Getting a good night’s sleep in the backcountry is paramount for recovery and performance on demanding backcountry trips. Recovery matters, and a sleeping pad plays a big role in whether you wake up ready to hunt or ready to throw your entire sleep system off a ridge.
A bad sleeping pad can make for a bad night fast. For people who go in deep, a pad needs to be light, packable, warm, durable, and comfortable enough to actually sleep on. The NEMO Tensor All-Season checks a lot of those boxes.
In short: Backcountry folks looking for a packable, ultralight sleeping pad with solid warmth and comfort will find a lot to like in the NEMO Tensor All-Season ($199-260). However, the included pump sack certainly isn’t your best option.
Weight
14.1 oz. (regular mummy)
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Good for side sleepers
- Packs down small
Cons
- A thicker pad requires more air, which means more lung work. Highly suggest getting an electric pump because of this. Your lungs will thank you.
Nemo Tensor All-Season Sleeping Pad Review
Overview
If you had to pick a company to trust with your precious sleep in the backcountry, Nemo is a good bet. Along with sleeping pads, the company also makes tents, sleeping bags, and more. We’re here to talk about the Tensor All-Season Sleeping Pad, though, so let’s get to it.
The Nemo Tensor All-Season is a four-season inflatable sleeping pad that weighs in at just 14.1 ounces for the regular mummy model. Nemo also offers rectangular models in regular, regular wide, and long wide options. As far as thickness goes, you’ll have 3.5 inches of comfy real estate between you and the ground with an R-Value of 5.4 to keep you warm.
These pads are not just warm, but they are durable as well. The top is a 20D, and the bottom is a 40D nylon material to help with longevity when living in the dirt. Each All-Season Pad comes with a Vortex Pump Sack, stuff sack, repair kit, and a Velcro strap to help keep the pad packed nice and tight. This is a four-season sleeping pad you need on your radar.
Features
Spaceframe Baffle Design – Low Stretch = Stability
One of the keys to getting a good night’s rest on a sleeping pad is proper weight distribution. This allows one to lie evenly on a pad without any awkward slumps or humps. With the Spaceframe Baffle design Nemo uses in the Tensor All Season, it excels in this department. This system utilizes low-stretch internal fabric trusses to help eliminate instability, springiness, or even an elbow pushing through the pad into the ground.
Vortex Pump Sack – Resist Interior Moisture
Another nice thing about the All-Season is that it comes with the Vortex Pump Sack. I know that sounds intense, but hear me out. This mates right up with the nozzle of your All-Season Pad and allows you to essentially fill the pump sack up with air (your breath and natural air), seal it off, and push it right into the pad for inflation. Not only is this great for saving your lungs, but it also provides an element of longevity.
Blowing air directly into the pad with your mouth blows moisture into the pad. Over time, this can cause mold and decrease insulation values. So, if you have the options between the Pump Sack and your lungs, pick the Pump Sack every time. Your pad will thank you.
Thermal Mirror – Quiet Insulation
Ever experienced the crinkling and crunching of a sleeping pad whenever someone lies on it or shifts position? Yeah, it’s a thing, and can be quite an annoying thing at that. In order to combat this unpleasant sound that has awakened more than a few people, Nemo uses two ultrathin layers of floating Thermal Mirror metalized film. These are within each baffle of the pad and are made to reflect your body heat back up to you. All of that warmth without the pesky noise.
My Experience
I’ve used Nemo Equipment for quite a few years at this point. My sleeping pad of choice has been the Tensor Alpine, but I’ll be honest, it’s seen better days after an immense amount of abuse through the years. The All-Season seemed to me like the new and improved version of the Alpine. It was lighter, warmer, and had a more durable bottom, from what I understand. I had to try it.
Right out of the box, I liked what I was seeing. The pad was rolled up very small and even came with a Velcro strap to help keep it together. I like that and intend to keep using it. Also included with the pad was a bag that one could hook up to the nozzle of the pad to help blow it up. Basically, you fill the bag with air, cinch the top, and push the air into the pad. I prefer an electric pump here, but this was a nice touch.
First Trip
My first trip with the All-Season would be a backcountry spring bear hunt. It was a 7-day hunt, and I was super-eager to put some proper reps on the pad. The weather was in the high 60s, with lows in the high 30s/low 40s. The All-Seasons pack away very nicely in my backpack. Space in a backpack is limited, and I loved how much this sleeping bag didn’t take up.
The pad was not only comfortable every night, but it was warm as well. It held air fantastically and held up to the ground. No patching needed on this trip. I love the additional thickness that Nemo put on this pad. It added to the comfort without a doubt, as I am a side sleeper for the most part.
Not once did I feel any part of my body touch the ground while sleeping or switching positions throughout the night. It felt like my body lay evenly on the pad. And for a sleeping pad, it was honestly not that loud of a pad. Some pads out there are comically loud with any slight movement.
Lastly, I never found the pad to be very slick either. What I mean by that is some pads can be slick on both the top and bottom. This can cause the user to essentially slide off the pad or the pad to slide around in the shelter through the night. This was not the case with the All-Season.
What’s Wrong
I mentioned how much I liked the additional thickness of the Tensor All-Season. It’s 3.5 inches thick when inflated, which is no doubt comfortable. However, this does mean that you’re pumping more air into it. Comfort comes at a cost, and that cost is time and energy.
Because of this, I’d highly suggest using an electric pump. The Vortex Pump Sack that comes with the pad works, but it’s definitely not the most efficient system, in my opinion. A small ultralight electric pump will do the work for you and keep from blowing any of your breath into the pad, avoiding the moisture point we made earlier. This means having to invest a tad more money for a pump, yes, but it’s well worth it. I promise.
Final Thoughts
There are a wide number of sleeping pads on the market that come in all different shapes, sizes, and insulation values. To boot, the good ones aren’t cheap, but I’d urge you to think about this as a way to invest in your sleep, rather than just a pesky credit card swipe.
At the end of the day, sleep is your friend in the backcountry, and the Nemo Tensor All Season has more than earned a place in my backpack for future hunts. I love mine, and it loves me. Well, at least it feels that way. You know what I’m saying.
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