Backpacking tents are typically tighter on area to save lots of on weight. However generally, some further headspace makes it rather a lot simpler to alter garments, play video games, or typically reside extra comfortably. I’m solely 5’3″, so I discover most tents spacious sufficient. My boyfriend, alternatively, is 6’2″ and at all times appreciates a bit of 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 automobile tenting tent. By way of weight and bulk, it’s proper on the road.
My boyfriend and I spent final fall utilizing it in Hawaii and Indiana collectively. We’ve got 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 below oak bushes, dropping acorns like hail.
Should you prioritize spaciousness, it’s definitely worth the weight penalty on the backpacking path — particularly for those who can break up it up between two individuals. As somebody who usually backpacks and camps by automobile, having a tent that may double for each is right.
In brief: The NEMO Aurora 2 tent ($300) is a good tent for one or two individuals who like to camp and backpack and need 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. A virtually all-mesh physique gives glorious air circulation and air flow. There are many pockets for group and storage, and the footprint is even included. Should you’re searching for consolation, sturdiness, and flexibility inside a funds, the NEMO Aurora 2 tent is a incredible selection.
Should you’re purchasing for backpacking tents, evaluate the NEMO Aurora 2 to the others in our information to the Finest Backpacking Tents.
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Very spacious -
Sturdy (an awesome long-term possibility) -
Footprint included -
Straightforward set-up
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Heavier than most backpacking tents
NEMO Aurora 2 Tent Evaluate
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 package for 2.
This intent has seen a whole lot of tenting over the past 12 months, and it’s lived as much as NEMO’s popularity for high-quality tenting gear. We’ve been very happy with it and the remainder of our NEMO setup. Nonetheless, 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, in my view, higher for backpacking.
The place the Aurora 2 has an edge over a few of NEMO’s lighter backpacking tents is in its value. This tent is barely $300, making it an reasonably priced 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 coloration choices: Frost/Silt and Mango/Fog.
Aurora 2 Set-Up
Assembling this tent is easy and intuitive. It will get even quicker whenever you do it usually and change into environment friendly.
The primary pole is symmetrical, so you possibly can simply connect it to no matter aspect you’re on. It’s manufactured from light-weight aluminum poles with a custom-forged hub. The grommets the place it attaches are additionally metallic and to date appear very sturdy.
A smaller pole curves throughout the highest holding out the mesh with pressure and increasing 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 plenty of space for storing. NEMO contains guy-out strains 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 will get caught, and it will definitely broke.
This tent doesn’t appear to have that drawback. The curve is lengthy sufficient that the zipper easily glides within the grooves for simple in-and-out entry.
When you’re contained in the tent, you’ll discover and respect 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 mild. 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 manufactured from 68D polyester, which is right for conserving bugs out whereas permitting for loads of airflow. Many 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 possibly can roll the rainfly or doorways again and safe them in place.
The rainfly is manufactured from PU polyester. Whether or not its waterproofing fails with age stays to be seen. We’ve solely used this tent for 1 12 months. However from all of our use, it has maintained its waterproofing and saved us dry. When it will get water on it, the solar dries it out pretty shortly.
Climate Resistance
We lately weathered a storm on this tent, and we’ll climate extra as we get deeper into fall. It was pouring and intensely windy. Finally, it stopped, and the wind blew all of the water off our rainfly. Nevertheless 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 via. The two,000mm waterproof score of the rainfly did its job.
After 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 evaluations have commented that the Aurora 2 doesn’t carry out very effectively 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 pal.” This isn’t to say that this can be a monstrously heavy tent. At 4 kilos, 11 ounces, there’s one tent on our Information to the Finest Backpacking Tents that outweighs the Aurora 2. And among the many Finest Tenting Tents, this is able to be the lightest by far.
It’s additionally pretty cumbersome for a backpacking tent, which many individuals point out of their evaluations and which I skilled as effectively. It isn’t the slimmest backpacking tent on the market. However once more, the tradeoff is the extent of consolation and room it provides inside.
For many who need one thing lighter, we love our NEMO OSMO Dagger 2 — however it comes at a a lot steeper value ($529).
Conclusion: Who Is It For?
The NEMO Aurora 2 is a perfect tent for 2 individuals who like to camp usually and need loads of room for further consolation. I’ve used different tents and I camp very regularly, and I’d extremely suggest the NEMO Aurora 2 tent for its design and affordability. At $300, it will be the fourth most cost-effective possibility on each our guides to the Finest Backpacking Tents and the Finest Tenting Tents.
Whereas I want the NEMO OSMO Dagger for backpacking, I discover this tent excellent for automobile tenting and as a backup for backpacking if wanted. For individuals who need one tent that may work effectively for each, the Aurora 2 lands squarely within the crossover area.
You’ll be joyful utilizing it in both setting — particularly when you have an additional individual to separate its weight and bulk with whenever you’re backpacking path.
The NEMO Aurora 2 additionally comes with its personal footprint. Tent footprints are normally bought individually, in order that’s a pleasant further contact that extends the lifetime of the tent. For its value, this can be a stable funding that doesn’t break the financial institution and can final for years.
