NEMO Tensor All-Season Overview | CleverHiker

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The NEMO Tensor All-Season is one in every of our favourite backpacking sleeping pads in the marketplace. It’s among the many lightest, most comfy, warmest, and most handy sleeping pads we’ve ever examined. The Tensor just lately unseated the long-time favourite NeoAir XLite because the Greatest General Pad on our Greatest Backpacking Sleeping Pads checklist. 

CleverHiker gear analyst Casey Handley used the mother model of the Tensor All-Season for over 400 miles and 20 nights on the Arizona Path, and founder Dave Collins just lately used it for five nights and 80 miles in Wyoming’s Wind River Vary. The Tensor All-Season’s 3.5-inch thickness and soft nylon are cozy and delicate on the pores and skin, however this material additionally presents above-average sturdiness. The Tensor is simple to inflate because it comes with among the best pump sacks in the marketplace, and its dual-use nozzle converts to a dump valve for fast packing within the morning.

Nonetheless, this pad does have some downsides. The Tensor is a high-quality piece of drugs, so its price ticket is fairly excessive. This implies it may not be your best option for newbie backpackers or hikers who solely camp just a few nights per 12 months. Moreover, although the Tensor may be very aggressive within the weight class – particularly the mother model – there are just a few lighter pads in the marketplace. So, ultralight backpackers could choose a barely lighter selection.

All issues thought of, we’ve been very impressed by the efficiency of the NEMO Tensor All-Season in our testing. Its heat, consolation, weight, sturdiness, and ease of use mix to make it a wonderful selection for backpackers of all ranges, from long-distance thru-hikers to weekend warriors.

Consolation

Relating to staying comfy, the NEMO Tensor All-Season is a wonderful selection. It’s nice for the standard summer time backpacking journey, however it’s additionally a comfortable decide for low temperatures and chilly sleepers. Whether or not it’s 60°F and clear or 20°F and snowing, this pad’s 3.5-inch thickness means you’ll keep cushioned and heat with minimal threat of bottoming out. It’s comfy for sleeping in any place, however facet sleepers will particularly respect the help for his or her hips and shoulders, lowering strain factors for a extra restful evening. 

The Tensor’s 30D ripstop nylon high has a easy really feel that’s delicate in opposition to the pores and skin and received’t catch in your base layers. The insulation and easy horizontal baffles really feel sturdy and durable evening after evening, offering glorious help on tough terrain with out shedding its soft really feel. Therm-a-Relaxation presents this mannequin in a number of styles and sizes, together with huge, lengthy, and mummy, to suit completely different physique varieties and sleep kinds. 

Our solely minor criticism in relation to consolation is the pad’s valve location. We like that the valve sits flush with the pad on the highest nook and closes securely, hardly protruding in any respect. Nonetheless, not all our testers love the valve’s placement, as you may sometimes really feel it when shifting positions at evening. This can be a small gripe, and lots of of our testers had no points with this. However if you happen to suppose this may hassle you, chances are you’ll wish to contemplate a pad with a nozzle situated on the facet seam.

General, the Tensor is, fingers down, among the many most comfy backpacking sleeping pads in the marketplace.

Weight & Packability

The Tensor All-Season is a robust performer in relation to weight and packability. The common mummy model of this pad is 14.1 ounces, placing it among the many lighter fashions we examined, however it additionally boasts a really excessive R-value. With these specs, the Tensor All-Season is light-weight and presents among the best weight-to-warm ratios in the marketplace. In reality, in comparison with the opposite backpacking pads on this weight vary, no different mannequin comes near the Tensor in insulation capabilities. 

One factor we love in regards to the Tensor’s packability is its valve. The one-valve design lets you dump air throughout deflation, leading to very quick packing instances the place you don’t should work to squeeze air out of the pad. The Tensor additionally comes with a easy velcro strap, which helps you to simply pack the pad and stuff it away in seconds. 

Though the Tensor inflates to three.5 inches thick, options robust 40D nylon material on the underside, and has substantial insulation, it nonetheless packs down small. When compressed, it’s lower than the scale of a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle, making its packed dimension aggressive with thinner and far colder pads. This is among the most handy pads to pack up that we’ve examined, and once you’re dwelling out of a pack, this actually makes a distinction.

The Tensor isn’t the lightest pad in the marketplace, although. A few insulated pads beat the mother model of the Tensor on weight by an oz. or so – most notably the NeoAir XLite NXT. So, if you happen to’re searching for absolutely the lightest insulated sleeping pad on the market, the Tensor isn’t it. That stated, the Tensor was the extra user-friendly pad in our side-by-side testing, with a greater pump sack and far quicker deflation instances. Each ounce issues for backpackers, together with us, so this might be a dealbreaker for some ultralight backpackers. However contemplating the Tensor general, we predict its upsides outweigh this minor weight penalty.

Heat

When paired with a high quality sleeping bag, the NEMO Tensor All-Season is acceptable for cold-weather tenting right down to round 15°F. Additionally, this pad is nice for chilly sleepers, even if you happen to’re not planning on tenting in sub-freezing temps. Providing a really excessive R-value of 5.4, this pad options metalized movie insulation that gives excellent heat to maintain you comfy in chilly temperatures. Its sq. baffles provide an excellent stability between help and a little bit of give, and the quilted design traps heat air successfully. 

NEMO makes use of a traditional 20D nylon on high of the Tensor that’s delicate to the contact and non-slippery, however on the underside, it employs a burlier 40D ripstop that provides sturdiness and helps block out the chilly. At 3.5 inches thick, this pad will hold you removed from the chilly floor beneath, so that you’ll keep insulated in harsh circumstances the place nightly restoration is crucial. Dropping physique warmth might be uncomfortable and harmful, and this pad retains you nicely away from these points.

Regardless of being impressively heat (it’s technically a 4-season pad), the Tensor All-Season received’t be the very best match for everybody. In the event you plan on utilizing your pad instantly on the snow (with out paring it with a foam pad) otherwise you prefer to camp in extraordinarily chilly winter climate, the R-value of the Tensor Excessive Circumstances may be a greater match. NEMO additionally makes the Tensor Path for backpackers extra involved with decreasing their pack weight than chilly climate insulation. 

General, we predict the Tensor All-Season hits a candy spot for the kind of protection most backpackers will need on the most typical backcountry expeditions. And it’s value remembering that this pad has among the best warmth-to-weight ratios in the marketplace for protecting pack weight down.

Ease of Setup

This is among the Tensor’s key strengths. The All-Season comes with among the best pump sacks in the marketplace, the Vortex. It snaps onto the inflation valve securely and is simple to fill, roll, and repeat. It solely takes 4-5 sacks to inflate the All-Season totally, drastically lowering effort and time. The entire inflation time is lower than two minutes, which is a wonderful benefit after a protracted day on the path.

The opposite spotlight is a single flat, low-profile, two-in-one valve that makes changes and deflation straightforward. This valve has two flaps – open the primary one, and also you’ll discover the one-way valve. It has a small button inside for micro-adjustments, permitting you to set free small quantities of air and dial in your excellent degree of firmness. Pulling the second flap opens the dump valve, permitting the air to hurry out quickly. The dump valve is nice for packing the pad up since you received’t should roll and squeeze extra air out whereas packing. Plus, the storage sack is roomy, so that you received’t should wrestle to get the pad again inside.

The pump sack is environment friendly, however a tad cumbersome, so ultralight backpackers could decide to go away it at residence. It additionally lacks the multifunctionality that some rivals provide, like doubling as a water-proof stuff sack. Meaning it can add a few ounces of weight to your equipment however will solely serve one objective. Up to now, we’ve typically left pump sacks at residence, however this one is so handy we’ve discovered ourselves bringing it alongside on most journeys. General, we’re large followers of the convenience of use of the Tensor All-Season, and we predict this class is one in every of its foremost strengths.

Sturdiness

This pad is a dependable selection for long-term use. We’ve examined the Tensor All-Season from cacti-filled deserts to snow-filled camps at 13,000 ft to beds of lava rock, and it has held up impressively nicely over a number of seasons of use. Its 40-denier nylon backside protects in opposition to punctures and abrasion, which is essential for tenting in rugged environments. The one, 2-lid valve has only a few components to cut back the possibility of failure, and NEMO features a restore equipment in case of failure within the discipline. The mixture of considerate design and rugged supplies means you may belief the All-Season to carry out in difficult circumstances.

Although the Tensor All-Season is hard, like all air pad, it’s not impenetrable. The highest of the pad is 20D nylon, which can work nicely for normal use however is extra inclined to put on and tear in comparison with some burlier pad choices. The 40D material on the underside is superb for sturdiness, however it additionally provides a little bit of weight in comparison with lighter pads, which can be a disadvantage for ultralight backpackers. 

These material decisions imply that the All-Season holds up very nicely, and we predict it supplies a wonderful stability between weight and sturdiness. However like all air pad, punctures can occur. That’s why we at all times carry a patch equipment within the backcountry and clear our tent websites freed from sharp rocks and pokey sticks.

Ought to You Purchase the NEMO Tensor All-Season Sleeping Pad?

The NEMO Tensor All-Season is on the high of the checklist for heat, consolation, and packability, particularly in chilly circumstances. In the event you’re searching for one backpacking pad to cowl a variety of circumstances – from heat summer time adventures to chilly shoulder season excursions – this is among the greatest sleeping pad choices in the marketplace.

Due to its spectacular R-value and revolutionary, light-weight design, this pad is a wonderful selection for heat at evening that received’t weigh you down on the path. The Tensor All-Seaon isn’t the lightest insulated sleeping pad in the marketplace, however it’s not too far off. And its warmth-to-weight ratio may be very spectacular. 

The factor that finally received us over with this pad is its ease of use. It has a wonderful pump sack that makes inflation very quick and simple. And deflation is fast, too. Its dump valve permits all of the air to hurry out of the pad, making it very quick to roll up and stow away. That is an space the place the Tensor shines in comparison with among the main competitors within the sleeping pad market. 

At 3.5 inches thick, the All-Season will comfortably complement any sleeping place. The 20D nylon high is delicate and quiet, whereas the 40D backside is rugged and sturdy. With a little bit of care, this pad will final for years of use and tons of of nights within the backcountry.

Nonetheless, there’s no approach round it: the Tensor All-Season is an costly funding. As a consequence of its excessive price ticket, this pad may not be a very good match for funds consumers, informal backpackers, or summer time hikers who will choose a much less specialised pad. Additionally, if you happen to solely are likely to camp in scorching summer time temperatures, the All-Season’s insulation may be greater than you want.

All in all, all through our testing we hold returning to the NEMO Tensor All-Season as one in every of our favourite all-around backpacking sleeping pads. We actually respect its consolation, comfort, and warmth-to-weight ratio.

What Different Backpacking Pads Ought to You Think about?

Take a look at our full checklist of the Greatest Backpacking Sleeping Pads for all our high suggestions. 

Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XLite NXT Overview: The XLite NXT is the closest competitors to the Tensor All-Season, and each are really glorious merchandise. The Tensor narrowly beat the XLite out for Greatest General Backpacking Sleeping Pad this 12 months, however it was shut. The XLite can also be heat, sturdy, and comfy, however it weighs a bit lower than the Tensor, which may be a deciding issue for ultralight backpackers. That stated, we a lot choose the Tensor’s pump sack and dump valve for fast inflation, deflation, and simple packing up. 

Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XTherm NXT Overview: The XTherm NXT is our different best choice for chilly climate consolation as a result of it’s even hotter than the Tensor All-Season – its 7.3 R-value is heat right down to round 0°F. The XTherm is just not fairly as thick, weighs extra, and prices extra. What you get is a pad for hardcore winter circumstances like overnighting in icy mid-winter temps.

Huge Agnes Rapide SL Insulated: The Rapide SL is just not fairly as cozy because the Tensor All-Season, however it’s simply as thick, packs smaller, and comes at a a lot cheaper price. It additionally presents a formidable R-value – solely a bit decrease than the All-Season – so it’s a improbable different for cold-weather tenting. The most important draw back with the Rapide is that it’s significantly heavier.

REI Helix Insulated Air: The REI Helix is rather more inexpensive than the Tensor All-Season however nonetheless presents a soft three-inch thickness and a excessive R-value for insulation. On the flip facet, the Helix is a bit clunkier to arrange, weighs extra, and isn’t as sturdy, so it’s higher as an entry-level pad for shorter journeys from early spring to late fall.