NEMO recently had a sale on The Clymb , so I snapped up one of the Obi 2P tents for use on backpacking trips. I wanted a tent that was light enough for one person to carry on solo adventures, but could easily fit two people or even one person and a dog on other trips.
With no prior instruction, I was immediately impressed by how quick and easy the Obi 2P tent is to set up. The Green anodized DAC featherlite NSL poles come tied together in a single stick man configuration, making it dead simple to figure out which end goes where and eliminating the possibility of losing or leaving behind a section. The tent is completely free standing, which means you can set it up and get the same amount of headroom without staking.
NEMO tents use a Jake's Foot connector for the poles, inner tent, fly, and footprint. These connectors are extremely lightweight, compact and handy, but If you haven't used them before, they can take a few tries to understand where everything goes. I would recommend setting up the tent a few times to practice before you head out on your first backpacking trip.
The Obi 2P is definitely a three season tent as the inner tent is constructed mostly of mesh. A raised bathtub floor, however, will keep any rain or running water out. To save on weight, the outer fly is cut out to the height of the bathtub floor, meaning some wind can get under but will improve on ventilation.
Weighing only 3 pounds, this NEMO tent is definitely light enough for one person to carry and provides plenty of room for you and your gear. Two people can fit in the tent as well, though you may be a little cramped and you will have to keep most of your gear outside. Luckily, one big zipper runs across the entire width of the fly and the inner tent has an opening on both sides, making it super convenient for two people to get in and out.
I also purchased the matching Obi 2P Footprint . Made from 70D abrasion resistant, waterproof nylon, the footprint is a great way to keep your tent from getting dirty and wet, as well as prolonging the life of the floor. You can also hook the rain fly directly into the footprint if you are looking for a real fast and light solution and don't plan to backpack through bug country.
To further cut down on weight, there is only one small internal pocket big enough for your sunglasses and phone. However, you can buy the NEMO Gear Caddy accessory if you want some more organization space.
NEMO throws in some extra guyline cord to attach to the loops on the fly if you plan on camping somewhere windy. I would also highly recommend adding longer guyline cord to the existing points if you plan on camping in a place where stakes are useless (see the top picture). Longer guyline loops will make it easier to wrap around large rocks to use as a base.
Bottom Line: The NEMO Obi 2P is the perfect three season tent for lightweight backpacking, either for two people in close quarters or as a solo palace.
The NEMO Obi 2P tent retails for $390, with the Obi 2P Footprint at $45.
