Vango Calisto 500 Tent Reviews and Details Page 2

Tent Reviews: Vango Calisto 500

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Vango > Calisto 500 Reviews

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Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:

Yes
5 (more 5 berth tents)

Ł250.00
1
Fully Sewn-in
In one

Average User Rating:

9.07/10 from 15 reviews

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15 Reviews of the Calisto 500 Showing 11 to 15 Page: 1 2

By: V8trikemids Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 9 from 10

We bought this one off ebay, new, though its last years model, for Ł134, bargain. The idea was to have a smaller tent than our Ontario 8 and porch setup, for simpler 'weekend' camps. Its a heavy tent, thats the huge steel poles mainly, Ill separate them to make it easier to move about. Our first use was at Easter, no test pitch, we live life on the edge. Very easy to put up many people have problems with steel poles, I do sometimes with our Onty 8 porch, but the Calisto has plenty of give in the tensioning straps, so use it!

Onto first minor gripe, the supplied pegs are very thin, maybe only 4mm, didnt bother with them, I used some 6mm ones I've got spare. Loved the little velcro bits for stowing the guylines.

Once up the tent is well made, very sturdy, with plenty of windows, with curtains on the INSIDE yay! Huge bedroom which swallowed our full height airbed and juniors single with ease.The lounge area though is not at all suited to 5 bodies, true I took way too much gear for 4 days, but it got a bit cramped. I slung a tarp over the front as a basic porch, and kept the kitchen under it, I think for longer stays or more people, the Vango canopy thing would be almost a necessity. Main gripe is the front door, it all seems too tight at the top, the first time we went to shut it - it wouldnt, too much strain on the zips (those horrid 'bent wire' ones), after much loosening of guys, tension straps, and pegs we were able to ease the zips down to a spot were they moved easily (about 8 inches from top), we never did them up beyond this point, which makes it impossible to tie the door up, I always carry bungee cord etc, so I knocked up some tie extensions. This probably has been addressed with the 2012 model, as the front is now totally different, and has nylon zips.

So, to sum up, a few minor niggles, but generally great quality, with thoughtful touches, and a lot of tent for your Łs, especially if bought at some of the discounted prices online, but if youre going to a shop, make sure its the 2012 model (it has 'wings' at the front), as the front door is a much better design.

2 from 2 people found this review helpful, was it helpful to you?

By: David storm Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 10 from 10

Purchased the Calisto 500 after having a dome type tent with fibreglass poles break in high winds. Fantastic tent. Along with the front enclosed canopy, offers lots of room. We do our cooking in the canopy, leaving the living space/carpet able to be kept clean. Just back from Isle of Skye and very high winds-tent and canopy didnt move. Overall fantastic tent, easy to pitch and as weight not a problem to us-very pleased.

3 from 3 people found this review helpful, was it helpful to you?

By: Trevor2110 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 8 from 10

I bought this tent to replace my Eurohike Stowe.That was ok but not so good in strong winds. I looked at the Icarus first but thought I'd be more secure from the elements with steel poles. The Calisto seems to be the same as the Icarus other than steel poles.

The instructions say use a helper and you need one!The steel poles make it a lot harder to erect by yourself. I put it up in the garden by myself but it was a struggle. But as the other half says, why would you buy a tent that size if you're alone?To be fair, they tell you that you need a hand.

How another reviewer got it up in 15 minutes is surprising to me.When there were two of us,it took around 25 mins to open up the bag, separate the pod from the fly,spread it out,assemble and insert the six poles before erecting.I found that despite releasing the tension straps, it was hard to get the poles onto the pins. Maybe it'll get easier when its been used a few times. I'd say 40 mins is a more realistic, maybe relaxed, time.

First use was in Brecon and it was raining stair rods!Once up, there were no leaks,despite the small hole mentioned below and it felt secure in the gusting wind.

There were a few quality issues.We noticed a small hole at the end of a taped seam on a window. The peg bag is paper thin and a hole appeared on it's second outing. The main tent bag is also very flimsy. Why don't they give you a bigger, sturdier bag? I'd rather pay a few pounds more and get a bit of quality that you don't have to stand on to get the zip shut.

The blurb says that the inner tent is 'lights out' I'd have to disagree and say that it let in as much light as any other tent I've owned.Not that it was a problem for us.

Regarding the hole, I took the tent back to Cotswold Outdoors and they agreed that it was a manufacturing issue and exchanged with no problem( and I was impressed with the customer service from the start).

Despite these issues, we're happy with the tent and I'd recommend it. Its a good,strong, waterproof tent ideal for two adults and a couple of kids.

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By: Cindy007 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 10 from 10

Purchased this as a weekend tent, for 2 adults and a dog. The steel poles make it very sturdy and will withstand very bad weather conditions. We have a Maritsa 700, and this tent is very similar to erect. It took 15 mins to pitch. We purchased the footprint and carpet, along with the front enclosed porch. The porch comes with a ground sheet and provides loads more space, and a place to put all you kitchen stuff, leaving the living space free. This is an excellent tent for weekends or short breaks. Packed away very quick and was easy to take down. Hubby put up tent and took it down on his own, which is another bonus.

3 from 3 people found this review helpful, was it helpful to you?

By: Dmsum Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating: 9 from 10

Bought as a weekend family tent, this is well designed and made, with steel poles creating a bigger inner volume than the otherwise similar Vango Icarus, and also giving it a much sturdier feel. We have an Outwell Montana 6 as our 'big' tent, and I'm struck by the similarities of design - which is a good thing! Only used it for one weekend so far but quick to erect and take down, easy to pack and weighs less than half what the Monty does, so an excellent family tent for short breaks. Teamed with a Vango family shelter (tarp) it's even more versatile.

4 from 4 people found this review helpful, was it helpful to you?

15 User Reviews of the Calisto 500 - Showing 11 to 15 Page: 1 2

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Manufacturer's Description

Technical Specifications:
Fabrics: Flysheet: Protex® 3000 polyester embossed
Inner: Breathable 190T polyester
Groundsheets: Polyethylene 10,000
Windows: PVC
Poles: PowerPlus steel 22mm
Pitching: Flysheet-first

General Details
• 3000 HH
• Vango easy-pitch tunnel
• Sewn-in groundsheet
• Vango ‘lights out’ inner tent
• Vango pelmet
• Easy fi nd orange inner clips
• Part mesh inner door
• Mesh doors
• Detachable inner divider
• Mesh ventilation
• Windows have internal curtains
• Vango Air-Zone - Large venting panels
• Storage solutions
• Lantern loop
• Zipped cable entry point
• Fire retardant fabric

... there may be more info on their website

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