VANGO HELIUM 200 REVIEW

TENT : VANGO HELIUM 200

Vango is a Scottish brand which offers a variety a products for outdoor activities. In this catalog you will find a special category of gear under the label "Force Ten" which is a technical and more extreme type of gear. The Helium series belongs to this category. 

The Vango Helium 200 was, at the time I purchased this product, the best price-to-weight-to-technical nature ratio tent I found on the market. My wishes were about enough room for two people, place to store a pack or cook in bad weather, light weight and price. The Helium 200 did it all.

Technical aspects : The Vango Helium could be seen as an Hybrid tent between a tunnel and a self standing tent. It's composed of a inner shelter of orange ripstop nylon all closed with an oval shaped door with a nu see um mesh window. An opening at the feet secured by a mosquito mesh breezes the room. I didn't had to complain about any condensation during the Fjallraven with cold and wet weather nor during another overnight hike. 

The rain shelter is made out of ripstop sylnylon and can be pitched alone before pitching the inner shelter which is a must when it's raining. you can of course let the inner tent at home and pitch the rain shelter alone dropping the overall weight to less than 600 grams (i will check this point again).  Pitching the tent is fast and easy. The stock pegs are very short but light, T bought longer orange (easy to find in the grass) aluminium pegs from Decathlon.  The unique aluminium pole goes from side ti side over the tent, a small pole is pitch at the foot to rise this part and insure ventilation.

Comfort: The Helium 200 is a palace for one person and I could sleep with my pack beside me and easily dress inside. For two people, I mean adults, it will be a bit more tricky and you should consider to be in love with the one who will share the shelter ! If it's cold outside you will share human heat. This is mainly due to the inner shape of the tent (see diagram up the page) one close to the door will have a straight room for is body and legs, the one at the opposite will have to bend a bit in the angle. Despite this remark nothing impossible and sleeping in a wild and remote area is rarely a comfortable experience anyway so, with a sportive mind let's go ! 

I'm 1.78 m high and I can stay sit in the tent at the entrance where the under roof clearance is the best, my head just gently rubbing the top. The room outside is big enough to welcome a backpack and some small stuff like shoes or trekking poles, you can easily prepare a hot meal in this place. A pocket/shelf is sewn near the door and big enough to store a headlamp a small bottle and a book (I hike with a book, that one of my three luxury items).  

I slept very well in this tent with plenty of room, not touching the walls during the night. The orange color give a feeling of heat and the pretty small surface of mesh fabric participate to protect against the wind freezing in cold areas like Lapland. 

Price: I purchased this item in December 2010 from an online UK retailer (I will try to remember the link) for 220 euros delivery included. It's surely more expensive than a Decathlon product but surely not the same quality considering all aspects : good looking, finish details, fabrics quality, durability...). The brand's technical specifications are well respected with an announced weight at 1300 grams and a scale checked weight, just out of the box including the repair kit and labels, of 1360 grams ! 

Conclusion : A nice purchase ! With more experience now I would probably purchase the Helium 100 (1190 gr) which is more in my ultralight approach and may be, if I were rich enough, the Helium 100 Carbon (860 gr). 

Check the video : Helium 100

Bad picture of the tent