Two man tents, in my experience, can be a bit claustrophobic. But not this tunnel-shaped Vango Gamma 200 tent. It was so quick to erect (less than 12 minutes) and provides surprisingly roomy accommodation for two people. It’s the tunnel shape that creates the roominess, plus the extra porch area at the front.

The tent is not the lightest I’ve come across (3.9kg) but for a price of just £50.99 (with a Go Outdoors discount card) it is a great buy. I would suggest it’s more of a car to campsite or festival type tent (that is, you drive with the tent in the car and then unload the car somewhere close to the pitching site.) As a backpack style tent you might find it a bit heavy, unless you share the load between two rucksacks.

Easy to pitch Vango tent

But what it loses in terms of lightweight advantages, the Vango Gamma 200 gains in size, style and price. There are only two poles to concern yourself with (Vango call the poles “Powerflex fibreglass poles”), an easy to fit inner tent and then pegs to secure the lower edges of the tent and the guy ropes. It was really easy to put up and literally a 12-minute job. I managed this one solo but if you have a pal to hold the shape of the tent while you peg out that is a bonus.

The tent has taped seams for extra protection from heavy rain and reflective webbing so that you can find it at night (or on a crowded festival site). With a precipitation rating of 3,000mm the tent will not withstand heavy rain for day after day but it will be perfect for a summer camping trip.

Roomy inside two-man tent

Inside the tent the ground sheet fits neatly and extends out to the useful porch area. If you have two spare walking poles you can create a shelter area in the porch for more room on good weather days. There’s a central lantern hanging point and a couple of small side pockets for stowing valuables.

I also like the height of this tent. Although you can’t stand up it is easily possible to sit and kneel up. This is always a bonus if you’re sharing a tent for more than a night or two.

Pretty easy to pack the Vango tent

Taking the tent down is even easier than putting it up, until you get to the point of trying to fit it into the carry bag. I swithered between rolling up the tent and stuffing it in the bag. In the end, I finally got the rolled up tent to be the right width and size to fit into the bag and then wrestled to add the pols and peg bags into the larger bag. It does pack down nice and neatly but it takes a bit of perseverance to pack inside the bag.

 Great price for a two-man tent

For a shade over £50 this tent offers many advantages and few disadvantages. I would suggest it is a great campsite or festival tent for two people and during the summer months.

Vango Gamma 200 tent is for sale at Go Outdoors RRP is £80 but it sells for £50.99 with a Go Outdoors discount card.