Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent Review

Introduction

From the Rocky Mountains to Coastal Rainforest the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent has been my constant 2016 backcountry companion. Nemo has been making ultralight shelters for a while and I was somewhat surprised to find a single pole, double wall, dome style tent in the sub two and a half pound category. Depending on how you pack this tent, it sits at exactly two pounds. I was intrigued. I contacted Nemo for more information, and they offered to send me one out to try. Now, I was beyond intrigued and into excited.

I used the original 2010 Nemo Equipment Meta 2P since I bought it almost seven years ago. I’ve been happy with my little Nemo Equipment Meta 2P. The online reviews were mixed (in my opinion, because single wall shelters were unfamiliar to most users) but aside from the over two and a half pound weight, I loved the tent, and it was a great introduction to single wall shelters.

For the 2016 season, a  switch to a double wall shelter, with a single pole means much simpler gear splitting for the trips I have booked for the year. My only other complaint with my original shelter has always been the limited ability to divide it between two packs. Not needing my trek poles for set up also means I can leave one or both behind which on some trips is my preference. Even with the pole packed in, it is lighter than many trek pole tents.

Features

• Modified dome style tent (one diagonal lengthwise pole and an air pole support)
• Pegs, pole, repair kit, guy-out cord, and three stuff sacks included
• Two vestibules
• Dual entry
• Double wall
• Bathtub floor
• Integrated peg and pole system
• Fastpitch set up

Specifications

Performance

Field Testing

Stuffing

The Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P tent was shipped to my address. I opened the box and found a neatly packaged tent inside. The actual weight of the tent was 998g (2 lb 2 oz). The packed size was compact, and I found stuffing the tent back inside the sack easy. The tent stuff sack has the option of being two sizes.  One where the tent is stuffed poles in and one where the ten is stuffed poles out. Two sets of drawstrings allow stuffing options. I didn’t pack using the stuff sack (I was load sharing most trips), but the sack is nicely made and relatively light.

During a particularly wet rainforest trek on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; I stuffed the rain fly in a large Ziplock freezer bag to keep it from dripping on any of my other gear. The main body of the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent will also fit in a large Ziplock freezer bag. This method gave me the option of squeezing the air out of the bags and effectively ‘vacuum packing’ the tent to save space and keep other gear from getting soaked when packing the tent wet. The heavy plastic of the Ziplock bag also protects the tent’s delicate, ultralight fabric.

Floor and Footprint

The tent stitching is high quality and well taped. The fly fabric is airy light and almost transparent. The floor is slightly more solid but is delicate. Because of abrasive rocky ground conditions, I decided I would make a footprint.

I had a SOL Mylar Blanket kicking around my gear trunk, which is not exceptionally light ( 320g / 11.3oz) but was available and had a possibility to add warmth to my shelter. The tarp was almost the perfect size, and I only had to trim it a bit. I had to cut a couple of grommets off and replaced them with Coleman Replacement Grommets I’ve had in my major-at-home-gear-repair box for several years. The weight is comparable enough to a Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Footprint ( 208 g / 7.3 oz), I didn’t have to look for Tyvek, and the price was right (free: after depreciation of the tarp and grommets which were sitting around doing nothing anyway.). After my modifications, my footprint weighed 286g (10.1oz)

Assembly

Assembling the tent the first time around didn’t require a structural engineer, but almost. (I make this observation with tongue in cheek, I haven’t assembled a dome style tent in a decade. Single wall trek pole tents have some pitching advantages.) One diagonal pole suspends screen house’s clips and the fly anchors to the four corner pegs. The vestibules have two separate guy-out pegs.

This tent is unconventional but user-friendly and intelligently designed. After pitching a couple more times, I discovered I could pitch the fly before pitching the interior mesh by stretching my MYOG footprint, placing my stakes, and resting the poles against the “Y” structure then anchoring my fly. Using this method I could pitch my mesh under cover if rain interfered.

After a couple of practice runs, I could set up the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent in a matter of minutes without any assistance. Stuffing the tent when packing up took very little time or skill. I slid the tent poles in and stuff the screen house, tent fly and pegs in the included stuff sack.

Overnight Use

The two door and two vestibule design of the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent is invaluable. Once two sleeping pads and quilts are laid down on the floor, the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent is stable and barely needs pegs for anything but holding the vestibules tight.

I found I had plenty of toe and headroom and could even place some of my important equipment, like cameras, over my head. Thoughtful interior features in the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent improve the comfort and livability of the tent. Interior features could be clipped out to save ounces, but I kept them. First I found two side door pockets (one on each side), which were helpful for stashing some small items like ear plugs and eye masks. Second, the pole framework of the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent has built in loops for making a small indoor clothes line. Third, at the very peak of the tent, there is a small pocket designed for stowing headlamps to use as interior lighting without blinding your tent mates.

Rain Use

Of all the features I tested while using the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent, I tested its capacity to resist rain the most. Not only did this tent resist the rain, it dried in twenty minutes or less when the sun came out. During particularly rainy treks through the Canadian Rockies, I often packed the fly in a large Ziplock freezer bag, stuffed it in the brain of my pack and would pull it out to dry whenever the rain gave me enough of a break.

Insect Resistance

Insects? What insects? I went all over Canada with the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent, there were mosquitos, horse flys, sand fleas and dozens of other biting nuisances, just not inside the tent. During my trip up Marvel Pass to the Mount Assiniboine Lake Valley, there were thousands of blood-thirsty mosquitos. At nightfall, I would dive into the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent and leave the little monsters outside. Occasionally insects would make a home between the fly and the tent body, but as long as they were outside and away from me I didn’t care.

Performance Summary

The Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P exceeded my expectations of an ultralight tent. The tent is feature rich and well designed.

Product comparison

A fair product comparison requires similar main features. These products are fully enclosed, sleep two occupants and have all required features. Stakes, mesh, poles, floor, seam sealing and any other additional features required to make each product comparable, are added to the price and weight.

To view the entire table, hover over it and scroll right/left!

Manufacturer	Model	Body Fabric	Max Weight	Wall Style	Floor Type	Floor Space	Height	Poles	Packed Size	Dual Entry	Vestibles	Seasons	Price
TarpTent	Stratospire 2	1.1 oz Silnylon	2lbs 9 oz / 1.3 kg	Double	Bathtub	Tent: 31 sq ft / 2.9 sq m Vestibule: Unspecified	50 in / 127 cm	2 Trek	16 in x 4 in / 41cm x 10 cm	Yes	2	4	349.00 USD
LightHeart Gear	Duo Tent	30D 1.1 oz Silnylon Ripstop	2 lbs 5 oz / 1.1 kg	Single	Bathtub	Tent: 38.2 sq ft / 3.6 sq m Vestibule: Unspecified	45 in / 114 cm	2 Trek	Unspecified	Yes	2	3	400.00 USD
Nemo Equipment	Blaze 2p Ultralight Backpacking Tent	7D Silnylon Ripstop	2 lbs 5 oz / 1.1 kg	Double	Bathtub	Tent: 30 sq ft / 2.8 sq m Vestibule: 13 sq ft / 1.2 sq m	40 in / 102 cm	1 Folding	17 x 5 in dia / 43 x 12 cm dia	Yes	2	3	449.95 USD
Zpacks	Duplex Tent	.51 oz Cuben Fiber	1 lbs 7.2 oz / 659 g	Single	Bathtub	Tent: 28.1 sq ft / 2.6 sq m Vestibule: Unspecified	48 in / 121 cm	2 Trek	7 in x 13 in / 18 cm x 33 cm	Yes	2	Unspecified	609.00 USD
Mountain Laurel Designs	Duomid with innernet	1.35 oz Silnylon	1 lb 6.6 oz / 640.7 g	Double	Bathtub	Tent: 40+sq ft / 3.7 sq m Vestibule: none	56 in / 142 cm	2 Trek	Unspecified	Yes	0	4	330.00 USD

Summary

Strengths

• Sub two-pound weight double wall tent
• Two doors
• Two vestibules
• Small, compressible packed size
• Insect resistant
• Storm worthy
• Fast drying

Limitations

• Short floor length
• Delicate floor fabric

Recommendations

• Taller users should put their head underneath the pole corner of the tent and feet under the peg only anchor.
• Groundsheet or footprint is highly recommended.
• Wrap large packs in a garbage bag when left in the vestibule in rainy conditions.

Review Rating

Review Rating Summary

After just over three-hundred miles (500 km) in two months sleeping in this tent, I haven’t found a single flaw in the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent design for my use. Simply, the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent is my favorite piece of equipment since, well, ever. A full tent system that rivals a tarp and bivy for weight is uncommonly good. Throw in the fact, the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent has two doors and two vestibules, and the comfort, convenience, and practicality of this tent is through the roof. I can’t think of a bad thing to say about it.

There are only three minor comments I would make in contrast to my glowing experience with this tent:

1) The clip fly and pole system take some practice to figure out.

Nemo Equipment would be wise to include assembly diagrams on the tags of the tent. I spent the first four or five setups assembling the fly incorrectly which in turn gave me a sagging pitch.  This is why I included photos of how to assemble the clip system in this article. When the clip system is assembled correctly, the pitch is tight and well ventilated.

2) The vestibules are not huge, there is room for a pair of boots, trek pole handles and most of a 45 + liter pack.

I would not count on the vestibule to completely cover my pack and have room to stick my feet into the vestibule and put on my boots outside the tent. On the other hand, any vestibule beats not having one at all. In high precipitation conditions, I recommend wrapping packs in a plastic recycling bags anyway. The Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent has two vestibules and the overall size of the vestibule is a non-issue. Other users might like to know the actual vestibule size.

3) Some users may find the  Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent a bit short.

I’m five-foot-one, any tent I crawl into is long enough for me. I loaned the Nemo Equipment Blaze to a six-foot-tall friend for a weekend to get his impression. He found the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2P Tent had just enough length for his frame. For anyone taller than six-feet-tall, this would be a one man tent in his opinion. I would say, two people under five-foot-ten will be more than comfortable. Nemo Equipment Blaze Tent’s floor space and headroom will be satisfactory for anyone up to six-feet. I would love to see Nemo Equipment design an extra large version of this tent to cater to the tall ultralighters out there.

Concluding Statement

The Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent has proved to be a worthwhile investment. The unusual and technical design is intuitive and feature-rich for its sub-two-pound weight. If I were to select a tent for another season of adventure again, I would pick the Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent without a single reservation. The Nemo Equipment Blaze 2p Tent is storm worthy, light, insect proof and comfortable.

Where to Buy the Nemo Blaze 2P

Related Tents

The Nemo Blaze 2P is one of several tents that have recently been introduced to the ultralight market that focus on lighter fabrics, fewer (and thinner) poles, and perhaps a semi-freestanding (instead of a truly freestanding) design that requires a stake or two to maximize floor space. Like the Nemo Blaze 2P, the following tents offer interior space that isn’t occupied by vertical poles (as in pyramid-style tents). The NEMO Hornet 2P and MSR FreeLite 2 offer double doors and double vestibules, while the Fly Creek HV 2 Platinum is front-entry:

Disclosure

Product(s) discussed in this review were either acquired by Backpacking Light from a retailer or otherwise provided by the manufacturer at a discount/donation with no obligation to provide media coverage or a product review to the manufacturer(s). Backpacking Light does not accept compensation or donated product in exchange for guaranteed media placement or product review coverage without clearly denoting such coverage as an “ADVERTISEMENT” or “SPONSORED CONTENT.”