Ed (left) with climbing partner.

Vango, the UK’s leading camping and outdoor brand, are delighted to announce that their sponsored climber, Ed Laughton, has reached the summit of Mt. Everest.  He is only one of 2,500 climbers who have managed the arduous climb to the top of the world’s highest mountain.

To support Ed on his adventure, Vango donated a range of items from their 2010 product range, including; a Force Ten Vortex 300 tent, a Pumori 60+10 rucsac, Viper sleeping bag and 90l Cargo bag. These products kept Ed warm and sheltered from the challenging conditions that he faced on the mountain.

Ed currently volunteers with the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA), a not-for-profit organisation that provides vital medical care for both western trekkers and the local Nepalese population. Along with the HRA clinics in local Nepalese towns, there are also 2 clinics on the Everest base camp that minister emergency medical care to those coming off of the mountain. Ed undertook the challenge in order to raise awareness of the work that the HRA does and to fundraise as much money as possible for the clinics.

Ed was highly impressed with the design and quality of the products that Vango donated;
"Both myself and a number of others here on Everest have been genuinely impressed with the quality of Vango and Force Ten products and how they have performed in incredibly tough conditions. The Vortex 300 is a seriously fantastic tent that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to friends, in fact the owner of the expedition company has decided to invest in several himself. Having met the staff and seen the gear in action it is clear that Vango and Force Ten have the user in mind at all times when designing their products. Even the smaller kit such as the solar lantern has been a big hit. I lent it to our cook and he was so impressed with it I have had to come to accept that I've no chance of getting it back”.

Vango’s Marketing Manager, Sharon Mason, is delighted that Ed managed to complete his challenge:
“Since its inception, Vango has supported many adventures and expeditions that challenge the participant to the extreme. The Mt. Everest climb is no different and I am delighted that Ed has reached his goal. All of us at Vango are looking forward to hearing about his challenging adventure when he comes back to the UK.”

For more information regarding the Himalayan Rescue Association, please visit www.himalayanrescue.org or for more information regarding Ed’s challenge, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Vango are again delighted to be supporting the Scottish Ultra marathon for the second year running.

Starting from the 1^st until the 7^th May, the marathon is recognised as the toughest multi-day event held in the UK, with athletes covering 150kms of various terrains on the beautiful west coast islands of Islay and Jura.

Vango have donated key pieces of equipment including twenty Equinox mountain and thirty Beta adventure tents. Lightweight and durable, these tunnel tents will provide essential shelter to the participants from the elements.

Twenty athletes started the race on Sunday and already the tough conditions have forced several to retire early.

The first female and male athlete to cross the finishing line will both win some great products from our Lightweight range, including new for 2010 Apex tents and Rapide rucsacs. Designed specifically for mountain marathon competitors and lightweight adventurers, the Apex is extremely lightweight and will shelter the winner’s in future lightweight adventures. Athletes will appreciate the features of our new Ultralite rucsac, the Rapide. This rucsac will deliver fluids when needed most, contains essential storage space and has a sleek design to ensure that they do not hamper the user when time is of the essence.

Check out our Facebook page for daily updates and pictures from the race, and for more information regarding the event, please visit www.scottishultra.com.

You’ve purchased your tent and are looking forward to the first camping trip of the season. Have you thought about extending your living space so that you can really make the most of your time away?

Vango tent extensions and canopies are designed to fit easily on your tent and will give ample space to store items such as your camping kitchen, dining table or other outdoor essentials like bikes.

Not only do they look stylish and match the colour and fabric of your tent, they will give you shelter from all the elements. If it’s raining, you can easily sit inside and enjoy the fresh air without being subject to the weather!

Our canopy matrix available at www.vango.co.uk/downloads.html lets you choose the extension that is most suitable for your tent and indicates the correct position for the canopy on your chosen model.

With a Vango tent extension, you will be able to lay out your camping essentials in a stylish and practical way, giving everyone the space they need to really enjoy the holiday.

Vango is pleased to announce its support of an epic global eco-expedition in aid of Combat Stress, the leading UK charity specialising in the care of Veteran’s mental health.

Hailing from Cheshire, Kevin Shannon, 23, aims to circumnavigate the globe using only human and natural power, emitting zero emissions in the process. The expedition will involve him cycling 40,000 miles across five continents and sailing 10,000 miles across both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans over the next three years.

In support of this groundbreaking expedition Vango has donated a Spirit 200 tent from their Mountain Lite range. The Spirit model utilises the latest fabric and pole technologies in a trusted and reliable formula alongside a patented Tension Band System, TBS ® Pro providing a strong and durable tent to stay up in all conditions.

Sharon Mason, marketing manager at Vango, said: ‘We are exceedingly proud of our heritage as a camping specialist and pleased to offer our support. Vango tents are trusted by mountain explorers and outdoor enthusiast all over the world and our Mountain Lite range is perfectly designed for expeditions such as this. All of our tents go through rigorous testing so Kevin will be getting the best possible quality for his journey.’

Setting off from Cheshire on March 25th 2010 Kevin will passing through France, cycling through Russia and Kazakhstan, dropping into Mongolia and crossing the Gobi Desert into China. From there he will head down to South East Asia and cycle through to Indonesia, then crossing the Timor Sea to Australia finishing his first leg in Melbourne.

The next step will be New Zealand crossing the South Pacific to South America then landing in Chile and heading north all the way to Central America. From there he will cycle east across the States to the east coast and then up into Canada crossing to Iceland then across to the northern tip of Scotland and then back to Cheshire.

Kevin, who was delighted with the support for this gruelling trip commented: ‘Vango’s products are synonymous with reliability, quality and design innovation. That is why I am delighted that they have donated one of their Mountain Lite tents. During the journey I’ll pass through extreme sub zero temperatures, scorching heat and face thirst, hunger, physical and mental exhaustion and the Spirit 200 will provide me with welcome shelter from this huge range of elements that I am likely to experience.’

Cheshire based Kevin is aiming to raise £1 million for the war veteran charity, Combat Stress. Kevin explains why he chose this particular charity to benefit from his epic journey: ‘Combat Stress is an extremely worthwhile organisation and I feel that the expedition is the perfect way to help raise awareness and also fundraise for this fantastic charity.’

Kevin will be using the latest technology to present the expedition in real time through his website, www.becauseitisthere.co.uk. He will also be blogging from the side of the road from his netbook and will be utilizing social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter to share his journey. Using mapping technology visitors to the expedition website can also follow the journey online.