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I have had my Orchy 500 for just over a year now and had two one-week camping trips with the family this summer.

I'm looking for some advice or feedback on others' experiences. Earlier this year, whilst camping in the North Yorks Moors for a weekend, we suffered pole breakages, when the dome got blown inside out. I had noticed that the main dome poles are not pitching straight at the front, especially with the canopy on the front. I have lost confidence with the tent in moderate to high winds now, despite spending extra time trying to pitch the tent to minimise the bend in the poles. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Quote: Originally posted by Nuff Said on 08/9/2010

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I have had my Orchy 500 for just over a year now and had two one-week camping trips with the family this summer.

I'm looking for some advice or feedback on others' experiences. Earlier this year, whilst camping in the North Yorks Moors for a weekend, we suffered pole breakages, when the dome got blown inside out. I had noticed that the main dome poles are not pitching straight at the front, especially with the canopy on the front. I have lost confidence with the tent in moderate to high winds now, despite spending extra time trying to pitch the tent to minimise the bend in the poles. Any thoughts or suggestions?

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We had our first couple of nights in our Orchy 600 last weekend. Easy enough to erect and plenty of room for me, the oh and 2 winkies so well chuffed!

We had a huge downpour for a couple of hours on the first night with no leaks in sight and it also took a bit of a battering by the wind at times.

This was our first camping trip ever and we enjoyed it so much, that with 2 hours of getting home we had managed to source a Premium Extension and its already been delivered.

Roll on 2011!

Hi all, Rich from West Kent here.

Proud owner of an Orchy 500 (2009), premium extension, footprint groundsheet, & Orchy carpet...and have just finished a second season which means about 6 uses I suppose. I mainly use it at car shows where it provides a nice place to come back to and crash after an evenings drinking and not having to drive anywhere !

This is me:

I also use this neat little tent too - the Colman Event Shelter, which at 5m x 5m provides a nice venue for an evening BBQ & drinkies:

OK so, I have known about the high wind issues that some people have mentioned previous, but never experienced any problems till this last weekend. Up at Santa Pod Raceway (previously an airfield), camped out in the open - VERY wet Sat eve & Sunday, with some quite gusty wind as normal for that venue. Have some leakage down the side of near the front which I'm going to have to investigate at a later date I think.

The wind really got up as I was taking some other tents down and I really feared for the stabilty of the Orchy. It remained standing, but the front poles DID do a reverse bend. Hope I can explain.

1) the front ridge pole flipped round the other way, so it was no longer bending outwards but bending back the other way. It didn't crease but obviusly just rotated and did a reverse curl.

2) the bottom half of the main up-and-over pole of the left side at the front also reverse flipped, so made an "S"-shape...as did the bottom half of the next pole along...as did the rear pole. Tent remained standing but certainly didnt look secure.

The prevailing wind was hitting the front edge of the tent, so going diagonally from front to back.

3) the elasicated section of the extension that goes over the brow pole kept coming off.

Lessons to learn:
1) whats the best way in peoples experience to re-waterproof seams..?  Do sprays work...?

2) have seen the tip about pulling the brow pole guy rope forwards so will try that next time. Will also investigate attaching a couple more guys on each side thus - see green edited guys:

May also have a look at upgrading to the thinkier pole spec of the "600". Has anyone done this yet...?

3) I think by passing the guy attached to the elasticated bit of the extension through the "V" of rope on the Orchy at the top of the main pole, this may provide the right direction of pull to stop this happening. see red X in the above photo.

Any other suggestions...?

Rich

ps also own one of these - a Sigma 300+. You can see where the got the idea for extending the brow pole down to the ground in the 2010 update.

pps. in response to a couple of other things people have mentions, I use the Gelert King Poles for the flap of the extension (bright yello guys), and a Coleman 230x230 carpet for the bedroom of the Orchy (fits almost all the way to the edge bar 6")

Just been browsing the official Vango spares supplier: http://www.campingspares.co.uk/index.html

If you compare pole set for the 2009 Orchy 500:
http://www.campingspares.co.uk/acatalog/Orchy_500.html
with the equivalent Orchy 600 spares:
http://www.campingspares.co.uk/acatalog/Orchy_600.html
you can see that there is no difference in thickness, which is a bit confusing. Ignore the pics of this site as they are generic - just go by the description. I think the 12.7 refers to the outer diameter of the final metal ferrule...not the pole diameter.

Have made contact with Vango & their spares company to see if any other standard poles will fit with a bit of trimming...and to query the above sizing Qu.. Looks like I can make up a new set in 13mm from bits available for sale on various websites, apart from the bent ferrules which don't seem to be on sale anywhere.

Quote: Originally posted by NorthDowns on 04/10/2010

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a Coleman 230x230 carpet for the bedroom of the Orchy (fits almost all the way to the edge bar 6")

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NorthDowns,

It was interesting seeing your photos. Your front poles are also bent in the wrong direction with the extension on (but are correct without it).

Does anyone else have this experience and, if so, know how to correct it?

I used the Orchy again a couple of weekends ago up at a wet & windy Santa Pod, and I can confirm that the following strategies help:

1. pitching arse end into the wind;

2. pegging the guys at the end of the brow pole forward, instead of to the side;

3. attaching an extra guy rope to the suspect poles as indicated in my photo above;

4. pitching a Vango 6 pole windbreak to give some shelter from gusts - a blue one (cos obviously a non-colour co-ordinated one would not have had the same effect !)

5. I didn't use the extension this time but rather pitched the Event Shelter up over the front door slightly...which actually worked quite well.

Rich

ps. just to update on a previous post I have researched all possibilities of upgrading to thicker poles and have got nowhere. No pole modifications have been made in the 2010 model and no other Vango tents have similar configurations. Am now wondering whether "double poles" are feasible.

The Appreciation Society is famous - even quoted in an eBay seller's advert as below:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vango-Orchy-400-Tent-2010-Smoke-RRP-200-/280593579998?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_HikingCamping_Tents_JN&hash=item4154ae3fde

"This tent is so great it even has its own appreciation society. "

Just more evidence of the retailers reading the forum...

Helen

Quote: Originally posted by Speedcamp on 23/11/2010

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The Appreciation Society is famous - even quoted in an eBay seller's advert as below:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vango-Orchy-400-Tent-2010-Smoke-RRP-200-/280593579998?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_HikingCamping_Tents_JN&hash=item4154ae3fde

<FONT face=Georgia size=3>"This tent is so great it even has its own appreciation society. "

 

Just more evidence of the retailers reading the forum...

Helen

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Quote: Originally posted by NorthDowns on 04/10/2010

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...also own one of these - a Sigma 300+. You can see where the got the idea for extending the brow pole down to the ground in the 2010 update.

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Originally posted by Sceptical Camper on 30/11/2010 I'm very pleased with the tent so far, I must say - how do you get on with yours?

Scep

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Hi Gang! Sorry, been having the winter blues - also known as no camping blues...

But I've been cheered up no end by watching the camping programme on BBC3 again. Some nice looking tents... even an Orchy!!! So I thought I'd better get my butt here and get back my camping mojo!

Well I don't know where the appreciation society fame reference came from but it's even bigger than Ebay... WE'RE MENTIONED ON THE VANGO ORCHY PAGE ITSELF!!! I couldn't believe it, that's why I thought I'd better get here and then I saw we've got Ebay fame too! So not sure which used the quote first, Ebay or Vango... but it's nice to know that Vango are aware of our existence!! Now all we need are some nice freebies for the appreciation of our appreciation and we're sorted!

This is just the beginning... The Orchy is going to take over the world! MWHAHAHAH!!

Sorry, got a bit carried away there... Anyway, some nice tent pics guys! The Sigma is so cute! It's like a baby Orchy!