Vango Banshee 200 2011

This is a fantastic tent although you can purchase it for approx. £65 elsewhere online. At just 2 kilos it represents fantastic value for money. Used mine for 7 nights on a cycling touring expedition. The 200 had ample space for 1 person, it would be a squeeze for more.

(Written by: juleswalker)

I have had my Banshee now for about 6 years and, as a D of E instuctor, it's had a fair amount of usage. The weather can chuck just about anything at it and, due to its low profile and sturdy ridge pole, it stands up to most windy/rainy/snowy events. Trouble is, and always has been, it's small inside. I mean getting changed, taking your boots off, sitting up to do anything, digging things out of your rucksack (a particular nightmare!) and cooking are all tricky operations. I am about 6'1" and as another review has commented, my face does touch the inner when lay down. Having said that, it's well made, has never, NEVER let me down and it's pack weight is brilliant at this price. By all means, buy one but if backpacking with another, get he pr she to buy her own. Strictly single occupant and rucsack. Best. John Butterfield.

(Written by: JButts)

Its tight, Im only 5,10 and like to use a blow up pillow, with the footprint giving a generous 230cm, you forget the pitch of the roof, hence face touching cloth when laid out straight! I use the 2011 model as a one man with kit, its light enough to carry, holds well in high winds and rain, pinch to put up solo and offers a great night sleep. Will take 2 Vango ultralight mats, to coat the bottom of the tent to negate cold uprise. As for pitching fly first, my preference would be for the alternative as I could then use this for summer climbs in Spain. Priced well and holds up against others twice as much. Great tip to bring an additional footprint/tarp just to be sure of ripping tents own. Top tent for those who need a good cover on their own. I trust it to do the job in hand til about early november and again from march. Bit Brokeback Mountain if sharing with adult, for the price and weight though, you dont need to. You can buy an alternative that weighs less than your toothbrush, pure overkill with a price tag to match. Pros Weight Price Ease Stability Looks Ventilation Cons Length internally Inner touching fly Thin footprint 2 person

(Written by: Mikeeeeey)

It is a fairly familiar tale, 3 days before embarking on our carefully planned trip I paid a visit to our nearest outdoor “specialist” outlet to buy some water purification tablets and came out with a tent despite my husbands cries of “why do we need yet another tent?” But this to my mind wasn’t just another tent, this was an ex-display model of last years Banshee 200 going for a song at £59.99, well you couldn’t walk past could you! Very excitedly my boys decided they would spend the very same night in it in the garden and being responsible back-packers this seemed like a good idea as the forecast was for rain and we needed to 1) check all the pieces were there and 2) understand how to put it up before it became a crisis. No problems on all fronts given the mild mannered weather and obliging rain just to add to the checks. So hastily it was decided to ditch the two bivvies in favour of the Banshee, with no weight implications either way and that my 6’2” husband would share this with my 9 year old son. So all packed up we set off and retraced the route provided in Trail July 2011 issue through the South Lakes peaks from Dalegarth to Silecroft taking four days instead of your two and was rewarded with every type of weather available to the Lakes in August. We had our doubts about the Banshee’s performance in wet weather as the fly sheet sits very tightly against the inner with the risk of touching and leaking but our doubts thankfully proved unfounded. The tent performed without fault in all conditions ranging from drizzle and mist to gale force winds and torrential rain on some very high and exposed peaks. The lack of room was mitigated by a well proportioned and relatively cheap orange plastic survival bag in which all our kit and rucksacks were stashed overnight outside with the open end carefully tucked well in under the load to prevent the wind from snatching it open. I should add that to aid the Banshee’s performance and longevity we did take a lightweight tarp for under the footprint of the tent and hung a small head torch inside on the door restraint tab to give both light and pull the inner a little away from the fly. Yes it was tight inside but sharing with a child was obviously of some assistance and given there was no weight implications, provided a far more comfortable night for two people than the original plan of two small bivvies. All in all a competitively price, well thought out and designed tent providing a useful option of a one piece ‘put up” or when the fly is soaked as in our case this can be packed separately from the inner keeping one dryer than the other and of course the “fly first” pitching is always a preferable option in wet weather. A good investment and a great bargain! As a point of interest my other son and I shared my ever faithful and longstanding companion an old Caravan Tent, this excellent little tent has withstood hundreds of nights away in all manner of conditions and has never ever let me down. A masterpiece of tent and way ahead to it’s time nearly 25 years ago but sadly I believe yet another British manufacturer that no longer exists. PS – Your two day timescale for this route leaves me feeling exhausted even without children in tow that’s some good going and demands a certain respect – well done!

(Written by: WasdaleWanderer)