Vango Helium Superlight 100 Tent
Product Review & Walking Gear Test

	Helium Superlight 100 Tent Vital Statistics: Guarantee: One year Colours: Flysheet: Green Sizes: One person Weight: 1.15 kgms SRP: £190.00

Helium Superlight 100 Tent

Vital Statistics:

Guarantee:
One year

Colours:
Flysheet: Green

Sizes:
One person

Weight:
1.15 kgms

SRP:
£190.00

Features to Note:

Pack Size (claimed): 40 x 10 cms
Pitch time (claimed): 7 mins
TBS® Pro Tension Band System
Protex® SPU-RN 3000 flysheet
Pre-angled poles
70D ripstop polyester inner
HD nylon 5000 groundsheet
F10 Flexilite poles
Taped seams

In-use Test:

The Vango Helium 100 is a hybrid tunnel, one person tent with a siliconised fly-sheet that uses a light weight version of Vango's tension band system.

And it is indeed light (I weighed it as just over 1Kgms) and it is easy to pitch - I did it first time at just under the 7mins claimed.

It's a snug fit for one person plus a full 60 litre back pack -but it is is just about possible to accommodate both. However, there isn't enough height to sit up (I'm 5' 10'') so changing clothes is fun! However there is plenty of foot room when lying down. Generally, though I'm happy to put up with the lack of height as I'd rather have the light weight and small pack size. (I have managed to pack the Helium generally down to a pack size of ca 45 x 10 cms compared with the 40 x 10cms claimed.

Sleeping was reasonably ok - I found the ventilation to be adequate; there is mesh in the doorway and at one end and probably a little more would be useful.

Whilst not recommended I think you probably could cook in the porch if absolutely essential.

I've not yet used the Helium 100 in anything other than quite 'benign' conditions but will update this review as/when. However from inspection I'd expect that given the shape and the TBS the stability in wind will be good - although I think replacing the tent pegs supplied with longer ones would be a wise precaution (even at the risk of increasing the weight slightly) .

My main angst arises because - no matter how creative I was in pitching the Helium 100 - there was still one spot in the tent where the flysheet touched the inner. This is a worry because this could easily be a cause of seepage in heavy rain - and this would be made worse if the flysheet stretched at all when wet. The slightly frustrating thing is that the situation could be improved by the addition of an additional peg point which would not really add that much to the weight.

Buying Advice:

Before taking the Helium out in really wet/windy conditions, I would 'adapt' the peg system so that I get rid of the flysheet/inner problem - and invest in some longer tent pegs. If you're happy to do that too then the Vango Helium 100 looks like a super light weight backpacking option.

What do you think?

Have you got a Vango Helium Superlight 100 Tent?

We would love to hear what you thought of it - good, bad or indifferent. Perhaps you simply disagree with the verdict above - or feel an important feature has been negelected.

Let us know by clicking this link - What I think of Vango Helium Superlight 100 Tent - so we can publish your important views below.