Bothy Bags and Storm Shelters: The Vango Storm Shelter 400 Review
Bothy bags are handy shelters to escape the wind and the rain. Useful for emergencies to somewhere to eat your sarnies.
Review Score
Our Score: 10/10
QualityValue for Money
The good
- An essential item to have on you when taking your family into the hills or mountains.
- Useful item for just providing shelter to young kids when the wind is cold.
The not so good
- None.
This was a hands-on product review.
Price Guide
Vango Storm Shelter 400 has a recommended retail price of £50.00.
The best price we've found so far is £38.98. That's £11.02 off the RRP of £50.00.
Vango Storm Shelter 400 Videos
Vango Storm Shelter 400 Photos
Unpacking the shelter
Vango Storm Shelter
Emergency Essentials
Storm shelter up
Shelter Window
The Vango Stormshetler Folded Up
Our Review
Bothy bags, or storm shelters, are a useful bit of kit for emergencies, and that alone is a good reason to get one if your planning a trip up a mountain or a trek across the hills with a family.
Essentially, they are a large bag with an elasticated bottom, which are usually the same material as raincoats and so pack down small.
While you may not be in an emergency, Bothy Bags are useful if you want somewhere to eat your sandwiches without them getting soggy or need to get everyone out of the wind for a bit. They are helpful to use if you are taking young children on the hills, and should be part of your kit anyway.
Vango Storm Shelter
They are helpful to use if you are taking young children on the hills, and should be part of your kit anyway.
Just pull the bag over the top of a group of you. If there's enough additional material, you can tuck it under your bottom and sit on the ground (subject to how wet it is of course).
In an emergency, they are a godsend. Anyone who is injured can soon go into shock, mainly as their body focuses on the injury and not keeping warm. Getting out of the wind and the rain will help preserve their warmth.
Bothy Bags also tend to be brightly coloured, further helping any emergency services or mountain rescue locate you.
The Vango Storm Shelter
The bothy bag we use is the Vango Storm Shelter 400 and often accompanies us out when going across the hills.
You can get the Vango Storm Shelter in a range of sizes.
Info
You never know when you might need a Bothy Bag
Incidentally, only a few days ago, someone I work with took a group to the summit of a remote mountain in Snowdonia. The weather wasn't good.
On the way down, they came across an older man supporting a younger woman. They were father and daughter; she had fallen and broken her pelvis.
Fortunately, the group had a bothy bag and could provide much-needed shelter while waiting for Mountain Rescue (the cloud base was too low for the helicopter). (BBC News article)
Details
| Attribute | Vango Storm Shelter 400 |
|---|---|
| RRP | £50.00 |
| Best Price | £38.98 |
| Product Info | Brand Web Page |