2012 Sneak Peek: Transform Tarp

Historically speaking, NEMO hasn't made tarps for the commercial market. They are certainly useful tools to have in both the front and backcountry, but all of the ones out there tend to look the same. When we sat down together to design tarps, we wanted to make them more compelling shelters for all campers out there.

The beauty of tarps is in the openness and sense of freedom the protection gives you. At the same time, this can quickly turn into one of its biggest drawbacks in the wrong weather. We wanted to come up with a quick and elegant way to address this issue, without punishing customers with extra weight.

In the tarp configuration, you have a standard 12'x12' area of coverage. By unzipping one panel, folding back the fabric, and connecting the remaining edges together, you get a protected pyramid shaped shelter with 60" interior height and enough room to sleep 3.

I would say the space is better suited for two people with gear, but you can fit 3 in a pinch. The Transform Tarp has a reinforced pole pocket to protect the area where you would insert the single pole. There are volumizing guyouts that help pull the shelter walls away from the living space (and of course help anchor the tent down). The doors can be tied back for increased airflow, or to just make it super simple to get in/out of the tent.

Overall, we tried to balance a few key features with keeping the tarp simple and streamlined. We're interested to see how customers end up using this, and where the Transform Tarp might fall in the quiver of shelters.

Any questions?

-Connie