My Vango Banshee 300 finally got put to use

So over the winter I went looking for a light, tough, backpacking tent.  I knew I wanted extra space, and I knew with the upcoming Boy Scout program for 2015 and 2016 included a lot of Hiking and Canoeing.  I also have hopes of getting to the BSA Philmont ranch and doing a multi day hike.  I started searching for the best tent I could find mainly focused on wet weather camping.  Why?  Because any Boy Scout will tell you, no matter how sunny it is all week, it ALWAYS rains on Boy Scout weekends.  Its just does...

Now I already had 4 tents, ranging from a 10 person family, 2 different size Coleman instant tents (which I LOVE), and a 3 person dome. All of them have their place, but none of them are light enough that you would want to carry them for any length of time, let alone, hump them through the bush or up a mountain trail for a week.  

Anyway, my search took me to Europe, where they seem to hike in the wettest of seasons, and thus have reversed what seems to be the normal convention of tent design.   Unlike most U.S. tent manufactures who have produced a screen tent held up by polls, with a rainfly that covers it, the folks at Vango have come up with a design that pitches and supports the rainfly, and suspends the screen tent portion inside from toggles.   The system allows you to leave the system pre-assembled and pitch both parts of the tent as one time, in the rain, and keep the inside space dry.  In a heavy down pour creating a dry bubble to get into, rest and sleep, can be invaluable, and this is exactly what the Banshee does.

Oddly enough nobody carries any of the Vango line in the US, and most places that sold them locally in Europe only shipped over there.  After, a lot of searching, keyboard pounding, and review watching, I finally stumbled across the good people at Cotswold Outdoors, who graciously were willing to ship a Vango Banshee 300 the United States for me.  They make a 1, 2, and 3 person version, but the weight difference was so minimal that I opted for the extra space of the 300.  Plus I figure I will be backpacking with my son, so it would be for both of us and our gear.

So thus far, I had only got to set it up in the basement and in my yard to test, but I finally got a chance to fully test my Vango Bashee 300, along with all my backpacking gear for a full weekend.   Even though it was just a normal Boy Scout campout, and I had my usual truck full of gear at the ready, I put all my light weight ystems to the test and lived completely out of my backpack.  

In typical Michigan fashion we got all the weather available in 72 hours.   There was a substantial rain storm the first night with high driving winds and cool temps so at the Detroit River waterfront it got into the 40s. This was followed by a warm front that moved in that took us into the 80s for the rest of the weekend. In the top pic you can see how everything was soaked and the heat created dense fog, then it became a sauna the second night.   I got to fully test my Vango, my Klimate Static V sleeping pad and X pillow, and my Ledge feather light sleeping bag in the full range of environments. The Vango shook the water and wind off like a champ and kept me dry but not clammy.  Then the next night I stretched out the front lines and opened the front and rear vents a little more and enjoyed the breeze and cross flow of the ventilation.

The Banshee is truly flexible enough for any environment but light enough to carry with ease.  The Staggered poll design puts the highest part of the tent right over your head when you sit up in a sleeping bag. and as you can see, the combination of solid panels which are orange, and screen sections on the inner tent give you plenty of air flow, without the draft that can be uncomfortable on your head and feet.  The 300 has dual doors, and the fly extends out giving you a "porch" on one side for wet gear or muddy boots.

As for the rest of my gear, my Ledge feather light 20 was more then capable of keeping me warm on the forty degree night, and was just as cozy as my River 0 heavy sleeping bag.  The Klimate Static V was the shocker.  It was actually more comfortable then my big inflatable twin mattress.   Klimate gets good reviews on most sites, and they are richly deserved.  I liked the way the X-pillox cradled my head when placed in the back of the mummy bag, and the fact that is delates and floods so small it fits in the stuff sack with the Static V means you won't even know you're carrying it.

Now none of this is like sleeping at home, but after hiking 20 miles, I am sure I can get a good restful nights sleep and recharge my batteries with this system.

Went looking for a challenge...

and BOY did I find one.   I know i haven't been doing any post lately, honestly, I haven been on any of my social media lately.  My prepping kind of took a back seat, not that I'm not ready, but i was looking to improve my abilities and physical training.  I've been focused on two things. Working with my son on merit badges, and prepping for a GoRuck Challenge.

If you aren't familiar with them, GoRuck challenges are events put on across the country by a Florida based company started and run by a bunch of Ex special forces guys.  My impression is after getting out, they missed the adrenaline rush, the camaraderie, the teamwork and bonds, that are built in Spec Ops.   I suspect they also though us civilians could benefit from a similar experience. You can google the company and their events for your self, and there are pretty good vids on youtube that give you a taste.

So anyway, I decided to treat myself to this abuse in celebration of my 52 birthday.  I wasn't ready!  Oh, i'm in shape, and I carried my weight, and completed the challenge.  I'm pretty sure I was the oldest guy there and I didn't give and inch.  What I wasn't ready for is the feeling.  We stared as 44 individuals, but by the end of the day, we were a unit.  You learn a lot about yourself when you face a common goal and have to work together to solve problems.  You learn to dig deep, to trust and to fight and give beyond what you thought you were capable of.


I've been on teams before at work, and sports, and I have friends who we say are "fox hole buddies".  But there is a level beyond any of what I knew that I was shown through this event.  The high after completion.  Maybe this is the brotherhood fraternities feel, or police and fire training classes, I don't know.  What I DO know is i'm a GoRuck convert, and recommend it to anyone who is up for a challenge.  Prepare to have your ass kicked, and your eyes opened.

My vision is almost complete...

When I first stared thinking about an evac situation that was regional enough that a "bugout" was logical and practical, my goal was to be able to get to a remote location with enough gear, food, to survive comfortably for 30 days to 45 days.  I figured, thats about the amount of time before they let the Katrina survivors go back.  At least the ones that were "prepared" to go.

Anyway, I thought about what I needed from shelter to parameter security, to cooking systems, to first aid, potable water production, personal hygiene, power production, food, and means of capturing wild game (traps, fishing, hunting).  I focused on needs for production, not carrying inventory, so instead of cases of water, tanks of propane, and other consumables, I have water purification systems, and cook systems that use wood as a source of fuel.  Between my fully loaded trailer, and my prepackaged totes, I can be packed and on the road in under 30 minutes. To me THIS is my "bug out bag".

I also thought, after I made my base camp, I would want to have a mode of extended transportation that was fast, quiet, and conserved the limited amount of gas I would be able carry in a rapid evac.  I can quickly go beyond my establish perimeter for my campsite if required.  I have ways of attaching two of my "water brick" containers, if the closest source of fresh water is not walking distance, or if there are any other unforseen reason to travel greater distance from camp.

Well, it took a little metal work and some modifications, but I adapted a dual hitch system to accept a bike rack and pull my trailer.  This allows me to carry two mountian / trail bikes without compromising any of my bed space and my trailer can still tilt and pivot to deal with the off road environment.   Even better, it all says together, so my load up time is barley impacted.