Update: We are not currently selling the Mirage 200. As an alternative we recommend the Jack Wolfskin Gossamer II which is a tunnel tent as opposed to the semi-geodesic style of the Mirage.
The Mirage 200 is a 2 man, 3 season backpacking tent from Vango’s expedition range. With an RRP of £150 (July 2012) it represents great value for money and it is no wonder that it is a Duke of Edinburgh Award approved product.
What makes the Vango Mirage 200 such a good buy? Some of the features that we like best are it’s sizeable interior, quick all in-one pitching and the free-standing, semi-geodesic design.
The packed weight of 2.9 kg is consistent with its price and is lightweight enough for two backpackers to easily carry between them. The Vango Mirage 200 is an ideal entry level tent that is highly suited to Duke of Edinburgh’s award expeditions.
Pitching
The Vango Mirage 200 has three tent poles which each have a colour coded section in the middle. These match up with small coloured tabs on the flysheet’s tent sleeves. The two poles that cross over to form the dome part at the back are identical and have a black colour code, whilst the pole that crosses over at the front has a grey colour code. The poles are Powerlite branded and made from lightweight 7001-T6 alloy metal.
The semi-geodesic shape provides more stability than a simple dome geometry, as well as providing more usable space in the porch. There is enough room in the porch for cooking or to store a rucksack. One nice little touch is that the Vango Mirage 200 comes with a groundsheet for the porch, which will prevent the tent’s entrance becoming muddy and keep anything you store there clean.
Inside the Tent
The inner is suspended from the flysheet with toggles that fit through eyes. These can be left in place for simultaneous outer and inner pitching. Inside the Vango Mirage 200 has steep sided walls providing enough room to sit up, if you’re of average height. The tent is rectangular in shape and wide enough for two campers, although there could be a little more room for storing your camping equipment. There are three handy pockets for storing your bits and pieces.
Ventilation to the inner is provided by mesh panels at the back and front sides of the tent and on the inner door. Corresponding vents in the flysheet can be opened or closed using a built in velcro strut. There is quite a bit of space between the inner and the flysheet, which should help to reduce condensation.
One small point that could be improved is the door of the inner. Permanently connected to the inner on one side, it unzips in almost a full circle. The person sleeping on the connected side could find it difficult to get out at night without disturbing their companion. It would be better if the connection was at the bottom of the door in the middle. Additionally, there is only one zip, so it is not possible to open the door in specific sections.
Other Features
The porch, or vestibule, section of the flysheet can be rolled up to the centre from both the left and right hand side doors, the whole thing can then be stuffed into a special pocket situated at the top of the door. We thought it looked a bit like an elephant’s trunk! This could be handy on hot days, but could be achieved using a small toggle rather than a large pocket.
A few other good points worth mentioning are the quality of the waterproof taped seems on the fly sheet, the locking attachments on the guy lines and repair kit that is included with the tent. There are 16 sturdy tent pegs supplied. These weigh 15g each, just in case you were wondering.
There are compression straps on the stuff sack, which is a good feature. We must admit to having a spot of bother packing the tent back into the stuff sack. So the stuff sack could be slightly larger. When its pouring down with rain you want to be able to pack your tent away quickly.
Vango Mirage 200 Summary
The Vango Mirage 200 is a 3 season, free-standing, semi-geodesic tent. It is suitable for backpacking and approved by the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. It is spacious inside with enough room to sleep two people and it has a fairly sizeable porch.
The Vango Mirago 200 tent represents excellent value for an entry level backpacking tent.
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