Vango Alpha 400 Dome Tent

...question was this one. A Vango Alpha 400 4 berth dome tent.

I am a very occasional camper, in fact I havn't been for over ten years and I found tents had changed a whole lot in that prevailing time.

The tent comes in a lightweight holdall. Very compact and easy to carry around. It took up hardly any space in our Citroen Picasso boot at all.

We arrived at the campsite in Ingoldmells just outside Skegness ...
...sisters were also there with their families and we all proceeded to pitch the tents.

I had already made sure prior to leaving, we had instructions, so was fairly confident we wouldn't have much trouble. However things don't always go to plan do they.

We laid out the groundsheet easily enough and secured it. Ten minutes later we were still trying to work out where the poles went and which holes they went through. I looked ... more

My family had a weekend camping in Skegness two weekends back. Luckily enough, the week before I had recieved a free tent from my company so it saved me a few bob.

The tent in question was this one. A Vango Alpha 400 4 berth dome tent.

I am a very occasional camper, in fact I havn't been for over ten years and I found tents had changed a whole lot in that prevailing time.

The tent comes in a lightweight holdall. Very compact and easy to carry around. It took up hardly any space in our Citroen Picasso boot at all.

We arrived at the campsite in Ingoldmells just outside Skegness and placed ourselves in our desired location. Two of my sisters were also there with their families and we all proceeded to pitch the tents.

I had already made sure prior to leaving, we had instructions, so was fairly confident we wouldn't have much trouble. However things don't always go to plan do they.

We laid out the groundsheet easily enough and secured it. Ten minutes later we were still trying to work out where the poles went and which holes they went through. I looked round at my sisters tents who had both managed to virtually erect theirs already. I stood back, opened a beer and tried to work out from the instructions where we were going wrong. The instructions said pitching time 15 minutes MAX. This didn't exactly help matters! The instructions were incredibly vague and frustrating. And poorly worded too. They seemed to assume every possible person erecting this tent would be a seasoned professional. In this situation, I needed a step by step, easy to follow guide but unfortunately this wasn't the case. The poles were supposed to be colour coded as an aid but ours were all the same colour.

Well another ten minutes later and we were no further forward and had given up. Both my sisters had completed theirs and came over to help us. Both of them are much more experienced at camping than me but the tent was even baffling them. Eventually they worked it out through luck more than judgement I hasten to add. Meanwhile I happily finished off my beer and left them to it!

Once it was up, the tent looked great although after 45 minutes work and frustration it damn well ought to do. One tip when pitching is to do it in an area (if possible) wheres theres a natural windbreak.

The poles were made of fibreglass and were very flexible and easy to manipulate into position. The outer material is made of an inflammable lightweight material. The pegs snap back into the poles and are quite tricky to get into the ground. Our plastic hammer was almost useless. Next time we will definately be taking a heavyweight mallet to do the job. The inside is quite impresive and more spacious than you think. There are inside pockets to put the repair kit and a hook for a lantern. Theres also a seperate porch area where you can keep belongings.

The pitched area is 510 x 440 cm. And because of the domed nature of the tent and the extra space created because of the curved poles its quite roomy. Its a 4 berth tent and 4 people can fit in quite easily side by side on two inflatable mattresses.

However myself and my wife and my two year old were the only travellers on our trip and it didn't really work for us. When we went to bed my son was easily awakened and he was disturbed all night by the slightest noise we made. I think if you have children you really need a bigger tent with a seperate compartment for them.

The weather was splendid so the tent wasn't tested by rain, wind etc but the instructions say the tent is water and condensation proof and the seams are taped. It was the weekend when it was incredibly hot and the tent material breathed quite well as it didn't get that stuffy. The outer material has reflective webbing so the sun rays dont enter the tent which is welcome.

In complete contrast to erecting the tent, packing up is incredibly easy. It took us 5 minutes. In fact it took us longer to get the tent back into the holdall and do the zip up than it it did to get it down and folded up.

This tent is more useful for couples or for festivals etc that sort of thing. It comes in four different colours ; blue, green, grey and violet. Ours was grey and looked quite smart.

So overall, given that the tent was free, I can't complain too much about it. Its compact and very portable. Once it's up, it looks smart and does the job it's designed for. It retails between £40 and £50 which is very good value. Personally before I go camping again I will be selling this tent and buying a bigger one as it doesn't suit my needs ideally, however that isn't to say it isnt any good. My one major gripe is the instructions. They were very poor which makes a tricky, fiddly job even trickier. And for this reason I have to take off a star.

WormThatTurned 2009

 

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