The forest was beautiful as the sun shone through the thick canopy with beams of light. A small river nearby trickled and cascaded over the rocky shoreline in a soothing flow. Moss beneath your feet softened your steps and softened the sound in the forest. A sense of relaxation overcomes you realizing that the back country is a place you want to spend the night in and make the change from hiker to backpacker.
At the top of the list of things you need to start backpacking is a quality tent that meets your wants and needs. The choices and the features are endless when one makes the move from typical department store tents to a top quality tent . Luckily there are several high quality outdoor companies that specialize in tents. One such company is NEMO Equipment
Nemo Losi LS 2P Backpacking Tent
The Losi LS 2P tent is a lightweight two-person tent that is versatile enough for multiple activities that require overnight shelter. It boasts a freestanding design, ample interior space for two people and dual entry with a double-sided vestibule rain fly.
I was able to recently use the Losi tent over 3 days this summer and check out all the features and ease of setup. I have had experience with tents from MSR, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardwear. What I noticed right away was that NEMO uses similar design cues, materials and third party accessories that the others do which immediately boosted my confidence.
Losi Design Details
Before you even setup the tent the very first design detail that NEMO used that I haven’t seen elsewhere was compartmentalized carrying sack. It separates the tent into poles, pegs and tent, which rolls up and then compresses with cinch straps. For car campers and kayakers this is a huge bonus and nice detail but does add some weight for those gram conscious hikers.
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NEMO's compartmentalized carrying sack[/caption]
Once you pull all the components out of the bag you will immediately notice the Dac-Lite poles. These poles are the lightest on the market and incredible strong. Combining the poles with the Jakes Feet corners the result is a solid freestanding tent that is setup in minutes. The design of the pole attachment points creates a structure that remains as wide and tall as possible without the typical cramped corners of other tents.
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The Losi 2's Jakes Feet Corners[/caption]
Before putting on the rain fly a few design features are well thought out and evident. The dual entry makes using the tent for two people very much appreciated to keep you happy with each other after a few days in the back woods. The tent floor comes up nice and high a third of the way up the tent wall helping make the tent a great three season choice to combat driving winds and rain. The final detail is the convenient roof pockets that hold a headlamp nicely for perfect nighttime ambient lighting.
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Trusted components on the Losi[/caption]
The rain cover works in either direction without any worry of matching up sides like one of my other tents. That is one thing you don’t want to be fighting with in a rains storm trying to get your tent setup. The fly easily attaches and with the Jakes Feet cinches down tight. The dual vestibule is large and well thought out with adjustable tiebacks when you want to leave it open. The Vestibule is easily staked out and then tightened with a quick release single cord style that I haven’t seen from other tents.
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Easy to put on an adjust rain cover with a nice little vestibule![/caption]
Final Thoughts
The NEMO Losi LS 2p is a well-built tent providing high quality and high value for the investment. My first two nights were in a coastal rainforest that was very humid, the rain fly allowed good ventilation and kept the condensation to a minimum. On the final night was along an open coastal bluff with warm temps. This allowed me to sleep with the fly cover off the tent. The high walls kept the cool breeze off me while the open top provided a nice star filled sky to fall asleep under.
I really like the organization storage pouch and is a nice idea for kayaking and car camping as mention. For the weight conscious person it does add unnecessary bulk and weight that would see them just leaving it at home and never using it again. Skipping this feature by NEMO in the future might help reduce it’s cost to the customer as to me it isn’t a make or break factor in purchasing whereas weight is.
With the length of use I had of the tent I honestly can say I would highly recommend this tent. I didn’t battle any ferocious winds or torrential downpours but with the Dac-Lite poles that I have experience with and the tent material I have strong faith it wouldn’t let me down.
Specifications
- Capacity: 2P
- Minimum Weight: 4 lb 4 oz / 1.9 kg
- On the Fly Weight: 3lbs 5.5 oz / 1.5 kg
- Packaged Weight: 5 lbs, 1 oz / 2.3 kg
- Floor Dimensions: 86 x 55 in / 217 x 140 cm
- Floor Area: 33 sq ft / 3.0 sq m
- Vestibule Area: 22 sq ft / 2.0 sq m
- Interior Height: 45 in / 114 cm
- Number of Doors: 2
- Frame Description: 3 DAC 8.5 / 9.0 mm Featherlite NSL
- Packed Size: 22 x 6 in dia / 56 x 15 cm dia
- Shell Fabric: N/A
- Vestibule Fabric: 15D Sil / PU Nylon Ripstop (1200mm)
- Fly Fabric: 15D Sil / PU Nylon Ripstop (1200mm)
- Canopy Fabric: 15D Nylon Ripstop / No see um mesh
- Floor Fabric: 40D PU Nylon Ripstop (1500mm)
Words and Photos by Vancouver Island adventurer Chris Istace. Chris is passionate about getting outdoors, exploring the amazing country we live in and reconnecting with the simplicity nature rewards us. Check out his website at www.chrisistace.com and follow along with his adventures on Instagram