Vango F10 Helium Superlite 200

Just in for review is the new Vango Force Ten Helium Superlite 200 lightweight, two-person tent, a lightened version of the existing Helium backpacking tent.

There are two versions of the tent, the 100, which is a one-person tent and the 200, which is nominally a two-person tent, but according to Vango's measurements, the 200 is 30cm wider and just 140g heavier, so we figured it would make a comfortable one-person shelter or a snug two-person one.

The tent's a pitch as one, two-skin design using what Vango calls a 'hybrid tunnel design', a hoop at one end and a short ridge pole at the other. You also get Vango's effective TBS Pro - Tension Band System - to brace the anodised, pre-shaped poles.

It's actually not much heavier than Vango's single-skin Ultralite but should be a lot less condensation prone, has a storage and cooking porch area plus doesn't have the annoyingly low end sections that ended up in our face when sleeping, or so we're hoping. Yeah, yeah, we're too soft for single-skin tents - guilty as charged.

Vango says that the weight savings over the proven Helium come from combining the tried and tested hybrid tunnel structure and waterproof Protex 20D Nylon fly-sheet with new, lighter inner tent and groundsheet materials.

The rest of the spec looks good with reflective webbing, inner tent pockets, taped seams, a Rain Stop fly sheet door to prevent drips when venting in the wet and the option of pitching either all as one or fly-sheet first.

Weight savings over the standard Helium 200 aren't massive at a claimed 1140g total versus 1300g, but every little helps. A quick weigh of our test sample gave a real 1230g including the lightweight storage bag. Pegs are dainty little 5-gramme C-section alloy affairs and the black anodised and heat treated alloy poles have a quality feel to them. Pitching instructions are handily printed on a big label inside the stuffsac.

It packs down small, neat and compact and it's light enough that when the courier passed us the box we were genuinely slightly surprised there was a tent inside it, which is always nice.

Force Ten is Vango's premium brand and that's reflected in the £260 price tag, £40 more than the standard version. The Helium Superlite 100 retails for £230.

We're really looking forward to using this tent. It's going to replace our faithful editorial Minaret for lightweight backpacking trips, solo and occasionally with a partner and we'll let you know how we get on in due course.