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Backpacker Magazine – October 2009
Gear Review: Nemo Asashi Tent
This tent stands up to rough conditions, assembles in minutes, and has room for the whole family.
Nemo Asashi Tent (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo)
Family
Taking three kids (ages 4, 6, and 8) and a puppy camping is a rollicking adventure on its own. Add a fast-approaching thunderstorm and a fresh-out-of-the-sack tent, and our executive editor and his wife were facing camp catastrophe. "We arrived at our site at the same moment as the first lightning-and-thunder salvo," he said. "Instead of dressing the kids for rain, we focused on setting up the tent. We were inside within five minutes."
Credit the intuitive pole structure and easy-to-thread continuous sleeves. The 60-inch center height allowed kids to stand, and his family deemed the four-person tent "plenty big" for the whole crew, including dog. Nine storage pockets keep clutter subdued. The vestibule holds several packs, but change it out for the 57-square-foot Garage Vestibule ($140; 3 lbs. 9 oz.) for front-porch lounging. Backcountry cred? It handled 50 mph gusts (with additional guylines) and buckets of rain during 10 days in Alaska, and our crew up there called the space "palatial" for three six-foot-sixers.
Floor space 63 sq. ft.
Vestibule 1 (17 sq. ft.)
Weight 10 lbs. 5 oz.
Price $399
Info nemoequipment.com
Bigger
The REI Kingdom 6 has 83 square feet of floor space, a 29-square-foot vestibule, and dividers to create two rooms. And the price is great. $299; 16 lbs. 8 oz.; rei.com.
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READERS COMMENTS
I have been using the Nemo Asashi's Tents (HumbleOutdoors $330 w/ free footprint) for clients that request a large tent for my guide service. This tent has held up well. With over 200 nights of service on each tent.
Split this house up between the myself, the wife, and son, and took it five miles back into Seneca, WV with our two small daughters. Slept five just fine in the rain(no leaks). Vestibule was big enough to cook breakfast on two stoves. Jake's foot corners were a plus for cinching the fly. Hopefully future versions will shed some weight.
There is NO QUESTION when choosing between these two family tents that the REI Kingdom is the better tent. It may take a little more to put up, but REI's family tent quality is fantastic. Plus the Kingdom has some great features and it's $100 cheaper.
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