Author Topic: Vango Omega 250 tent (Read 7609 times)

woollypigs · « **on:** 15 March, 2009, 05:01:08 pm »

Been looking around for a tent, I think got it narrowed down too this one

Vango Tent Information

It ticks the boxes of being nice and big (I'm 6'4") and plenty of space to store stuff in the "west wing". At 3.65 kg it is a bit heavy but if we are spreading the weight e.g. poles and pegs goes else where I think it would be even easier to handle and pack down even smaller.

Do the panel have any comment on this ?

Fab Foodie · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 March, 2009, 05:58:45 pm »

I've got the 350.
I don't carry it except in the car, but it's a decent enough tent for what I paid (£95 last year), certainly spacious for 3 on regular mats and 2 persons on big fat coleman airbeds and a little one in-between on a regular mat... usually me!). The 250 should be fine for 2. The front space is pretty useful.
There have been some great tent deals at "Go Outdoors" in the last few weeks, and it may be the same elsewhere as companies clear their last stock before the new season.

Tents are becoming ridiculously cheap these days, one wonders whether it's worth spending a fortune unless ultra-light weight-ness or Himalayan duties are called for. My Daughter has a Gelert 3 man she bought for £30 to do her DofE with and it's as much tent as you'de ever need for most occasions.

Butterfly · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 March, 2009, 09:31:00 pm »

It looks fine to me

. I don't have experience of that model, but I do have an Equinox, which is very similar, but designed for rougher use. Vango are well designed, good tents. It depends what you're going to do with it. If you are going to mainly camp at low levels in the Summer, then that would be a brilliant bit of kit. If you are planning to camp in the mountains or between November and March (like we do), I'd think about getting an Equinox, a spirit or a Blacks Octane 3 Which seems to be on special offer at the moment

. We have an Octane 3 (which is wider and lighter than the Omega) which we took on the tandem up the country last year and camped in last weekend with no problems, despite high winds and rain and snow

. Go in conclusion: The Omega is fine, but the Octane is better and they are neither as good as a Hilleberg Nallo GT which they copy. It really depends how much and when and where you are thinking of using it. When you get it, come and camp in our back garden to try it out

.

woollypigs · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 March, 2009, 08:29:34 pm »

We got a tent

We ordered the Black Octane 3 (thanks Butterfly) it was piss easy to pitch and take down.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 March, 2009, 08:41:24 pm »

Did you take Valiant with you to the shop?

's bit RED innit?

woollypigs · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 March, 2009, 08:50:31 pm »

Yeah the white balance on the camera couldn't handle it either

We could pick any colour we wanted as long as it was red when it came to the internet offer

peliroja · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 March, 2009, 09:35:08 pm »

What the photos don't show is the large gaggle of children from the estate who joined us to "help" put the tent up. It's incredible how some canvas and a few poles are such a child magnet. One of the little lads presented us with tubes of fizzy sherbert afterwards to say thanks.

Si · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 March, 2009, 09:29:12 am »

I've got a couple of Vangos (one might actually be a 250 - it looks a bit like it) and I've found them to be good tents apart from being just a tad on the short side (I'm around 6ft). I managed three weeks in it in very bad weather last summer OK - the length being more of a niggle than a problem.

donpedro · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 March, 2009, 09:41:36 am »

Quote from: woollypigs on 22 March, 2009, 08:50:31 pm

Yeah the white balance on the camera couldn't handle it either

We could pick any colour we wanted as long as it was red when it came to the internet offer

So, now you got your own portable 'Istegade'!

Butterfly · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 March, 2009, 11:17:05 am »

We use a basic groundsheet from Millets or Blacks for the porch. That gives you something to sit on, especially where it is damp or bumpy and you can put it outside to sort everything on when you pack up. It's a lot easier folding a mat and a sleeping bag outside the tent, if you can.

Cool! New tent! Hurrah!

clarion · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 March, 2009, 12:12:30 pm »

Great choice! We've just had a wonderful weekend in ours. it was frosty before we went to bed on Friday night, but was very warm and comfortable. We put ours up in the dark almost all the time - you can do it with a small handful of pegs if you're in a hurry & the weather's fine.

Two things about ours:

1. The pole sleeves are rather narrow, so can be quite fiddly, and one comes out the side at times. I think this is better on the newer ones.

2. One year (and a bit of abuse) on, we need to reseal a bit of the seam over the door.

I was worried there wouldn't be Woolly-room, but it looks OK. Glad you've made a lot of new young friends. Tents are adventure, innit?

noisycrank · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 March, 2009, 09:24:15 pm »

Canvas is a bit slack

woollypigs · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 March, 2009, 09:32:34 pm »

Quote from: Mr Pither on 23 March, 2009, 09:41:36 am

So, now you got your own portable 'Istegade'!

HA!

Valiant · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 March, 2009, 02:44:57 am »

Valiant SEAL of APPROVAL granted

donpedro · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 March, 2009, 11:15:16 am »

Quote from: woollypigs on 23 March, 2009, 09:32:34 pm

Quote from: Mr Pither on 23 March, 2009, 09:41:36 am
So, now you got your own portable 'Istegade'!

HA!

Sorry, worried you would be offended. $:-\$
That's great vfm but here in the middle of Sweden and further north a darker tent is of better use. With sunlight half or all the way through the night it's otherwise hard to get any sleep at all. But I guess one could use some...

hellymedic · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 March, 2009, 01:25:23 pm »

Having camped north of the Arctic Circle in midsummer, in a dark green tent, I would suggest that the light gets through anyway...

clarion · « **Reply #16 on:** 24 March, 2009, 02:06:29 pm »

The red material gives a rosy glow anyway.

donpedro · « **Reply #17 on:** 24 March, 2009, 03:11:30 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 24 March, 2009, 01:25:23 pm

Having camped north of the Arctic Circle in midsummer, in a dark green tent, I would suggest that the light gets through anyway...

I agree, a good cover for the eye's while sleeping is also well spent money. Have done five seasons at ski/hiking center in various places in the north. So trust me there is a world of difference between the different dark green Hilleberg's and red/orange Hilleberg, Marmot and other versions that I've used. Occasional visitors might not experience real insomnia but even loosing a couple of hours a night can spoil a trip. Not to mention how a red tent spoil the view hiking down into a valley. I'll get of my soapbox now.

clarion · « **Reply #18 on:** 24 March, 2009, 10:20:29 pm »

Here's ours on a frosty morning with a Hilleberg Nallo

Ariadne · « **Reply #19 on:** 24 March, 2009, 11:29:54 pm »

We took an Octane 3 on our Europe trip last year and it was great - it's a really good tent. We had to develop a joint technique of carefully feeding the poles through the narrow channels on the outer, but I think they've improved that? But even if they haven't, it's a good tent - stood up to some mental downpours and crazy wind. And to being put up and down and stuffed on a bike rack for 6 months. We took a ground sheet that went part under the inner and covered the porch, really made it part of 'home'.

Good choice - hope you have fun!

woollypigs · « **Reply #20 on:** 26 March, 2009, 12:08:20 pm »

Well then with a write up like that, I'm happy with our buy, even though we haven't tried it out yet