Update #2 From Lion King on the AT

Last year, we were introduced to a man who goes by the trail name Lion King. Lion King has hiked many long distances, including completing the Appalachian Trail multiple times, the John Muir Trail, and the American Discovery Trail. NEMO was interested in getting some of its 2010 prototypes into the field for some intense tent testing (say that three times fast) and thought Lion King would be the perfect man for the job. So, we looked him up and made him an offer. We'd send him a couple of tents to preview and if he thought they'd be a good fit for his current AT journey, he'd take them along (in shifts) and give us feedback that we could incorporate into our designs. Below is an excerpt from his latest report.

So, with a change of seasons comes a change of tents. This time I am using the Losi Storm 2P™ (new for 2010), 2 person large design that came at just the right time.

As I hiked the Vermont section of the AT that also runs along the Long Trail, I met a beautiful woman named Dana who was hiking the long trail. Seems we both got along fabulously and after a fashion...well, we took to each other. Maybe it was the beauty of the tent, maybe it was my adventurous odor, who really knows? But I'm glad I had a two man tent...err...two person tent. It seems we both fit in fine and there are pockets at the head that held her small knife, her mace, her safety whistle and her Leki lay beside her. Trust? Yes. Safety? For sure.

I told her that those items were perfect to have in the tent. That way, if I acted up, she could mace me, stab me with her pin knife, blow her whistle for help as she shoved me out my side door with her Leki and then escape out of her side door all at the same time. A perfect tent design for two people who just met each other, like each other, but also feel the need to maybe escape in the dead of night with minimal discomfort to the other tent occupant. Nicely done NEMO.

Now, she and I hiked together from Bennington, VT to Rutland, VT and we shared a lot of laughs, some stories, and some history of each of us and we grew close. So close in fact, that after the ALDHA (American Long Distance Hikers Association) gathering in Gettysburg, I will be going to see her for a bit.

Was it the tent? Maybe. Whatever it was, I'm thankful for a roomy two man tent that also serves as a cuddle nest. Mace and all.

As the trip winds to a close, we approach Katahdin, she is home in PA and I am excited more about seeing her again then I am about finishing the trip. Which is good since bad weather forced us to not summit Katahdin, so we turned back and now are on the way to ALDHA. I will be showing a new film I made on the American Discovery Trail on Saturday so come on out ya'll, I'll be the guy in the nice large two man NEMO...hoping for Dana to show up and join me. At least for one night.

~Lion King