Vango Tempest 400 review

Sleeps: 4
Weight: 4.25kgs
Dimensions:  internal 235x230cm, with a small external area
Pack size:  48x19x19cm
RRP: £200

Read our comparison of all lightweight tents here

The Tempest range of tents represents an excellent compromise between comfort and weight reduction, and is one of the recommended tents for Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions.  Plus, this is one of the few lightweight options to come in a  four person option. The internal area of the tent is less cramped than some lightweight options, and the small external vestibule gives an area to store your bags leading to more room inside the tent.  As with all of the Vango expedition quality tents, the Tempest come with a 5000HH polyester flysheet that keeps everything out, making this a truly four-season tent.  The upper third of the door to the inner tent is a mesh fabric, designed to keep insects out but allow the tent to breathe and to prevent condensation.  The tunnel design means that the tent hugs the ground and is stable in poor weather.   On the negative side, it is a bit heavier than other options, which you'll notice if you're planning to carry over long distances - but split between four people and it remains competitive.

Best bits:  Very reasonable price for an excellent quality tent, bigger inside than some lightweight options, comes as a four person tent
Worst bits:  On the heavy side of things for a true expedition tent

RRP:  £200
Where to get it cheaper?: £149 here

Vango Tempest 300 review

Sleeps: 3
Weight: 3.45kgs
Dimensions:  internal 170x220cm, with a small external area
Pack size:  43x15x15cm
RRP: £170

Read our comparison of all lightweight tents here

The Tempest range of tents represents an excellent compromise between comfort and weight reduction, and is one of the recommended tents for Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions.   The internal area of the tent is less cramped than some lightweight options, and the small external vestibule gives an area to store your bags leading to more room inside the tent.  As with all of the Vango expedition quality tents, the Tempest come with a 5000HH polyester flysheet that keeps everything out, making this a truly four-season tent.  The upper third of the door to the inner tent is a mesh fabric, designed to keep insects out but allow the tent to breathe and to prevent condensation.  The tunnel design means that the tent hugs the ground and is stable in poor weather.   On the negative side, it is a bit heavier than other options, which you'll notice if you're planning to carry over long distances - see our comparison of other lightweight tents linked above if this might be a problem.

Best bits:  Very reasonable price for an excellent quality tent, bigger inside than some lightweight options
Worst bits:  On the heavy side of things for a true expedition tent

RRP:  £170
Where to get it cheaper?: £119 here

Vango Tempest 200 review

 Sleeps: 2
Weight: 2.9kgs
Dimensions:  internal 130x210cm, with a small external area
Pack size:  39x15x15cm
RRP: £140

Read our comparison of all lightweight tents here

The Tempest range of tents represents an excellent compromise between comfort and weight reduction, and is one of the recommended tents for Duke of Edinburgh award expeditions.   The internal area of the tent is less cramped than some lightweight options, and the small external vestibule gives an area to store your bags leading to more room inside the tent.  As with all of the Vango expedition quality tents, the Tempest come with a 5000HH polyester flysheet that keeps everything out, making this a truly four-season tent.  The upper third of the door to the inner tent is a mesh fabric, designed to keep insects out but allow the tent to breathe and to prevent condensation.  The tunnel design means that the tent hugs the ground and is stable in poor weather.   On the negative side, it is a bit heavier than other options, which you'll notice if you're planning to carry over long distances - see our comparison of other lightweight tents linked above if this might be a problem.

Best bits:  Very reasonable price for an excellent quality tent, bigger inside than some lightweight options
Worst bits:  On the heavy side of things for a true expedition tent

RRP:  £140
Where to get it cheaper?: £99 here

Vango Banshee 300 review

Sleeps: 3
Weight:  2.75kg
Dimensions:  Internal 230x165cm
Pack size:  46x15x15cm
RRP:  £140

Read our comparison of all lightweight tents here

Review:  The Vango Banshee 300 is an excellent choice for three-person lightweight camping.  At just 2.75kg in weight, is competitive with the lightest tents when shared between three people, and this comes in way under the cost of other tents.  The internal dimensions are snug, but not overly so, with 230cm of length accommodating taller campers, although the width is somewhat restrictive.  The two pole tunnel design is easy to pitch and thanks to unbelieveable 5000mm hydrostatic head on the flysheet this tent should keep you dry in even the worst monsoon.  For backpacking trios, there really aren't many negatives to this tent, but those looking for a little more comfort might find the narrow width a little frustrating.

Best bits:  Lightweight, good internal length and excellent quality
Worst bits:  Somewhat narrow

RRP:  £140
Where to get it cheaper?:  £109 here

Force 10 Helium 200 review

Sleeps:  2 (just)
Weight:  1.3kg
Dimensions:  internal 210x120cm
Pack size: 40x12x12cm
RRP:  £250

Review:  One of the lightest two-person tents on the market, although it's only 30cms wider than the Force 10 Helium 100, and as with the Helium 100 the internal height is pretty stingy, so don't expect much room to move around.  Also (as a two-person tent), don't expect to be spending a lot of time inside the tent - it's designed for getting out of the elements to sleep in comfort and not much else.  But that's where the negatives end - the Force 10 Helium 200 is a fantastic two-person ultra-lightweight tent.  Solid as a rock even in awful weather, high quality flysheet and seams, just one pole with innovative curved linking sections to reduce strain, and just seven small pegs.  For couples tackling mountain backpacking or long-distance trails, this tent works out at just 650g each (although you probably wouldn't want to detatch the inner from the flysheet as it makes it so much easier to erect to keep them together), which can make a vast amount of difference.  If you shop around for the best price (as we have done below), this two-person tent suddenly becomes competative in the one-person lightweight market.

Best bits:  Very lightweight as a two-person, roomy and still light as a one-person
Worst bits:  Snug with two-people inside, not suitable for anything other than sleeping

RRP:  £250
Where to get it cheaper?: £199 here

Vango Banshee 200

Sleeps: 2
Weight:  2.1kg
Dimensions:  Internal 230x120cm
Pack size:  44x13x13cm
How to pitch:  Watch the video here
RRP:  £120

Read our comparison of all lightweight tents here

The Vango Banshee 200 is the budget tent of choice for two-person lightweight camping.  At just 2.1kg in weight, this can easily be shared between two people without much trouble, and this comes in way under the cost of other truly lightweight two-person tents.  The internal dimensions are snug, but not overly so, with 230cm of length accommodating taller campers, although the width is somewhat restrictive.  The two pole tunnel design is easy to pitch and thanks to unbelieveable 5000mm hydrostatic head on the flysheet this tent should keep you dry in even the worst monsoon.  For backpacking couples, there really aren't many negatives to this tent, but those looking for a little more comfort might find the narrow width frustrating and would be better with a budget three-person tent.

Best bits:  Lightweight, good internal length and excellent quality
Worst bits:  Somewhat narrow

RRP:  £120
Where to get it cheaper?:  £89 here

Force 10 Helium 100 review

Sleeps: 1

Weight: 1.19kg
Dimensions: 210x95cm internal
Pack Size: 40x11x11cm
How to pitch: Watch the video here
RRP: £220

Review:  The Force 10 Helium 100 is a great little tent.  Whilst you might shave a few grams off with an ultra-lightweight tent, to get a double-skinned tent that is near to 1kg for under £200 is fantastic.  It can easily be thrown into a small rucksack, and is perfect for hiking and camping. The tent goes up and down very easily - there is just one real pole (you can't count the little stub that holds up the foot end as a pole), and seven pegs.  As with all one-person tents it takes a bit of fiddling with the corners of the tent to get it taut, but once sorted the tent holds firm. As a test run, we took this tent to a festival this summer, and in very strong winds it was easily erected, and whilst other tents were blowing away all around the Force 10 Helium was rock solid. Inside the length is decent and can easily accommodate a person up to 6 feet tall with a bag.  The width is reasonable, but the height is a little restrictive. In short, one of the best lightweight tents around.

Best bits:  Lightweight, easy to erect, weatherproof
Worst bits:  Height can be restrictive, somewhat difficult to get in and out

RRP:  £220
Where to get it cheaper: £175 here

Vango Icarus 600 review

 

Sleeps: 6
Weight: 17.15kgs
Dimensions: internal 210x370cm, external 250x390cm
Pack size:  74x38x29cm
RRP:  £300

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Vango Icarus is one of the best selling ranges of the new 2012 group tents from Vango, and it's not hard to see why.  With everything you need for a good group tent, but none of the unnecessary extras, the Icarus comes in at a decent price.  Moreover, the smaller models are usually sold at the same price as the Odyssey range, but the Icarus comes with an extra door to the front (letting you open it all up to let the air move through) and a sewn in groundsheet.

On the negative side, it is a fraction smaller than some of the other group tents, around 10-20cms narrower - so if you are a group of bigger campers, perhaps consider either a different model or buying a slightly bigger tent in the range (i.e. a 500 tent for four people) to give you ample amounts of space.  Also, the Icarus can be fitted with a front canopy extension to extend the porch space, but this is around £130-150 depending on the size of the tent.  If you're thinking of using this all the time, you may be better buying the Vango Tigris XL, which is essentially the same tent but with a built in front canopy extension, but it is cheaper than buying the two bits separately.

Best bits:  Affordable, two doors to either side of the front porch (compared to just one on similar the Vango Odyssey), sewn in groundsheet, high quality materials

Worst bits:  A bit smaller than other group tents, external area can be extended with add-on canopies, but you might be better buying a larger tent with the canopy built-in

RRP: £300

Where to get it cheaper?: £219 here

Vango Samara 600 review

Sleeps:  6
Weight:  26.45kg
Dimensions:  internal 210x420cm, external 270x420cm
Pack size:  69x47x35cm
RRP:  £500

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Vango Samara is a bigger version of the Calisto, with a much larger porch and slightly wider body to the tent.  In addition, the flysheet on the Samara is made from 4000HH fabric, which is more waterproof than the 3000HH on the Calisto.  The Samara 600 has two separate bedrooms, two sleep four and two people respectively, but the four person room also comes with an internal curtain to split the tent into three two-person vestibules.

If you're looking for a family tent, with a little more luxury, lots of external space, and exceptional quality materials, then the Samara could definitely be the tent for you.

Best bits:  High quality flysheet, lots of headroom in the tent, luxury touches throughout
Worst bits:  More expensive than some of the other Vango group tents

RRP: £500
Where to get it cheaper?:  £329 here

Vango Samara 400 review

 

Sleeps:  4
Weight:  21.85kg
Dimensions:  internal 210x280cm, external 270x280cm
Pack size:  70x47x27cm
RRP:  £380

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Vango Samara is a bigger version of the Calisto, with a much larger porch and slightly wider body to the tent.  In addition, the flysheet on the Samara is made from 4000HH fabric, which is more waterproof than the 3000HH on the Calisto.  Also, the Samara comes with an internal curtain to split the sleeping area into two.

If you're looking for a family tent, with a little more luxury, lots of external space, and exceptional quality materials, then the Samara could definitely be the tent for you.

Best bits:  High quality flysheet, lots of headroom in the tent, luxury touches throughout
Worst bits:  More expensive than some of the other Vango group tents

RRP: £380
Where to get it cheaper?:  £239 here

Vango Calisto 500 review

Sleeps:  5

Weight:  21.65kg

Dimensions:  internal 310x210cm, external 270x310cm

Pack size:  85x32x32cm

RRP:  £330

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Calisto is a new design for 2012 from Vango, and aimed at the family/luxury camping market.  The tent has more headroom than most of the 'tunnel' style group tents, with over two metres of headroom in the middle of the tent.  This is due to a slightly different design that uses straight steel poles on the side of the tent to increase the height.  There are lots of nice touches to make the tent more comfortable; a pelmet with pockets for storage, hanging storage, privacy windows and low level vents.  The 500 model also comes with an optional internal curtain, which can be used to split the inner into two separate rooms.  This can be great for families with two or three small children who want their own space.

On the negative side, the porch is a little cramped compared to some other models, and the front canopy extension an expensive solution to this problem.  Also, the increased height means that stability can be slightly compromised in high winds, but these are minor negatives.

Best bits:  Added touches on the inside of the tent make it a more comfortable camping experience, high quality materials and easy to pitch and strike.

Worst bits:  A little cramped in the porch

RRP:  £330

Where to get it cheaper?:  £219 here

Vango Calisto 400 review

Sleeps:  4
Weight:  19.25kg
Dimensions:  internal 250x210cm, external 270x260cm
Pack size:  85x30x30cm
RRP:  £280

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Calisto is a new design for 2012 from Vango, and aimed at the family/luxury camping market.  The tent has more headroom than most of the 'tunnel' style group tents, with over two metres of headroom in the middle of the tent.  This is due to a slightly different design that uses straight steel poles on the side of the tent to increase the height.  There are lots of nice touches to make the tent more comfortable; a pelmet with pockets for storage, hanging storage, privacy windows and low level vents.

On the negative side, the porch is a little cramped compared to some other models, and the front canopy extension an expensive solution to this problem.  Also, the increased height means that stability can be slightly compromised in high winds, but these are minor negatives.

Best bits:  Added touches on the inside of the tent make it a more comfortable camping experience, high quality materials and easy to pitch and strike.
Worst bits:  A little cramped in the porch.

RRP:  £280
Where to get it cheaper?: £189 here

Vango Icarus 500 review

Sleeps: 5
Weight: 14.55kgs
Dimensions: internal 210x315cm, external 260x315cm
Pack size:  72x34x27cm
RRP:  £260

Read our guide to Vango group tents here!

Review:  The Vango Icarus is one of the best selling ranges of the new 2012 group tents from Vango, and it's not hard to see why.  With everything you need for a good group tent, but none of the unnecessary extras, the Icarus comes in at a decent price.  Moreover, the smaller models are usually sold at the same price as the Odyssey range, but the Icarus comes with an extra door to the front (letting you open it all up to let the air move through) and a sewn in groundsheet.

On the negative side, it is a fraction smaller than some of the other group tents, around 10-20cms narrower - so if you are a group of bigger campers, perhaps consider either a different model or buying a slightly bigger tent in the range (i.e. a 500 tent for four people) to give you ample amounts of space.  Also, the Icarus can be fitted with a front canopy extension to extend the porch space, but this is around £130-150 depending on the size of the tent.  If you're thinking of using this all the time, you may be better buying the Vango Tigris XL, which is essentially the same tent but with a built in front canopy extension, but it is cheaper than buying the two bits separately.

Best bits:  Affordable, two doors to either side of the front porch (compared to just one on similar the Vango Odyssey), sewn in groundsheet, high quality materials

Worst bits:  A bit smaller than other group tents, external area can be extended with add-on canopies, but you might be better buying a larger tent with the canopy built-in

RRP: £260

Where to get it cheaper?: £189 here