Review of the Vango Voyager 400 Tent
by the bald scrambler
Published By: Daniel Weadley. Updated: 4th February 2024. Filed at: Reviews. Disclosure: I earn commission from purchases made via links, read more.
I’ve owned the Vango Voyager 400 tent for several years and my friend has owned one for even longer.
This is my honest review of this affordable tent – the good and the bad.
Photos
Photos of the Vango Voyager 400 tent:
The rear of the tent
Front of the tent and entrance
I’m 6ft 2″ tall
Lots of headroom and space for 2 ppl and gear
Pros
- Value – as of February 2024, this tent costs £104 (see current price on Amazon)
- Ease of assembly – only two poles.
- Spacious.
- There are lots of guy ropes to secure the tent; I’ve used it on windy days, and it was fine.
- Waterproof and tested by me in very heavy rain and wind.
Cons
- Not lightweight at 5.4kg.
- Porch area not big enough for a chair.
- The material is light blue and lets lots of early morning light in, despite the grey inner mesh.
- The poles don’t cross over each other, so the fabric moves a lot in the wind, especially in the middle of the tent.
What I Didn’t Like About This Voyager 400 Tent
Unlike most product reviews you’ll find online, I’ll start with what I don’t like, and this is based on 3 years of use:
Weight: This tent weighs 5.4 kg, so it isn’t suitable for backpacking.
Limited space in the porch – just enough for gear but not a chair.
Large tunnel tents can flap around in the wind.
The porch: The porch is big enough to store shoes, bags and a cooler box but not big enough for a chair so can’t be used as a seating area to get out of the wind or the rain etc.
The colour: The material is made from light blue, and in the early morning, sunlight lights up the inside of the tent. I’ve had many early summer nights where I woke up at 5am because the tent was so bright; this is despite the inner mesh being grey.
Tunnel tent design: Tunnel tents have their pros and cons and one of the issues is the material flaps around in the wind and doesn’t have the same strength as other tent designs.
What I Liked About This Tent
There’s a lot to like about the Vango Voyager 400 tent and for the price, I feel it’s good value, here’s a few things that I really appreciated:
Headroom: While I couldn’t stand up in this tent, there is more headroom than in most 4-person tents at this price range.
Ease of erection: It took me less than ten minutes to fully erect this tent and 2 people could do it in considerably less time. There are only two poles and seven guy ropes.
Waterproofness: I’ve never had any water coming in, and I’ve used this tent in some horrendous weather in Snowdonia and beyond.
Ventilation/condensation: This tent has large mesh vents, including one that can be opened/closed with a zip. I’ve never had any issues with condensation in the Vango Voyager 400 tent.
Plenty of ventilation and zips to control condensation/drafts.
Packing the tent away: The carry bag is spacious and the tent easily fits into it. The straps on the bag allow it to be compressed to a reasonably small size for transportation.
Who I Recommend This Tent To
Based on my three years of use, I feel this tent is best suited to:
- Those who will use it on campsites rather than wild campers who may want something lighter and more discreet.
- Single campers who want a ton of space or two campers with bags and equipment.
- 3-season use only.
- Price-conscious buyers – it’s a great tent for the price I paid.
Who I Don’t Recommend This To
I feel that this would be a better tent if the porch was slightly bigger and had enough space for a chair or two. There have been a few occasions in the cooler autumn months when I wanted to get out of the wind but didn’t want to sit inside the tent.
If you struggle to sleep in bright tents, you may want to choose a tent with dark “blackout” material as this tent is fairly bright.
It’s too heavy and bright for wild campers or long-distance backpackers. It’s best for campsites where you don’t need to walk too far from your car.
You Should Also Know
Here’s a few other things you should know:
- The price of this tent varies a lot; at the moment, it’s sold for £104 (Feb 2024) on Amazon.
- Older versions of this tent have a slightly different porch design where there isn’t a gap between the porch floor and the wall.
- The colour has faded quickly.
Key Specs
- 4-person tent but better suited to 2 people plus gear.
- Good headroom but not enough to stand up in.
- Easy to pitch – the inner can left connected to the outer for easy pitching next time.
- Ideal for campsites.
- Waterproof polyester flysheet – I’ve never seen rain get through it.
- Waterproof 70 denier PE groundsheet that is strong and doesn’t require a separate footprint groundsheet.
- Internal storage pockets.
- Lantern hanging point.
- Breathable inner fabric with vents – prevents condensation and is well-ventilated.
- Pitch time: ~10 mins.
- Weight: 5.4 kg.
- Packed size: 61cm x 20cm
- Spacious carry bag.
- Hydrostatic head: 3000.
About Daniel Weadley
This review of the Vango Voyager 400 tent was created by Daniel Weadley, aka The Bald Scrambler.
From walking along beaches and kayaking down rivers to making his way up mountains and even jumping out of planes, Daniel has a love of the outdoors but scrambling is his real passion.
Daniel Weadley aka The Bald Scrambler
Have fun, keep safe. Hopefully I’ll see you on the mountains one day
By The Bald Scrambler