User Review: The North Face Vario 23

The North Face Vario 23
Above: The current Vario 23, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 17, 2007 by Thomas Haynes

Rating:
Design: three-season freestanding dome
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Vey quick and simple
Weight: very light under 2kg
Price Paid: $175

I bought this tent mainly for three-season backpacking and it certainly has lived up to my expectations. It's extremely light weighing just under 2Kg and is very quick to pitch. There is more than enough room in both porches to keep gear but not enough room to cook. The tent sleeps two easily but condensation can build up very quickly even though there are ventilation holes at the top.

The tent is certainly very waterproof because I have had a flooded bog underneath the tent and the tent completely held out. I would highly recommend this tent to a backpacker who wants to travel light but make sure that the rucksack is wide enough to fit the 2ft long tent bag in the rucksack