Looking to buy the Aruba 400, we came across the Aruba 500 for £399 (£451 incl print&carpet) and pleased we did for the extra width.
After struggling to erect, it has been ‘weathering’ nicely on the lawn thanks to the present inclement weather for a couple of days now.
The pitching instructions and Vango video are worse than useless – being cotton the fly is very heavy and unwieldy. The Aruba poles are all in one while the Artemis’s are in 3 sections, and the way we managed to get the thing up is still a mystery to us. I now have a couple of ideas on the ‘best way’ which I’ll try when the thing manages to dry out.
Having said that, we are thrilled with the quality and attributes of the whole thing (canopy poles are included) and it far exceeds our expectations. Our last tent was a Pheonix Phreak, so those may be open to interpretation!
After many downpours, three damp patches have appeared on the carpet where water has penetrated via the three front canopy tiebacks - via the loop on the outside to the long toddle straps on the inside. And a few little drips elsewhere at the sides. The cotton may tighten to stop this but I’m going to seam seal quite a bit anyway so it’s not a worry. For a new cotton tent I’m actually quite impressed by its first outing in the wind and rain. Looks fantastic and feels extremely robust. The atmosphere inside a cotton tent is so luxurious compared to nylon, but you have to pay a little more. We are thrilled to bits and the colour is pretty darn good too.
I did buy the Vango Aruba 600 in the end but have now sent it back to the retailer as it leaked (beyond the recommended period of weathering). It leaked around the windows and also from the seams where the eyelets are for holding up the back of the inner. There was also a flaw in the cotton in one area (not a slub, almost a hole!).
Ps.For Mark- I don't think cotton tents should be sealed on the seams as they do not have seam sealant on, like nylon ones, to cover stitch holes - the canvas is supposed to expand to fill the stitch holes.
Now awaiting a refund before getting something else that's actually waterproof !
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Topic: Vango Aruba
