In addition to a light sleeping bag, I also need a very light tent on my cycling trips. In this article, I will share with you the experience with the light tent Vango Helix 200, which is designed for two people. This is a very light and compact tent, so it is ideal for cyclists who count every extra gram on their bike. The tent is not only light, but also quite durable. It is a product of the Vango brand, which is a Scottish outdoor company that has been operating on the world market since 1966.
Technical parameters of the tent
First, let's talk about a few technical parameters. The Vango Helix 200 tent measures 130x270x95 cm, while the dimensions of the packed tent are 41x13 cm. The tent packed in this way fits into the larger rear bicycle bag. The total weight of the tent is a pleasant 1,85 kg, which makes this product one of the lightest tents. The tent has a separate outer and inner tarpaulin. The outer part of the tent is made of Protex® 70D Polyester hexagonal, PU coating is 5000 mm / cm2. The outer tent has a dark cactus green color and well-taped seams. The inner tent is made of breathable polyester and a mosquito net. The color of the inner tent is deep orange. The floor of the tent is made of 70D Polyester and the PU coating is 6000 mm / cm2. There are two rods and they are made of light but durable duralumin. The price of the tent was purchased for 4 crowns.
Advantages of the tent
The great advantage of this tent is that it is double-skinned and has an internal construction. In rainy weather, an orange tropic can be erected first and then an indoor tent. The security cords are contrasting orange, so they are comfortably visible even at dusk or twilight.
Attaching the orange tropics is via plastic buckles, so setting up the tent is easy. It will take you about ten minutes. The tent is pleasantly light and, above all, compact, which I, as a cyclist, especially appreciate 
. The tent is also spacious, there is a lot of space, so you can stack a bunch of things in the tent that you do not want to leave on the bike or in front of the tent. The indoor tent has plenty of large flashlight pockets, toiletries and other essentials ...
Disadvantages of the tent
The disadvantage of the tent is its aluminum pegs, which I immediately threw away, because nothing lasts and I made my own pegs from a more durable material, which can be seen in the attached photo.
The compression cover is also a weak side of the tent, it also can't withstand anything and you have to buy a better one very soon, which I also did (see photos)
. The Vango Helix 200 tent withstands heavy rain well, but it is helpless against long-lasting strong winds. This is probably due to the light construction, which is not built for extreme weather.
Summary of tent info
I evaluate the tent as a whole very positively, but I would definitely not recommend it for trips to extreme weather, as I mentioned above. Preview of more info about the tent here:
Comments
add comment