Vango Galaxy 300 Tent Reviews and Details

Tent Reviews: Vango Galaxy 300

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Vango > Galaxy 300 Reviews

Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:

Yes
3 (more 3 berth tents)
5.60 KG
Ł235.00
1
Bathtub
Fly first

Average User Rating:

8.17/10 from 12 reviews

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12 Reviews of the Galaxy 300 Showing 01 to 10 Page: 1 2

By: Cascade82 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2024 Rating: 9 from 10

The purpose of this review is to critically detail my experiences and address what I believe to be misconceptions in other reviews.

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The Galaxy 300 is now an iconic design in my opinion and up there with the MSR Hubba and original Force 10’s. It’s a modern classic. I’ve owned this tent for one year but have used it three times in hot summer heat and a torrential 24 hour storm on the Mendhip hills. Even though I did not peg the right hand front door down fully (along with the other anchor points) it did not budge one inch despite me waking up puzzled to the front flapping in unexpected and really bad weather . Upon securing this section properly , it was back to being bomb proof although I did feel foolish! As you can see, this is a very sturdy and reliable tent - far more than high end backpacking tents I’ve had like MSR’s to be fair. A lesser tent might have collapsed.

The porch section is very large for such a lightweight and easy to erect tent. It tapers down to the sleeping section and inner tent, but there is a 25cm section at the back of the front entry point or “door” allowing users to stand at full height to put clothes on. I’m 6 foot tall and can stand fully in this area. This is psychologically a boon as you walk in tall as well as practical - I’m too old and stiff for smaller tents and really wish I’d got this years ago as it’s surprisingly easy to erect - much easier than I thought. Another standout feature is the practical ( and charming) rooflight which always seems to attract interest and amazement wherever I go - seriously ! Not only does it bring light in for practical purposes you can also stare and watch trees moving or clouds if you’re using this tent to relax in after day excursions as I do. The side windows are also large and have fabric flaps as curtains. The pegs are actually a lightweight and strong alloy despite looking like the cheaper and bendy soft steel supplied with many tents. The ventilation is acceptable but I tend to find most ventilation on tents only ever makes them cold at night but not really worth much on hot days. The poles are alloy, lightweight and so far very strong. They’re colour coded for ease of assembly.

The other surprising thing about this tent is its weight - at just over 4kg it’s surprisingly light for the porch usability and height. The flysheet is a good weight polyester which will be far more durable than sil nylon if treated well.

Everything is made well and I never once had water coming in through the skylight as others mentioned - I would bet Ł350 ( the cost of this tent in 2024!) that that was condensation. Even in a heavy mendip storm with 30mph gusts not a single drop of water came through.

Now to address some of the misconceptions I’ve noticed in other reviews:

The flappy front - yes, the porch area will flap

And allow water into the bathtub on certain occasions but not if pitched rear into wind as is advised. It must also be remembered that this is not a family style tent from Vangos adventure range - but a tent designed for a bit more rough and tumble usage really - the porch bathtub is really to protect from mud and not so much users sat inside for long periods. However, with adjustments the porch can be made more taught and/or the removable groundsheet rolled away a tiny bit on really windy and wet periods to stop any ingress. For me, it’s not a dealbreaker at all and I often do not use the front groundsheet on well maintained campsites anyway! I’ve felt perfectly dry and safe in the porch area and tend to roll the front groundsheets back anyway to store dirty boots on the grass underneath when I do use the groundsheet!

I’ve already addressed the skylight - any water droplets on mine were obviously condensation - and you can see layers of heat sealed seam tape around the skylight and the stitching.

Another comment frequently made is of an alleged poor quality. The stitching is high quality on all main stress areas and only on certain less stress points does the quality drop slightly. However, it’s way above cheap Amazon and eBay Chinese budget tents and it must be remembered that this is not a cotton tent. Polyester degrades faster under normal use ( from UV light) and the stitching will likely outlast the length of this tent which will be around 15 years of average use. Vangos designers and fabric engineers know this. The stitching could be perfect - for another Ł100 added to the price of the tent.

In conclusion this is an amazingly lightweight tent for its porch size. All tent designs are a balance of weight, features and cost. It’s easy to put up by my self with significant health problems. It’s a very adaptable tent - being used for DofE expeditions, motorcycle tourists and people, like myself, wanting the ease and weight of a small lightweight tent but porch living space of much bigger tents. For this wide adaptability I have given it a 9/10.

In a Utopib world I’d like to see better ventilation like the Tigree 350 to expel hot air from the bottom rear with a large flap in summer and also a large front mesh window to allow panoramic views from inside. However, like I said, this would add cost and weight and this is more of a trekking tent than strictly campsite tent. Designers have to make sacrifices and reach a mid point of a tent being good in several areas or one area specifically whilst being reserved in other areas.

I can definitely recommend this tent. I hope it keeps being produced for a good time to come due to its quality, resilience, light weight and sheer adaptability.

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By: Odefrt Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2016 Rating: 10 from 10

Brilliant tent, in Vango's line current line up thankfully 'cos mine is now 7 years old, had a lot of use, still good. Bought it for 2 weeks on IOM, then been used for rallies since, must have done 50 weekends with it, 11 this year. Packs in one pannier complete with a footprint & 2 carpets. Best tent ever for motorcycle camping.

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By: SlackPacker Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2018 Rating: 9 from 10

I finally bought one after thinking about it for a few years! Mine was on offer at a price I couldn’t refuse so I snapped it up. I am chuffed to bits with it. Headroom in the porch area where you need it (I’m 6ft), and a nice cosy bedroom area which will easily swallow a double airbed with room to spare. I notice some reviews raise issue with the clip in groundsheet in the porch area- I can’t comment as I never use it- I like to be able to walk into my tent with muddy boots on or when it’s raining and not get it filthy and wet. Its my personal preference entirely 🙂. So I can say I am giving this tent the thumbs up!

Incidentally- I bought mine in 2022 from millets but its a 2018 model with the orange colour bedroom area- it was brand new old stock hence I got it super cheap (Ł135), but I believe in 2023 Vango are still producing them albeit the updated version with a yellow or green inner.

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By: Urbster Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2017 Rating: 8 from 10

Ok second review from me five years on.

Yes I still own this tent ! She has been brilliant and as of yet no rips or pole breakage, but the poles being so long when assembled have started to mis shape but touch wood still haven’t snapped .

So easy to put up and so spacious.

The sides of the porch area flap in ( silly design fault ) but is easily remedied as others have said by using two crocodile clips either side and guying them out.

Such a compact tent that weighs under 6kg and with a little tweaking is probably the best tent for motorcycle touring or indeed any touring.

If you get yourself two additional lightweight poles you can guy out the front door to make a tarp/awning.

If only Vango had put some better thought into the clip in ground sheet I would have given it full marks as I have now camped in all weathers in her.

Heaven knows why Vango stopped making them because as I said ,with a little extra design thought it would be a best seller particularly amongst the motorcycling community, and they make up a huge portion of tent sales.

As of today 11/01/2022 you can still get them from several online retailers, I say be quick and get yourself one !