The Vango Nova 200 is a lightweight tunnel tent. This affordable tent comes at an RRP of £170. I got this tent last year and have used it multiple times for wild and non-wild camping. In this post, I will give my opinion on the tent and the set-up, along with the technical data for the tent. In the first section of this post, I will provide a rundown of the technical data of the tent in the second section. I will give you my experience with the tent and whether you should buy it.
Tent Specifications
This tent is a two-person single-room tent. It is a tight squeeze for two people and a kit. It is ideal for one (in my opinion). The two fibreglass poles help keep the tent’s weight very light at 2.5kg. The poles do feel very sturdy. Most of the tent is made of lightweight, breathable polyester. Don’t worry if it rains; you will still be protected.
Here is a complete list of specifications if you want to read them.
This list is from dofe.org
– Tunnel tent-style provides the most excellent space-to-weight ratio.
– Vango Protex® 70 denier polyester flysheet, 3000mm HH – highly waterproof, durable and reliable fabric. Exclusive to Vango.
– Gothic arch pole structure – increases stability and assists water/snow run-off from the flysheet.
– Flysheet and inner pitch together – quick and easy to pitch and pack.
– Identical poles – for ease of pitching.
– Patented Vango TBS®II Tension Band System ensures the tent performs in adverse conditions, especially in strong, changeable winds. When tensioned, the bands brace the pole at 3 points and prevent sideways movement. Adjust TBS®II to remove slack. Do not over-tension, as this may deform the poles. It can be stowed away in calm weather.
– 70 denier, 6000mm lightweight polyester groundsheet – waterproof, durable and reliable.
– Factory taped seams – all flysheet and groundsheet seams are factory taped, giving a watertight seal.
– Vango Power Lite 7001-T6 alloy poles – lightweight and durable tent poles.
– Breathable polyester inner – allows condensation to pass through for a comfortable night’s sleep.
– Part mesh inner door – allows ventilation whilst keeping bugs out.
– O-shaped inner doors – easy to open with one hand.
– Rain stop flysheet doors – structured so that rain will not drop into the inner when opened.
– Inner pockets – conveniently positioned pockets for organising essential items.
– Fastpack tent bag – oversized opening for easy packing and compression straps to control pack size.
– Fire retardant fabrics – exceeds European EN5912 safety standard.
– Weather tested beyond the European standard EN5912 by the certified test centre.
My Experience with the Vango Nova 200
Let’s get into the tent, from a campsite in Cornwall to the summit of Kinder Scout. I have used this tent in all sorts of locations. The tent packs away small and is extremely light (2.5 kg, to be exact). For wild camping, the compact size and lightweight are perfect. You don’t tend to camp in a wild camp near your car. The distance you travel could be miles. You don’t want to be hauling a huge heavy tent with you. This tent helps get the weight and size of your pack down.
The compact size of the pack doesn’t mean the tent is small. On a solo wild camp, there is loads of room for you, a big group and even some room left to move slightly. I like that you have a fair amount of space when pitched for the night. However, two bags may be a squeeze for two people.
Not only is it easy to carry, but it is also easier to pitch. Online, it says 5-minute pitch time. I can assure you it doesn’t even take that. Even my first pitch in the garden probably took 3 minutes. Once you have used it a few times, you get it up even quicker. I believe this is because it has two poles that parallel each other. The setup is honestly so quick and straightforward.
Set up
- Place the shell flat and peg in each end loosely.
- Place in both poles (it doesn’t matter which order).
- Bend poles up and into place.
- Peg the rest of the tent and guy ropes.
- Done.
It is that simple. The effort takes to pitch this tent is minimal.
Now, I found one downside you can’t call a downside due to what the tent is for. When it comes to wild camping, the tent is good. However, using it for a campsite is a bit of a pain. When on a site, you will usually have a car within arm’s reach of you. This means there is no real reason to pack light. Having a bigger tent with more room would be better. This tent is good, but space is limited, especially with two people in it.
We needed a good amount of gear when using it for five nights on a campsite as it was a holiday. So having minimal space in the tent meant we had to keep everything in the car, which was a pain to go to every time we needed something. This isn’t a downside, as it’s not meant to be a huge tent with lots of space. It is designed to be a small, lightweight tent that can be carried in a pack.
Do I Recommend the tent?
My answer is it depends. Do you need a tent for a holiday or a handful of nights of solo wild camping? That is the real question.
For a holiday… No, I wouldn’t suggest it as you’re there to relax and you’ll have more belongings you want in the tent and it isn’t designed to do this, so there isn’t space for it.
For a compact, affordable, lightweight tent. That is meant for a few nights solo or a wild camp. I 100% recommend it. I will list the three reasons.
- Compact and Lightweight mean it is easy to store and carry.
- The ease and minimal effort it takes to erect make it very appealing.
- The low cost means if you had to ditch it in an emergency, it’s not a huge loss, and the same if it were to break.
Hopefully, this post helped, and whether or not you purchased this tent, you need a stove if you are going camping. Recently, I wrote all about Portable camping stoves. Let me help you find the right one for you.
