Vango Icarus 500 Tent

Tent ranges come and go but the shining beacon of the Vango range every year is the Icarus. This year see's the range updated again meaning the Icarus just keeps getting better and better! We've currently got everything from the Icarus 300 all the way up to the monster that is the Icarus 1000, but we're going to find a happy middle ground and have a look at their best selling Icarus 500 model.

As already mentioned the Vango Icarus 500 has had a few upgrades for this Spring/Summer. Starting with new even larger windows, ensuring you can watch the world go by and at the same time allow plenty of natural light to filter inside. The guys at Vango have also increased the head height this year, opening the living and sleeping areas out and giving you a bit more room to maneuver and make yourself comfy. This years model also see's the inclusion of low level ventilation, a great addition, especially if the weather decides to perk up and the sun pokes its head out, it just get's the air inside the tent moving around that little bit more.

Moss

Moving on to the Icarus 500's more 'techy specs', it features a Protex 3,000HH polyester embossed 70D outer fabric combined with a Polyethylene 10,000HH groundsheet. So if like the past week (or seven...) the rain hasn't abated you and all your gear will remain dry. The Icarus 500 also uses Vango's own patented TBS II (Tension Band System). This system increases the tents stability in stronger winds, ensuring it remains stable even in the fiercest of weather conditions. TBS II is also an upgrade from Vango's original TBS system, the TBS II see's the angle of the webbing straps changed to ease the user's movement inside the tent, the straps also line up with the guyline to complete a stable and secure triangled shaped. The tent uses Powerflex Fibreglass poles for lightweight rigidity.

The Icarus 500's tunnel design makes for easy pitching, around 12 minutes, so you can park your car, get the tent pitched in no time and sit back and begin your holiday. Also helping with the ease of pitching is the attached groundsheet and pre-attached rooms, so the entire structure can go up in one fell swoop.

Surf Blue

Once pitched you'll start to notice all the little details that Vango include to help elevate your camping experience. The windows come with privacy curtains, so when the night starts to close in and you feel it's time to get the lantern switched on, you won't have people nosily staring in. One of the small features that you may not even notice at first is the Vango Pelmet. The Pelmet helps to clear up any possible untidy edges, giving the inside of the tent a homely rounded feel. The Pelmet also has built in pockets to store any smaller essentials that you want to keep out of the way.

Another handy, often forgotten feature is the reflective webbing, although you probably won't notice it until the evening. Get yourself a headtorch and you'll be able to guide yourself without tripping up everywhere, which is always a possibility after a few relaxing beers or a couple of glasses of wine. Cable entry with cable tidies also makes sure you don't have wires sticking out everywhere. Inside the tent you also get part mesh doors and a removable divider if you want to open up a little more space.

After your trip, the Icarus 500 packs down to 72 x 34 x 27cm and comes with it's own carry bag so there won't be any broken backs when transporting it to and from the car. We currently have the Vango Icarus 500 Tent at £217.99, that's over 15% off the RRP! It's in stock in two classic Vango colours for this season; Surf Blue and Moss Green.