Chris Townsend considers the tent as an option for backpacking
Vango’s new Sirocco 200 is a tough two-person tent at a low price, making it excellent value for money.The three-pole semi-geodesic design is stable in strong winds with no large unsupported panels to blow in and out. It is heavy though and definitely one for two people, especially as it’s quite bulkywhen packed. It should last well however. The polyester fabric feels durable and the groundsheet has a fairly high hydrostatic head.
The tent pitches inner first and this does take time as you have to thread three poles and attaching the flysheet is fiddly as it involves some Velcro strips that have to be hooked round the poles (something I really dislike). I wouldn’t want to pitch the Sirocco in heavy rain. There is a reasonable amount of room inside with good headroom and a fairly big porch for gear storage and cooking. The inner is mostly mesh. There is a hood over the top of the flysheet door so this can be left open for ventilation and a very small covered mesh vent at the rear. This isn’t much ventilation and condensation can be copious and slow to shift.
