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Tents - Vango Tempest 200?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I need a tent. Will be used for a ten day kayaking trip round the UK in a week, general overnight stuff in Austria this summer (my dissertation research will happily involve spending lots of time hiking around mountains and glaciers), hopefully a hiking/touring weekend in Italy this summer (Gran Paradiso area if there's enough snow), other general early/late season touring trips in the Alps and Scotland, and maybe the odd winter Scotland trip too. Will usually be aiming to camp somewhere sheltered/in the valley, rather than somewhere super exposed way up a mountain mountaineer style.

Must:

- Sleep me and my gf, with some room for gear inside
- Be light enough and pack small enough to carry in/on a backpack for reasonable length hikes (fitting in the back of my kayak could be an advantage at some point too)
- Cheap
- Handle reasonably adverse weather/wind
- Porch for (wet/damp) gear preferable but not essential, as long as there's room for kit somewhere.
- Robust enough to last

I've just ordered a Vango Tempest 200 (2011 model) which I think fits pretty well (having the porch outweighs the weight saving on the Banshee/Spectre models for me).

http://www.winfieldsmegastore.com/vango-tempest-200-2-man-tent-p-tempest-200-c-pine-green.html

I won't see it until I get back to Aberdeen the day before I go away. I could potentially send it back then. Does anyone have any thoughts on this tent, or other recommendations?

Cheers
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Vango looks good, both for price & weight and specs look OK: external poles/pockets may not be so good in strong winds however???
Mines a TNF Westwind: more expensive, but excellent 4 seasons tent - I've used it winter camping in Canadian Rockies & Scotland amongst others
Reviews here: http://www.trailspace.com/gear/the-north-face/westwind/
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I've not used the 200, but have several of the 300 model for work. They're a good balance between paying megabucks for a ultra-lightweight flysheet without poles Toofy Grin and a £20 festival tent that you'll struggle to use for more than one night.

We have a previous model that has been used for about 8 years in Scotland and has always stood up well in the summer floods, winds and snowflurries.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Have you considered tents fom Decathlon ?

I bought their 3 person mountain tent when it was reduced to £150 last year and it's really well designed internally with ceiling net, lots of hooks, 4 zippable roof vents to access exterior fly sheet's 4 zippable vents (which has 4 stiff velcro props to hold them open when needed), entrances at both ends with decent vestibules and thicker snowskirts which I load with stones to deny prevailing wind access under the fly. It proved absolutely rock solid in a gale with lashing rain and was very warm for me and my two teenage boys plus all our kit without even a hint of a breeze moving through the interior (farting competitions are a no-no). Quite cosy for 3 and big for 2, it's a skoosh to put up, framed by 4 coded aluminium alloy ploes and comes with 20 v-profile alloy pegs and all packs into a compressible bag that's also big enough to squeeze in an additional ground sheet (the built in one is a lightweight membrane type).




Sam's first Trangia cooked porridge ...
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Cheers.

geoffers, I hadn't thought about the external poles + wind - I don't really know anything about tents lol. Do you think that could be a big problem, or will poles be too low profile to catch much wind? Presumably I could customise the sleeve bits if they do end up catching too much wind...

The Westwind looks ace! Turns out one went on ebay for £150 a couple of days ago, and another person listed one twice at £75 recently without selling, so I've emailed her as that seems pretty perfect (fingers crossed). Can't find any for sale anywhere else atm though...

moffatross, that looks like a good tent too - Quecha right? I'm not sure if the extra price and (especially) weight over the Vango would be worth the (presumable) advantages of better wind resistance for me or not... Big turn-off is that I can't find anywhere online selling it.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
clarky999 wrote:
moffatross, that looks like a good tent too - Quecha right? I'm not sure if the extra price and (especially) weight over the Vango would be worth the (presumable) advantages of better wind resistance for me or not... Big turn-off is that I can't find anywhere online selling it.



I've just found it online at 199 Euros ... http://store.quechua.com/bionnassay-t3-id_8030293.html ... but it's unavailable !! rolling eyes

The French reviewers were happy with it in Iceland, Highland Scotland & up on Mont Blanc but one noted that if you hadn't opened a vent when temps fall to -10C overnight, be prepared to break icicles off the inner in the morning !! Toofy Grin
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Lol! They had the T2 (I assume this is just the two-man version?) on the Decathlon website, but only to buy instore.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
We've got the Banshee 300 for tandem trips - so had to be small and light. Very good in that respect, and quick to erect. A bit cramped though - certainly wouldn't have wanted the 200 for 2 people, especially with my hubby who produces megawatts of heat when he sleeps. Your option with more porch looks good.

Low profile will mean is fine in wind unless typhoon. In which case it would feel too small and claustrophobic anyway ;o)

Need another 2/3 person tent and although would consider another Banshee or your one, I'kl have another good look round for alternatives.

Like the look of the ones mentioned above - I'll look into them myself. Thanks!
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Not familiar with the Tempest 200, but assuming it's similar to Tornado 200 (which I think is from the same family), then it'll be rather cosy for 2 people. Mine only really fits 1 person, with pack, and even then, only 1 way round (but it's more of a long wedge shape). Might need the 300 version.

Pitching it in the wind is "fun", but tempest might be easier (Tornado has 2 really long poles which go longitudinally and cross twice under tension. Once it's up, it's rock solid and doesn't move.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I'm on my second one of these, can't fault it, packable for one, easy for two, plenty of room, will take anything mother nature can throw up.

One of my mates designed it too, so I know what it was built to handle.

http://www.tentsdirect.com/show_tent.php?productid=728
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
hang11, Looks good, but unfortunately well out of my price range lol.
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