Vango - F10 Makalu 2

I got a new Vango F10 Makalu 2 a couple of years ago for £130. Used it in heavy snow a few times since, as well as summers etc. It's a beast. Granted, i did get very lucky with the price, and it DEFINITELY isnt Hilleberg level, but ive found it great for UK winters in the lakes and snowdonia. Point is that i got a cheap tent that works. I would certainly not be heading to the snowy hills in a tent i hadnt tried and wasnt confident in though, unless i was close to the car and i totally agree with everything else you said.

Perfect for my needs. Does everything i need it to. A bit heavy for good weather (2.5kg ish), but i love the luxury of the space it provides. No issues. Used probably around 70 nights in the past 4 years in all weather conditions. Far sturdier than budget vango options....had other vango users come to my tent during very heavy weathers as it's solid. I think the one i got was discontinued (probably why i got it so cheap). I cannot compare to other makes or models as ive had no actual nights out in comparable tents. It has served me EXTREMELY well and i expect it to last me at least another 10 years.

Thinking back to some of the worst nights ive had in it, maybe around 50-60mph and it was totally fine with correct orientation and i had no worries. I plan my trips and pitch position around poor weather though so i tend to avoid those conditions. Honestly, i wouldnt even want to guess what it could handle, but i wouldnt be out camping in strong winds anyway wherever possible.

I posted this in a similar question earlier, but as it seems to be about the tent in question...... I recently purchased the OEX Bandicoot 2, but unfortunately, I had to return it due to a manufacturing defect in one of the pole hubs. The design features a small round metal ring with three holes tapped into it, and in my case, the machining was so poor that the thread simply wouldn’t hold. After the return, I decided to go with the Vango F10 instead, which, in my opinion, has a superior hub system. While examining other hub threadings, I noticed they all had quite a bit of room for improvement in terms of tolerance. This raised concerns for me; if a hub were to fail while on the trail, there wouldn’t be a realistic way to fix it. I was genuinely disappointed because the Bandicoot appeared to be a great option at a competitive price point. Perhaps my experience was an isolated incident, but it certainly made me hesitant about the brand and its design.

I'm assuming you're UK? Something by Vango or berghaus from GoOutdoors will do you fine. No reason to spend money if you don't need it (I killed a Vango tent in 3 weeks last year though so if it's more than an emergency tent then you may want to) Warning - last year camping in the black forest was near impossible without booking. I crossed it twice and it was slammed everywhere. The Vosges in contrast was lovely. Nice and quiet by school holiday standards so I'd head there first.