#VANGO AIRBEAM TENT REVIEW HOW TO#

However, we spent a wild windy weekend testing out both styles of tent, and found that the Osiris Air 500 performed just as well as the Aether 450 pole tent, not least because it has internal bracing straps – one of the parts of a tent many won't be familiar with – that help it maintain its shape even in gusty conditions. Where some people might expect a greater degree of divergence in performance level is in stormy weather, with many people perhaps predicting that air tents might not be so robust.

#VANGO AIRBEAM TENT REVIEW HOW TO#

For more on this, check out How to choose a tent and What size tent do I need?īecause they all tend to stand pretty tall, and are more often tunnel- rather than a geodesic- (half dome) shaped, family sized pole tents and air tents both rely heavily on tensioning at either end to stay up, and guy ropes all around to stay stable during high winds. Family-sized air tents can stand just as high and wide as pole tents designed for the same purpose, offering the same level of head height and floor space, so there’s no real difference there. In terms of features and comfort, this all comes down to the quality of the individual tents in question. While inflatable beams may bend in challenging conditions, at least they’ll never snap, unlike poles.For air tents, internal bracing straps are required, impeding internal space.Both air tents and poled tents perform just as well in windy conditions.Comfort and liveability comes down to individual tents.Inflating the Vango Osiris Air 500 with the provided pump (Image credit: Pat Kinsella) Design, stability and adverse weather

If the poles are different lengths, it also helps a lot if they – and the corresponding sheath – are colour coded, which they usually are. This is how the Aether 450 works, and it’s all fairly straightforward – although it’s certainly preferable to have at least two people involved. When it comes to knowing how to pitch a tent, most modern pole tents are pretty easy to put up and the majority of the larger models these days are based around a tunnel design, so you simply have to thread several large poles through the sheaths on the inner, then bend them and put each end in an eyelet or similar at ground level.

The Osiris Air 500 has the edge as it can be pitched by one person.

The Aether 450 is straightforward to pitch but best with two people.

His love of camping has seen him enjoy backpacking trips on multiple continents, as well as the occasional camping holiday with his family. Writer, editor and enthusiast of anything involving pegs, pitching, boots, backpacks and bruises, Pat has spent 20 years pursuing adventure stories.

Vango airbeam tent review