Vango Orchy 500 Tent Reviews and Details Page 4

Tent Reviews: Vango Orchy 500

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Vango > Orchy 500 Reviews

Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:

Yes
5 (more 5 berth tents)
12.00 KG
Ł160.00
1
Fully Sewn-in
In one

Average User Rating:

7.39/10 from 46 reviews

Viewed: 125545 times

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46 Reviews of the Orchy 500 Showing 31 to 40 Page: 1 2 3 4 5

By: Kevin+Issy Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 9 from 10

Followed the instructions from CD to the letter - I guess Vango know more about their tents than I do.

Have camped in wind (don't know MPH) and rain. Tent FAILED to collapse, bend, rip or let us down.

Used with Outwell canopy and old Outwell footprint - both fit well and work - and a couple of Gelert lined picnic blankets as carpet.

Followed instructions on putting away - over-sized bag was just that. Went in with plenty of room to spare.

Very pleased with tent for use as our weekend tent and would recommend it.

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By: Montanagirl Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 9 from 10

Used this tent for the first time this weekend and loved it to bits. We had some rain and a bit of wind with no issues what so ever.

We got the footprint, carpet and sun canopy to go with it and well worth the extra money. The footprint kept the ground sheet lovely and clean, the carpet made the tent really cosy and we would not be without the sun canopy now. We used this as our kitchen, extra living space and storage area for boots and camping box. The really big advantage was that we could keep the main front door open and still keep dry when it was raining. It also meant if you had to open the door when it was raining (e.G. Dash to the loo in the middle of the night) the front inside of the tent didn't get dripped on.

We didn't find the canopy at all difficult to attach as in some reviews, but admit we didn't go by the instructions supplied. First of all it stated there were 5 poles when actually there are only 2. Would recommend pegging down the web strapping running across the bottom of the canopy for safety reasons.

The only disadvantage we found is that it does pull the front brow pole down a bit on the main tent but this didn't cause us any problems.

We have given the tent a 9 out of 10 as it would definitely be too small for 5 people. As there are only 2 of us, we removed the bedroom room divider and used the bedroom as one which gave us stacks of room (see pics).

Being our first camping trip, we were really pleased with the tent. Looking forward to using it again next month at Sandringham.

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By: Jayrd Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: 4 from 10

Good points- colour/style

BAD POINTS: ON our first outing (shell island) windspeed 15mph, this tent collapsed on the 3rd night. Snapped poles and rippped seam. I had been constantly monitoring the stability of the tent as it began bowing at the slightest breeze. Vango are uninterested as none of the poles with any of their tents are included in the warranty. I have owned an Omega 350 ant it has been great, but for something bigger, for family use- I really do not recommend this one. I have over 30 yrs camping experience, and this one was not that much fun.

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By: Goose451 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 1 from 10

Good points. Nice design, spacious, relatively easy to pitch for a bigish dome, lots of light, Head room ok (I'm 6'2'), watertight.

Bad point. Only one but it's a real clincher. As soon as the wind picked up a bit the tent 'collapsed' right down to ground level trapping my wife inside. It popped up again but split one of it's poles doing so. Reading the threads on this site (wish I'd discovered them before purchase!) this seems to be a regular problem with this particular tent. I've been camping 40 years and never had this happen before. It's a nice tent otherwise but it's no good if it can't handle a bit of midsummer breeze.

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By: Former Scout Reason: I've used one Made in: 2008 Rating: 6 from 10

Although I do not own an Orchy a friend of mine bought one on the basis of initial, positive reviews on this site. I have pitched it a few times and camped with it.

The tent has two areas: a dome living area and a tunnel-style sleeping area. You can comfortably stand up in the living area though, being a dome, the maximum height is very much located towards the middle and, as you move towards the side, you will very quickly find that you cannot stand upright. In the bedroom, however, adults will not be able to stand up straight, even at the highest point. But there is plenty of headroom for adults to sit up and for children to stand.

The biggest gripe about the bedroom, however, is the space. Vango claim that this is a five-berth tent and yet it is 10cm narrower than my Outwell Minnesota four-berth. I find this rather disingenuous of Vango.

Pitching this tent is definitely a two-person task; the living area poles are long and bendy, so don't even try to pitch it solo. The two short braceť poles towards the front and back of the living area can require some strength to slot into place.

There are two doors that gain access to the living area; the main one at the front and a side door. However, both are on a slant and so, if it is raining, you have to be quick to unzip, get in/out and then re-zip the door. Therefore I would suggest that either the large Vango canopy or the newly-available extension is pretty much essential.

There are contradictory accounts about how well the Orchy can withstand inclement weather. Although we had plenty of rain (but then, who didn't last summer?) there was no sign of water leaking in. We didn't have any wind to speak of and, to be honest, I was glad. I'm not convinced by its stability in strong wind; those living area poles are very long with only one node, though those two brace poles will add a little to the stability.

In the words of Oscar, I was whelmed with this tent. It's attractively priced and ambitious in what it tries to achieve, but too many corners are cut in order to get there within the price bracket. In fine, fair weather it's great; but when can we guarantee fine, fair weather?

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By: Chris+Kel Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 9 from 10

In my opinion an excellent tent! It is extremely quick and easy to put up and take down(after the initial fumble that comes with figuring out a brand new tent!)

We have used it on approximately 6 occasions over the past year, in various weather conditions (sun, wind and rain) and have had no problems at all. Even whilst camping by the coast in Folkstone, which was extremely windy, the tent stood up to the test and held firm (Just ensure all the guy ropes are up and the front door is facing the sheltered edge of your pitch!)

The 'oversize' bag, as always, should read 'just the right size' and although we have always managed to get the tent in (including our mallet) its a pretty tight roll. But hey, that's half the fun!

I love the fact it has a completely sewn in groundsheet which helps keep the wind and creepy crawlies out!

It would probably be a bit cramped with any more than 3 adults, although plenty of space for our needs (2 short adults and a large GSD dog!)

We also got the footprint and carpet to go with the tent, which both help to the keep the tent warmer and cosier in the cold winter evenings (Yes, we are the mad people you see camping in a tent at the beginning of March!).

The Vango Orchy 500 is probably one of the best tents I've ever used (and I have used quite a few!) I would definitely recommend this tent to anyone wanting a good quality, easy to pitch, reliable and affordable tent from a reputable and well known camping brand.

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By: Fleecygirl1 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: 8 from 10

We've been quite happy with this tent, have used it in snow, mist, rain and a big thunderstorm as well as in the sun. The bedroom area is a bit of a squish for 4 people but the lounge area is roomy, plenty of room for all our stuff. The tent carpet is great, and it's nice and light and well-ventilated. My main beef is that when it rains you get dripped on when you come in and out no matter which door you use, although it's handy having 2 doors if you pitch it the wrong way round like I usually do. Quite quick and easy to pitch, but the bag is definitely too small to fit it back into, I think I managed it only once. And that was by sitting on it. The mesh on the doors was a good feature, helped keep the mozzies out. Overall excellent value for money and will probably last many more years.

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By: Solitairefan1 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 4 from 10

We have various tents throughout our 12 years of camping. We have always tried to stick to Vango as they have proved to be the most reliable. However, we brought this Vango Orchy 500 because we had an Aspen 700 and wanted to downsize. We bought it and went off camping. It pitched perfectly and we were very pleased with it, however when the wind blew, the tent folded in and because we were so unsure of its stability, we had to tie it to the car. When the tent was put away, we noticed the poles and splintered on the Porch side.

We put it down to a freak chance of wind, but the same happened the next time we went, and the next time. In total we have used this tent 4 times, and tied it to the car on 3 of those occasions, (we had a heatwave on one of our trips!).

When we looked at the tent overall, we decided we weren't happy with it. The 500 is for 5 people but we only had enough room for 2 adults and a young child. The living area when it is wet is not very big and the headroom needs to be a little more height. Overall, if this was about 5 inches bigger all round, the space would have been fine. We were unfortunate to be caught in the rain this summer and noticed a few leaks by the porch and when the tent gets really wet you had to be careful not to touch the sides.But I suppose that comes with the territory.

Packing away was a nightmare, because the bag only just fits. Our zip broke on the first put away.

When we went viewing tents at the beginning of the season, the sales person tried to talk us out of getting the Orchy and recommended getting the Nevada M, which we obviously ignored, but now wish we had listened as friends of ours have this tent and it deserves a good review, and will be our next new tent for next year.

We don't want to get a new tent, but feel we need to, to withstand the British weather, so we wasted Ł130 getting this one. We feel Vango have let us down on this tent and will not consider another Vango until they improve their products.

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By: Heidimcal Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 4 from 10

I am on my second Vango tent this year - the first one having been sent back because the porch pole snapped after some moderate winds. The design is great for living in and suits two of us well, with plenty of bedroom space to store clothes in the dry and dress easily. The porch area is fine and light, however, it would not suit taller than average people as it is fairly sloped. The tent stayed dry during an extended period of wet weather. The main problem with the tent is the inferior quality of the poles which flex and split too easily when the wind picks up. A friend of ours has had 3 Vango poles break in separate incidents this summer. My verdict is a good value sale tent if used in favourable conditions, but don't expect it to last long if you are unlucky with the weather!

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By: Matherratic Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 3 from 10

Bought on a budget for 2 adults, 2 children, only just big enough. Poor in wind, dome collapsed on to camp stove, and side rubbed against camp kitchen causing hole. Squeeze for 4, groundsheet leaked in bedroom, good value if weather is OK, but I will now upgrade to something more rigid.

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46 User Reviews of the Orchy 500 - Showing 31 to 40 Page: 1 2 3 4 5

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Manufacturer's Description

Protex® 3000 polyester waterproof, durable and reliable
> Taped seams for waterproof protection
> Comfort colours darker over bedrooms for more restful sleep
> Storm skirt system waterproof exterior skirt system which creates dry comfort zones. Heavy duty oxford fabric used for strength and durability
> Flysheet first pitching inner tents are kept dry
> Guy tidy velcro holder allows guylines to be packed neatly, making re-pitching easier
> Colour coded poles match the poles to the sleeve tab for easy pitching
> Powerflex® fibreglass poles tough, sturdy and reliable
> Pre-angled poles improves angles of the walls resulting in more usable space and stability
> Front flysheet vents with covers allows continual airflow enhancing comfort
> PE waterproof groundsheet 5000HH minimum ensures dry inner tents
> Rain gutter zip covers keeps zips dry
> Sewn-in groundsheet fully enclosed to protect against unwanted draughts and bugs
> Drop down groundsheet at doors fillet and toggle system improves performance and comfort by eliminating gaps. Also a useful safety feature by removing tripping obstacles in doorways
> Front and side mesh doors reduces build up of condensation and keeps bugs out
> Mesh vents on inner allows continual airflow enhancing comfort
> Double zip windows flexible internal cover allowing choice between - light and vent, light only or vent only
> Pelmet aesthetic addition to conceal inner attachment points giving the interior a more finished look.
> Breathable fabric inner creates a comfortable sleeping area
> Parallel zip door allows the use of accessory King Poles to create a canopy for sheltered entry
> Carry bag oversized to ease the pack away and easy transportation
> Matching Accessories includes Sleeping Bags, Carpets, Furniture, Windbreaks, Sun Canopies, etc

Pack size: 72 x 29 x 26cm
Pitching area: 615 x 390cm
Pitching time: 2

... there may be more info on their website

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