NEMO Tensor Elite Backpacking Sleeping Pad Overview

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The NEMO Tensor Elite backpacking sleeping pad is an ultralight backpacker’s dream come true. We examined it sleeping in a wide range of circumstances and in contrast it in opposition to the market’s finest ultralight pads. No different pad comes near the burden financial savings of this pad, and it nonetheless manages an honest degree of consolation. 

Regardless of its mild weight and tiny dimension, the Tensor Elite gives some first rate thickness and even integrates a skinny aluminized movie to bump up its heat above the everyday foam pad. The dimpled horizontal baffles permit for even weight distribution whereas nonetheless offering stability.

As with most ultralight gear, the Tensor Elite leaves a bit to be desired within the sturdiness division. The fabric is fragile and wouldn’t take a lot to puncture it (fortunately, NEMO contains a number of patches). So for those who’re tough on gear or a stressed aspect sleeper, you would possibly need to try options from our full information to the perfect sleeping pads.

How We Examined

We slept on the Tensor Elite for a number of nights in a wide range of circumstances to evaluate its consolation and heat. We’ve checked the specs and in contrast its ease of setup, sturdiness, and weight with numerous different sleeping pads to supply an correct, in-depth evaluation.

Consolation

Selecting the proper sleeping pad appears to be a relentless effort to steadiness weight with consolation. The NEMO Tensor Elite clearly prioritizes weight and packability above all else, however nonetheless manages an honest degree of consolation. 

The pad is simply barely three inches thick, which doesn’t go away a lot compressibility for aspect sleepers. Though the skinny material expands to carry an excellent quantity of air, it’s simple to compress. For those who wish to inflate your sleeping pad lower than 100% full for a softer really feel, there’s an excellent probability you’ll backside out with the Tensor Elite.

The highest materials is slippery, and the mother form is extremely tapered. The pad additionally doesn’t are available a wider choice, so it’s finest suited to sound sleepers who don’t are likely to toss and switch.

On the upside, we just like the dimpled horizontal baffles, which conform to your physique higher than conventional horizontal baffles. Regardless of this pad’s consolation downfalls, it’s nonetheless extra snug than a foam pad, supplied you’ll be able to keep on prime of all of it night time.

Weight

The NEMO Tensor Elite’s ridiculously low weight and tiny packed dimension are

 the place it actually shines. Though NEMO made a concerted effort to sacrifice as little consolation as doable, their target market with this pad is clearly the ultralight backpacker.

The pad itself (not together with the pump sack or stuff sack) weighs a powerful 8.5 ounces and packs down nearly as small as a regular soda can. NEMO achieves these spectacular specs with paper-thin 10D CORDURA nylon and extremely tapered mummy form. Probably the most hardcore, gram-shaving backpackers can shed much more weight with the quick, torso-length model of the Tensor Elite.

This extremely light-weight pad comes with apparent sacrifices, corresponding to sturdiness, consolation, and heat. So for those who are likely to hike to exhaustion and sleep exhausting, it is a nice summer time pad.

Sturdiness

Ultralight gear doesn’t come with out sacrificing sturdiness, and the Tensor Elite is not any exception. This pad requires mild and conscious dealing with to make sure 

it’ll nonetheless be there to maintain you snug night time after night time.

The Tensor Elite’s paper-thin 10D CORDURA nylon is featherweight and fragile. We extremely suggest cautious campsite choice with this pad to keep away from any protruding sticks and rocks. Utilizing a footprint along with your tent can also be a good suggestion so as to add an additional layer of safety between the bottom and your sleeping pad. We even wish to go an additional step and add a really skinny piece of froth beneath the pad to guard it and maintain it from sliding round (it additionally provides slightly heat).

That mentioned, for those who deal with your gear fastidiously and take the right precautions, there’s no motive the Tensor Elite shouldn’t final. NEMO additionally contains a number of patches within the unlucky case of a puncture within the subject.

Heat

Heat is one other attribute that comes on the expense of ultralightweight financial savings since insulation provides weight. With an R-value of two.4, the NEMO Tensor Elite may fairly be used into some shoulder seasons, however it’s best reserved for summer time backpacking. We wouldn’t suggest it as a single, do-it-all pad for a year-round backpacker.

Though its essential objective is weight financial savings, NEMO does make an effort to supply some insulation to the Tensor Elite. Constructed into the inside of the pad is a really skinny piece of aluminized movie that helps mirror a few of your physique warmth again at you. That and the air itself present a small quantity of insulation to make the pad slightly bit hotter than a regular closed-cell foam pad.

Ease of Setup

The upside of the Tensor Elite’s low quantity is that it doesn’t take a lot to pump it up. Nemo contains their signature vortex pump sack to make inflating fast and environment friendly. With about three to 4 fills of the pump sack, the pad is totally inflated in lower than a minute and a half. For those who lose your pump sack, it takes about 20 to 25 full breaths to inflate, which continues to be fairly fast.

The tremendous versatile nylon makes folding and rolling simple when it’s time to pack up. Whereas different pads are likely to bulk up or maintain on to extra air, the Tensor Elite shortly dumps air through its outlet valve and looks like rolling up a silk blanket.

Our one gripe with the fabric is that it’s very slippery, and filth tends to cling to it. The valve connection to the pump sack additionally isn’t probably the most safe, but it surely works properly more often than not.

Ought to You Purchase the NEMO Tensor Elite Backpacking Sleeping Pad?

The NEMO Tensor Elite is finest suited to ultralight backpackers, sound sleepers, heat sleepers, and summer time use. Though it has restricted heat and sturdiness, it affords most weight financial savings for these crushing miles on difficult terrain.

The Tensor Elite stands far out from the competitors as a featherlight, extraordinarily packable sleeping pad that you just’ll hardly discover is in your pack. It prioritizes mountain climbing consolation over sleeping. Nevertheless, it nonetheless manages an honest thickness with a body-conforming baffle development and insulating aluminized movie. 

For those who’re powerful on gear, a aspect sleeper, or toss and switch at night time, this pad may not be for you. Nevertheless, for those who’re devoted to minimizing your base weight at any value, it doesn’t get significantly better than the Tensor Elite.

What Different Backpacking Pads Ought to You Take into account?

Try our full listing of backpacking sleeping pads for a wide range of choices, whether or not you worth consolation, heat, sturdiness, or an excellent price range purchase.

Therm-a-Relaxation NeoAir XLite NXT Overview: The NeoAir XLite NXT is an up to date model of a traditional that has been a favourite amongst thru-hikers for years. It’s slightly heavier than the Tensor Elite, however nonetheless ultralight whereas offering considerably extra heat.

NEMO Tensor All-Season Overview: The Tensor All-Season is our favourite all-around sleeping pad for its steadiness of weight, heat, and luxury. It gives all-season heat and is available in a wide range of sizes and styles, together with a mummy and rectangular reduce.

Large Agnes Zoom UL Overview: The Zoom UL is one other ultralight pad that provides extra consolation and heat with its thickness, rectangular form, and a number of dimension choices. It’s additionally a bit extra inexpensive than comparable choices.