Vango Hydra Trekking Tent, Pine , 200

Tested this weekend, in windy, rainy and chilly conditions. The tent behaved more than decently. I'm happy actually, though yes, there was some condensation, and yes the pegs tend to bend, expecially if you try them on a surface that is 3cm soil and below is rock. No complains at all. For the price, which is not really and entry level but also not professional, it does its job. There are some aspects that could be better. Putting the two crossing poles into their eyelets is something that requires some strength. Another 2/3 cm would have helped. Some of the tension lines could be longer, just in case you want to use a stone to keep them on the ground, instead of a peg, this anyway can be easily solved with a DIY set of lines. Condensation or not, I would have been more than happy to be able to close one of the ventilation opening and avoid cold air to hit my face. Given the weather conditions I was happy to be able to keep my backpack and all the rest inside, with me and the dog. I'm 195cm (6'5") and another human would not fit... maybe in a perfect dry night face-feet position, leaving the staff in the porch.Edit: pithed in the garden the day after to dry up and noticed one of the straps is about to break. This is part of the things that may happen, luckily it can be easily solved (the solution in the picture is temporary but it works) - I just hope it does not happen to those that are less easy to replace because directly seamed on the tent fabric)

Ok so at just under 3kg its not the lightest but its solid easy to put up and well made. Very comfortable with one and a 60ltr pack, could do two at a push or one adult and child. So far so good.

Had this out wildcamping a couple of times already and I'm very happy with it, relatively easy to set up (if a little awkward to locate poles into eyelets first time due to taut tent fly sheet but not really an issue after. The tent comes with inner and fly attached so can be pitched in one and once poles are in it is free standing so can be moved to find the perfect pitch. I have had this out in 0° and had absolutely no condensation inside the inner tent whatsoever-just inner fly so ventilation seems spot on. I've seen a few comment on the weight and at 2.8kg pack weight it isn't a lightweight tent but I consider the structure and rigidity to be excellent and peace of mind if the weather turns far outweighs an extra few hundred grams pack weight- this tent is SOLID ! Vestibule is big enough to cook in and the front section can be completely rolled up into top of tent for full panoramic views whilst sitting inside-then pegged back out in seconds to seal tent up for the night, I'm 5'11" and can comfortably sit cross-legged inside the tent with headroom to spare. Like most 2 person tents I wouldn't say it would be comfortable for 2 adults to sleep in but I found it perfect for me, my 65L backpack plus everything else to fit in with ease. My final verdict:- I researched A LOT for a tent to go wildcamping and I couldn't be happier with the Hydra- if you want a relatively budget friendly strong capable tent then I heartily recommend this one.

pretty for its price. few things that I was little annoyed with:1. the door doesn't have a full netting its only like a 1/4 of it for ventilation if it is a hot weather.2. slept with the door netting closed and inside of the tent was literally wet. I don't know if that was becuase the door was full closed so there was no ventilation or becuase it was really foggy outside so some water leaked in. but woke up to a wet interior roofing though it never really dripped on us when we weere sleeping just noticed when i woke up.3. wish it came with a porch mat.other than the two points stated above, I think it's a fantastic tent, had a windy night one time and i must say it held up pretty well! Nice and sturdy, it is a little bit crowded for two people but does seem to fit 2 perfectly, although 1 person would be a more of comfortable.

Unfortunately the stitching came undone from the part that connects the inner and holds the tent pole in position.The most surprising thing is, I initially didn’t realise the stitching had come undone and made a poor attempt at repositioning. I showed Vango support and they said it was positioned correctly, which is impossible as it needs to be restitched.Contacted Amazon who said I need to contact Vango, who said I need to contact Amazon. So I am still left with the issue.Shame, as it is a nice tent and seems well made.

Haven't tried it out yet as it's just been delivered, but am pleased that by removing the poles from the bag, you can squeeze it a bit, and the tent will will fit in horizontally in my rucksack. Having read reviews of the Mirage 200,which this seems to closely mirror (anyone know what the differences are except the colour?!), I have no worries about the quality of the tent, I'm confident it's going to keep me warm and dry. I only go on two to three day trips, so I know this tent might be a little heavy for some people at 3kg,but for me the extra bit of weight is worth it. The wide mouthed stuff sack will be a boon if I have to pack away wet. Can't wait to get away in it now! UPDATE! :Had it confirmed by Vango that this is exactly the same tent as the Mirage 200, but according to their website this Hydra is exclusive to Amazon.FURTHER UPDATE!! : At long last managed to get away in this, and apart from a slight pitching issue which was sorted by the very helpful Karen, all was well.... well I thought so...!!Had a heavy frost on it last night, and as it was melting this morning, I was getting big globules of water seemingly from the top seam of the outer tent, falling onto the inner tent, and also from a small hole near a seam at the side. Hopefully I'll be able to sort it out with some seal sealant, and something similar for the small hole. The moral is don't leave it over a year from buying your tent to trying it out!I don't know whether I will have this tent for years, as I did find the headroom in the tent lacking. I'm only 5' 9" tall, and I found it very difficult to sit up in any kind of comfort, which made movement in the tent quite difficult.