By: Blonde Two
Although it may sound like it; this isn’t a sponsored post. I just wanted to tell you how much I love my little green One-Blonde tent.
I definitely love it, but it is possible that I have only used it once since we Blondes entered the World-of-Blog. There is a good reason for this; despite being lovely, my little Vango definitely only has room for one. When you become a Two-Blonde, sleeping bag chatter becomes a very necessary part of life; necessary, but difficult if you are not in the same tent.
So Blonde One (and often Little-Miss-Blonde) and I share a bigger tent. Sometimes mine, sometimes hers, sometimes LMB’s. It is warmer that way and much more sociable; but I still love my Vango. Let me tell you why:
1. It only weighs 1.5 kilos and is small enough to squidge into one of those stretchy pockets on your rucksack if you want it to.
2. With one hoop pole (plus a tiny end one) and only seven pegs. It is a doddle to put up in the dark, when you are tired, and very fed up, and really just want your dinner.
3. It is orange on the inside. Girly I know, but even on a misty Dartmoor morning, a bit of orange can allow you to imagine that the sun is shining outside (plus, it matches my sleeping bag).
4. It smells exactly like a tent should. That heady mix of outdoors and a hint of canvas is just perfect.
5. It has a little porch (some say too little) that just fits my boots, my poles and my stove.
6. I can just about sit up in it and gaze at the great outdoors/make a cup of tea/put my boots on.
7. It was with me at the start of my walking adventures. When I didn’t even know what being Blonde was.
8. There is just room for me, Big Orange (sleeping bag) and a well strapped up rucksack inside.
9. It can be (but isn’t necessarily in February) very cosy.
10. It is mine and not every girl has her own adventure tent!
Love mine, too. So many happy memories of quiet evenings and early mornings after long, hard walks up into hills. I find it very hard to part with any tent and still have my very first one, bought for a fiver at the Army and Navy stores and still waterproof, but my backpacking one is most treasured of all.
Our tent collection is currently outgrowing its allotted space for exactly that reason!
I have a similar affection for my Terra Nova Competition – similar design and a bit less than a kilo, BUT I have just spent two nights in succession in it walking down the Canal du Midi, and I wasn’t all that rosy with the heat, humidity and insects.
The perfect temperature for a backpacking trip would make a good blog post. I moan about the cold but far prefer it to being too hot.