NEMO Aurora 2 Tent Assessment

Backpacking tents are typically tighter on area to avoid wasting on weight. However generally, some further headspace makes it rather a lot simpler to vary garments, play video games, or usually reside extra comfortably. I’m solely 5’3″, so I discover most tents spacious sufficient. My boyfriend, then again, is 6’2″ and at all times appreciates somewhat further area. Typically, it’s value the additional weight.

The NEMO Aurora 2 tent is listed on NEMO’s web site as a backpacking tent, although it verges on a automotive tenting tent. When it comes to weight and bulk, it’s proper on the road.

My boyfriend and I spent final fall utilizing it in Hawaii and Indiana collectively. We now have used it for the entire summer time, road-tripping all through Michigan. This fall, we’ll proceed to make use of it in Indiana in varied state parks. We’ve slept in wind, rain, and beneath oak timber, dropping acorns like hail.

When you prioritize spaciousness, it’s definitely worth the weight penalty on the backpacking path — particularly in case you can cut up it up between two individuals. As somebody who typically backpacks and camps by automotive, having a tent that may double for each is good.

Briefly: The NEMO Aurora 2 tent ($300) is a superb tent for one or two individuals who like to camp and backpack and wish loads of room for further consolation. It has large doorways, vestibules, and vertical partitions that make it very spacious. It makes use of a PFAS-free and FR-chemical-free waterproof rainfly. An almost all-mesh physique offers wonderful air circulation and air flow. There are many pockets for group and storage, and the footprint is even included. When you’re in search of consolation, sturdiness, and flexibility inside a price range, the NEMO Aurora 2 tent is a implausible selection.

When you’re purchasing for backpacking tents, evaluate the NEMO Aurora 2 to the others in our information to the Greatest Backpacking Tents.

NEMO Aurora 2 Tent Assessment

This tent has been used for one full fall season and one full summer time season. This fall, we’re coming into its third season of use. We additionally bought the NEMO Roamer 2 sleeping pad, the NEMO Jazz double sleeping bag, and the NEMO Fillo King pillows to construct out a full tenting/sleeping equipment for 2.

This intent has seen numerous tenting over the past yr, and it’s lived as much as NEMO’s repute for high-quality tenting gear. We’ve been more than happy with it and the remainder of our NEMO setup. Nevertheless, even among the many tents NEMO sells for backpacking, this one is on the bulkier and heavier aspect. We even have a NEMO Dagger tent that’s lighter and, for my part, higher for backpacking.

The place the Aurora 2 has an edge over a few of NEMO’s lighter backpacking tents is in its worth. This tent is just $300, making it an inexpensive selection for a two-person backpacking tent. The NEMO Aurora 2 backpacking tent additionally is available in a three-person measurement, and there are two colour choices: Frost/Silt and Mango/Fog.

Aurora 2 Set-Up

Assembling this tent is simple and intuitive. It will get even sooner while you do it typically and grow to be environment friendly. 

The primary pole is symmetrical, so you may simply connect it to no matter aspect you’re on. It’s made from light-weight aluminum poles with a custom-forged hub. The grommets the place it attaches are additionally metallic and thus far appear very sturdy.

A smaller pole curves throughout the highest holding out the mesh with pressure and lengthening the sidewalls out. That’s the place all the additional headroom comes from.

Moreover, as soon as the rainfly is on, the tent stakes out huge providing giant vestibules with numerous space for storing. NEMO contains guy-out traces with the stakes for the rainfly.

Zippers & Pockets

One of many standout options of this tent is the lengthy, curved, steady zipper of the door. I’ve used a steady zipper earlier than. However the curve wasn’t fairly giant sufficient, so it might get caught, and it will definitely broke.

This tent doesn’t appear to have that downside. The curve is lengthy sufficient that the zipper easily glides within the grooves for straightforward in-and-out entry.

When you’re contained in the tent, you’ll discover and recognize the variety of pockets. There are two lengthy pockets on the ends, two deep pockets on the perimeters, and one “Nitelight” pocket for a headlamp up above that diffuses gentle. It makes it straightforward to prepare your equipment and light-weight the tent up when its darkish out. It additionally has loops for a mini lantern or a string of lights.

Supplies & Colours

The material is made from 68D polyester, which is good for conserving bugs out whereas permitting for loads of airflow. A lot of the tent physique is mesh, so if each doorways are looped again or the rainfly is off altogether, condensation is minimal and virtually nonexistent. NEMO contains toggles so you may roll the rainfly or doorways again and safe them in place.

The rainfly is made from PU polyester. Whether or not its waterproofing fails with age stays to be seen. We’ve solely used this tent for 1 yr. However from all of our use, it has maintained its waterproofing and stored us dry. When it will get water on it, the solar dries it out pretty rapidly.

Climate Resistance

We just lately weathered a storm on this tent, and we’ll climate extra as we get deeper into fall. It was pouring and very windy. Finally, it stopped, and the wind blew all of the water off our rainfly. However it wasn’t lengthy earlier than it began pouring once more.

The within of the tent stayed fully dry with none indicators of leaking or letting moisture bleed by way of. The two,000mm waterproof ranking of the rainfly did its job.

Once we left, I needed to pack the tent away moist. However the next morning, I simply tied it to a pole and let it blow within the wind for about 20 minutes to dry it out sufficiently.

Some on-line critiques have commented that the Aurora 2 doesn’t carry out very properly in excessive wind circumstances. However in my expertise, I discovered it to be sturdy and steady.

Room for Enchancment

My solely gripe with this tent is its weight and bulk. It’s marketed as a backpacking tent, however even on NEMO’s webpage for the Aurora 2, it recommends eradicating the poles “to share the burden with a buddy.” This isn’t to say that this can be a monstrously heavy tent. At 4 kilos, 11 ounces, there may be one tent on our Information to the Greatest Backpacking Tents that outweighs the Aurora 2. And among the many Greatest Tenting Tents, this might be the lightest by far.

It’s additionally pretty cumbersome for a backpacking tent, which many individuals point out of their critiques and which I skilled as properly. It isn’t the slimmest backpacking tent on the market. However once more, the tradeoff is the extent of consolation and room it presents inside.

For many who need one thing lighter, we love our NEMO OSMO Dagger 2 — but it surely comes at a a lot steeper worth ($529).

Conclusion: Who Is It For?

The NEMO Aurora 2 is a perfect tent for 2 individuals who like to camp typically and wish loads of room for further consolation. I’ve used different tents and I camp very continuously, and I’d extremely suggest the NEMO Aurora 2 tent for its design and affordability. At $300, it might be the fourth least expensive choice on each our guides to the Greatest Backpacking Tents and the Greatest Tenting Tents.

Whereas I desire the NEMO OSMO Dagger for backpacking, I discover this tent good for automotive tenting and as a backup for backpacking if wanted. For individuals who need one tent that may work properly for each, the Aurora 2 lands squarely within the crossover area.

You’ll be joyful utilizing it in both setting — particularly you probably have an additional particular person to separate its weight and bulk with while you’re backpacking path.

The NEMO Aurora 2 additionally comes with its personal footprint. Tent footprints are often bought individually, in order that’s a pleasant further contact that extends the lifetime of the tent. For its worth, this can be a strong funding that doesn’t break the financial institution and can final for years.