NEMO Tensor All-Season Overview | CleverHiker

Backside Line

The NEMO Tensor All-Season is considered one of our favourite backpacking sleeping pads available on the market. It’s among the many lightest, most snug, warmest, and most handy sleeping pads we’ve ever examined.

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 cloth additionally provides above-average sturdiness. The Tensor is simple to inflate because it comes with top-of-the-line pump sacks available on the market, and its dual-use nozzle converts to a dump valve for fast packing within the morning.

Nevertheless, 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 could be very aggressive within the weight class – particularly the mother model – there are just a few lighter pads available on the market. So, ultralight backpackers could desire a barely lighter alternative.

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 alternative for backpackers of all ranges, from long-distance thru-hikers to weekend warriors.

Consolation

On the subject of staying snug, the NEMO Tensor All-Season is a superb alternative. It’s nice for the everyday 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 snug for sleeping in any place, however aspect sleepers will particularly admire the help for his or her hips and shoulders, decreasing strain factors for a extra restful evening. 

The Tensor’s 30D ripstop nylon high has a clean 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 wonderful help on tough terrain with out shedding its soft really feel. Therm-a-Relaxation provides this mannequin in a number of sizes and styles, together with extensive, lengthy, and mummy, to suit completely different physique varieties and sleep kinds. 

Our solely minor grievance with regards 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. Nevertheless, not all our testers love the valve’s placement, as you would possibly sometimes really feel it when shifting positions at evening. It is a small gripe, and lots of of our testers had no points with this. However for those who suppose this would possibly trouble you, chances are you’ll need to think about a pad with a nozzle positioned on the aspect seam.

General, the Tensor is, arms down, among the many most snug backpacking sleeping pads available on the market.

Weight & Packability

The Tensor All-Season is a robust performer with regards 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 provides top-of-the-line weight-to-warm ratios available on the market. In truth, 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 concerning the Tensor’s packability is its valve. The only-valve design permits you to dump air throughout deflation, leading to very quick packing occasions the place you don’t need to 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 cloth on the underside, and has substantial insulation, it nonetheless packs down small. When compressed, it’s lower than the dimensions of a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle, making its packed dimension aggressive with thinner and far chillier pads. This is without doubt one of 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 available on the market, although. A few insulated pads beat the mother model of the Tensor on weight by an oz or so. In case you’re on the lookout for absolutely the lightest insulated sleeping pad on the market, the Tensor isn’t fairly it. That mentioned, the Tensor was the extra user-friendly pad in our side-by-side testing, with a greater pump sack and far sooner deflation occasions. 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 suitable for cold-weather tenting all the way down to round 15°F. Additionally, this pad is nice for chilly sleepers, even for those who’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 snug in chilly temperatures. Its sq. baffles provide an impressive 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 preserve you removed from the chilly floor beneath, so that you’ll keep insulated in harsh situations the place nightly restoration is important. Dropping physique warmth could be uncomfortable and harmful, and this pad retains you effectively away from these points.

Regardless of being impressively heat (it’s technically a 4-season pad), the Tensor All-Season received’t be the most effective match for everybody. In case you plan on utilizing your pad immediately 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 Situations is likely to be a greater match. NEMO additionally makes the Tensor Path for backpackers extra involved with reducing 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 commonest backcountry expeditions. And it’s price remembering that this pad has top-of-the-line warmth-to-weight ratios available on the market for holding pack weight down.

Ease of Setup

This is without doubt one of the Tensor’s key strengths. The All-Season comes with top-of-the-line pump sacks available on the market, 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 decreasing effort and time. The entire inflation time is lower than two minutes, which is a superb 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 simple. 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 let loose small quantities of air and dial in your excellent stage 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 need to roll and squeeze extra air out whereas packing. Plus, the storage sack is roomy, so that you received’t need to 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-resistant stuff sack. Which means it is going to add a few ounces of weight to your package however will solely serve one function. Prior to now, we’ve usually left pump sacks at residence, however this one is so handy we’ve discovered ourselves bringing it alongside on most journeys. General, we’re big followers of the convenience of use of the Tensor All-Season, and we predict this class is considered one of its predominant strengths.

Sturdiness

This pad is a dependable alternative for long-term use. We’ve examined the Tensor All-Season from cacti-filled deserts to snow-filled camps at 13,000 toes to beds of lava rock, and it has held up impressively effectively 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 only, 2-lid valve has only a few elements to scale back the possibility of failure, and NEMO features a restore package in case of failure within the subject. The mixture of considerate design and rugged supplies means you’ll be able to belief the All-Season to carry out in difficult situations.

Although the Tensor All-Season is hard, like all air pad, it’s not impenetrable. The highest of the pad is 20D nylon, which is able to work effectively for normal use however is extra prone to put on and tear in comparison with some burlier pad choices. The 40D cloth 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 downside for ultralight backpackers.

These cloth decisions imply that the All-Season holds up very effectively, and we predict it supplies a wonderful stability between weight and sturdiness. However like all air pad, punctures can occur. That’s why we all the time carry a patch package 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 situations. In case you’re on the lookout for one backpacking pad to cowl a variety of situations – from heat summer time adventures to chilly shoulder season excursions – this is without doubt one of the finest sleeping pad choices available on the market.

Because of its spectacular R-value and progressive, light-weight design, this pad is a superb alternative for heat at evening that received’t weigh you down on the path. The Tensor All-Seaon isn’t the lightest insulated sleeping pad available on the market, however it’s not too far off. And its warmth-to-weight ratio could be very spectacular.

The factor that in the end received us over with this pad is its ease of use. It has a wonderful pump sack that makes inflation very quick and straightforward. 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 a whole lot of nights within the backcountry.

Nevertheless, there’s no approach round it: the Tensor All-Season is an costly funding. On account of its excessive price ticket, this pad may not be a very good match for price range buyers, informal backpackers, or summer time hikers who will desire a much less specialised pad. Additionally, for those who solely are inclined to camp in scorching summer time temperatures, the All-Season’s insulation is likely to be greater than you want.

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

What Different Backpacking Pads Ought to You Take into account?

Try 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 actually wonderful 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 cozy, however it weighs a bit lower than the Tensor, which is likely to be a deciding issue for ultralight backpackers. That mentioned, we a lot desire the Tensor’s pump sack and dump valve for fast inflation, deflation, and straightforward 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 all the way down to round 0°F. The XTherm just isn’t fairly as thick, weighs extra, and prices extra. What you get is a pad for hardcore winter situations like overnighting in icy mid-winter temps.

Huge Agnes Rapide SL Insulated: The Rapide SL just isn’t 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 provides a formidable R-value – solely a bit decrease than the All-Season – so it’s a improbable different for cold-weather tenting. The largest draw back with the Rapide is that it’s significantly heavier.

REI Helix Insulated Air: The REI Helix is far more reasonably priced than the Tensor All-Season however nonetheless provides a soft three-inch thickness and a excessive R-value for insulation. On the flip aspect, 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.