For Spring 2019, NEMO has plenty of new gear to make the ultralight backpacker or thru-hiker happy. For tents, NEMO claims that the Rocket 2P is the lightest livable two-person shelter ever, while plush closed cell foam sleeping pads mean you can leave the air mattress behind.
The three-season Rocket 2P tent uses a A-Frame style and T-bar supported pole structure to give you a 40-inch peak height and 21.4-square-foot living space at minimal weight. Dual vestibules add a further 6.4 square feet of gear space each. The hybrid design offer the benefits of a single wall tent with the ventilation of a traditional mesh inner tent.
You can ditch the T-bar pole in favor of guylines from above to shave an additional three ounces off the weight. The self-equalizing corner system with carbon fiber struts adds stability and allows for easy tensioning.
The symmetrical design of the Rocket 2P allows for head-to-foot sleeping with your tent mate, while the angled ridge pole creates plenty of sitting room in the center for two people. The tent is 77 inches wide in the mid-section and tapers to 40 inches at the ends.
To Rocket 2P weighs 1 pound, 6 ounces and packs down to 21.5 x 5 in.
Everyone is also talking about the new Switchback sleeping pad. Similar to Therm-a-Rest Z Lite, this closed cell foam sleeping pad is 1.5 times as thick as similar pads (it’s 1.1 inches thick) thanks to its unique bubble design. Even though it is thicker, the Switchback packs down to the same size and weighs the same as similar pad.
The Regular size pad unfolds to be 72 inches long and 20 inches wide. The Switchback weighs 13 ounces (355 grams) and packs down to 20 x 5 x 5 inches. The Swithback will also come in a short version which weighs nine ounces (256 grams) and packs down to 20 x 5 x 4 inches.
The closed-cell foam pad is metalized on one side to create a heat reflective surface that traps warmth. NEMO gives the pad a minimum temperature rating of 30 degrees F or -1 degrees C.