FLEXIBLE AND DURABLE TENTS FOR CONFIDENCE ON THE GO
Outdoor Retailer Fall/Winter 2010 Salt Lake City, UTAH
Words, Images Judith Ecochard
A tip from a bunch of military guys, shopping the show for the Special Forces…gave us the impetus to check out NEMO®…a small (we were told -12 peeps!!!!!!!) New England based company that produces “the tents all the other companies are checking out.”
Up and Away...suspended from the ceiling...
We got a quick look -see the last day…and noticed that a Nemo’s “Tenshi” two person, all mountain tent was anointed “Editor’s Choice…” by the very respected Backcountry Magazine (MSRP $649).
And Nemo also got the nod from Backpacker Magazine.
WHAT’s SO COOL: NEMO’s AIR SUPPORTED TECHNOLOGY® (and we are quoting straight from the catalogue):
“…is a system of low pressure inflatable tubes, which we call airbeams, and lightweight pumps that provide a high performance alternative to traditional poles. Airbeams are made of two layers like a bicycle tube and tire. An outer layer provides the shape, strength and puncture resistance, and a thin replaceable inner blade holds the air.”
These are very good things to have---as the bouncy spring back- when we applied some serious pressure on the top of a tent on display---makes them way more stable in high wind conditions. Plus…setup is easier than with metal poles, and repairs, if need be, are less expensive. And, the tents can be packed into odd shaped compartments like the hull of kayak…and are lighter that tents with similar interior space.
Having experienced equipment failure while attempted to summit a mountain once (NO FUN)… most important for us--- is reliability. And our experience with Outdoor Retailer is that the military opts for the best in class gear ---cause failure is not an option.
BONUS POINTS: Leftover materials (rejects, outdated samples, donated fabrics) are repurposed into stylish (really---original details preserved)--- useful totes, wallets and backpacks under the clever “Ditto” moniker.
INFO: NEMO EQUIPMENT
PRICES From $279-$699