Vango Helium Superlite Review

Update: Vango no longer make the Helium Superlite tents. The current versions, made under the Force 10 brand, are the Helium 1 and Helium 2.

The Vango Helium Superlites are the latest lightweight Vango tents in the force ten range. The tent comes in two models the 100, which is a 1 man tent and the 200, which is a 2 man tent. The tents are basically a lightened version of the Vango Helium. They use the same design as the helium but with a more lightweight inner and groundsheet. The trade off is the same as with all lightweight tents, less durability.

The tents can be pitched as one or flysheet first and are reasonably straightforward to errect with the centre pole being a bit tricky at first, although if you get stuck the instructions are printed on a label inside the stuffsack.

The design is a “hybrid tunnel” which is made up of a prebent F10 Flexlite pole hoop just off centre and a short upright pole at the other side which helps raise the end and stop the tent hanging down onto your feet. The tent also comes with Vangos TBS Pro (Tension band system) which provides extra stability especially in more severe weather. The pegs provided are reasonably sturdy and made from c shaped aluminium weighing 5g each although they are not the best tent pegs in the world and I personally would replace them.

The vestibule is fairly roomy for a tent of this class. It has more than enough room for cooking and storing a few bits of wet kit. The rain stop fly sheet door prevents water dripping into the tent when vestibule is open in the wet.

Along with this there are quite a few other nice features including reflective webbing and inner tent pockets. The other striking thing about this tent is it’s colour, there aren’t very many black tents around and the black outer and orange inner look good together.

The Vango Helium Superlite 100 weighs 0.98 kg and packs down to 40 x ø10cm
The Vango Helium Superlite 200 weighs 1.14 kg and packs down to 40 x ø12cm

As you can see from the floor plans the Helium superlite 200 is only 30 cm wider than the helium superlite 100. I wouldn’t want to use the 200 as a 2 man tent for extended periods of time but for mountain marathons and short trips its ideal.

The Helium superlite 200 is also a good option for a 1 man tent as it isn’t that much heavier than the 100 and the extra room will make things much more comfortable, especially in bad weather. Another word of warning if you’re much taller than around 6′ you’ll struggle to fit in comfortable as with most ultralight tents.

Overall the Helium Superlite 100 and 200 offer great value for money and is are ruggged lightweight tents ideally suited for mountain marathons and solo walking.