercut the cheapest on-line price by another 10% :)

I've no connection with them but I buy almost all of my stuff from there using the Price Promise deal.

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