Vango Mirage 200 Pro Backpacking Tent Review

Today, we’re looking at the Vango Mirage 200 Pro Backpacking Tent and we’re hopefully going to answer some common questions. For example, is it worth your investment? What's the ventilation like? Is it durable enough for harsh weather conditions? Without further ado, let’s have a look!

​If you’ve previously looked at the two-person Vango Mirage 200 Pro model and decided it wasn't good enough for your needs, we urge you to reassess this opinion because they upgraded the tent in 2016. Though the foundations of the tent are the same, it now has a new door with a ‘roll and stow’ design, dual pegging for the front door for more height, and some aesthetic changes. If you’re undecided between the older and newer model, it comes down to whether you want a pouch for the door or a porch.

Aside from these changes, the tent can be erected as a freestanding unit which can be useful when you don’t want to mess around with pegs and guylines (assuming the weather will allow you to do this, of course!). If you’re camping for three nights, the freestanding nature means you can move it on day two if you found you were sleeping on a slope.

Key Features

What are some important features? Firstly, the reason this tent is called a ‘backpacking tent’ is partly down to its weight; it comes in at just three kilograms. While on the theme of dimensions, it stands at 110cm tall so it’s fairly comfortable to enter/exit without stooping. Perhaps more important than both these things, it has what’s called a ‘geodesic’ design which means it will thrive in heavy winds.

With the inner flysheet connecting to the outer waterproof flysheet, a nice space is available for ventilation and a number of toggles mean this, and the tent as a whole, can be pitched in around 10-15 minutes. As expected, the poles are the special PowerLite Vango poles and only three are required for installation.

Finally, both the front and rear windows are made of mesh which further improves ventilation. If you want more/less ventilation, the rear mesh panel can be adjusted and this is a great addition.

Benefits

We expect nothing less from Vango these days…but the design and materials work in all weathers. The 6,000mm hydrostatic head ensures that no water will ever pass through.

The freestanding nature means you don't need to pull out pegs and guylines just to move the tent from one night to the next.

With what Vango describe as a ‘gothic arch pole structure’, rain and snow will run off from the flysheet rather than sitting on top and potentially causing damage.

Brilliant compression straps mean that storage is easier than ever before.

Drawbacks

For those who like to secure their tent, you might want to invest in some stronger pegs (this is now an easy and affordable investment).

Summary

Durable, waterproof, reliable, well-ventilated, easy to pitch, and light for backpackers, this Vango tent is a superb option for two people who are happy being close to one another. You will find larger two-person tents, but this one has been designed cleverly with amazing features. Not only does it have these features, it also does the basics well with a polyester groundsheet, fully-taped seams, and Yunan Eco Alloy poles!

Other Vango Tents:

Vango Banshee 200

Vango Avington

Vango Omega