Awards : NEMO Wins Two Gear of the Year Awards from National Geographic Adventure

The Nocturne™ 15, part of NEMO’s new Spoon™ Shape sleeping bag series, and the Helio™ Pressure Shower, have earned top honors from National Geographic Adventure. Among thousands of products considered, both Nocturne™ 15 and Helio™ were chosen as examples of revolutionary ideas that hit the outdoor market in 2012.

Thousands of pieces of gear, apparel and technology were considered in National Geographic’s testing process with less than 30 winners chosen. From the National Geographic website: 

Nocturne™ 15 Spoon™ Shape Sleeping Bag
“Odds are that you sleep best on your side. Most of us do. According to a study from the U.K., about 70 percent of us are side sleepers. But most sleeping bags are built for mummies, which technically speaking are dead and don’t care if they’re on their back. The NEMO Nocturne 15, though, is built for the rest of us. It’s constructed with more room at the knees and slightly less at the waist, which lets your midsection move unencumbered as you shift position in the night, whether to your side or back. The 15-degree, water-resistant down-filled bag is said to be shaped like a spoon, but imagine a burrito slightly pinched in the middle and you’ll have a better idea of it. The second best feature? There’s a pillow pocket for neck support.”

Helio™ Pressure Shower
“Solar-heated showers are a great idea, but they so rarely work well—they’re leaky, awkward to mount (at least they are in the desert, where there are few trees), and have anemic water flow. But NEMO’s Helio Pressure Shower blows all those cheap, inefficient showers out of the, er, water. Like most solar showers, the 2.9 gallon Helio is black to absorb the warmth of the sun during the day, but it uses a foot pump to build pressure, giving you about five minutes of warm, strong, blissful water flow. Compared to what you’ve used before, it’ll feel like the shower in a luxury hotel.”

"Most brands are happy to have one standout product each season, but for NEMO to develop two that rise above all others is extraordinary," said National Geographic Adventure’s Steve Casimiro.

“When we brought these two products to market, our intention was the same as with every other NEMO product – to solve a problem, offer new innovation, and enhance our customers’ experience. As designers, it’s our responsibility to look at how we interact in the outdoors and make those experiences better. I think both the Spoon™ Shape sleeping bags and Helio™ Pressure Shower are examples of how we can raise the bar and change our expectations,” said Cam Brensinger, president and lead designer at NEMO.

These two Gear of the Year awards are the latest in a string of recognition for the young outdoor gear manufacturer. In January, it was announced at the Winter Outdoor Retailer Show that both the Nocturne™ 15 and Nocturne™ 30 Spoon™ Shape sleeping bags had won the prestigious Editors’ Choice award from Backpacker. Also in January, Asashi™ 4P won Editors’ Choice from Overland Journal, and the Canon™ -40 sleeping bag won Best in Show from both GearJunkie.com and GearInstitute.com.

To see the full list of Gear of the Year winners, click here.

NEMO Equipment, Inc. is a New Hampshire-based outdoor gear manufacturer bringing high-level design and engineering to the outdoor industry. Founded in 2002 by Cam Brensinger, NEMO’s product line includes AirSupported® and traditional poled tents, sleeping bags, pads and accessories to enhance the outdoor experience. NEMO products can be found at specialty outdoor gear stores and online, across the US and internationally. For sales inquiries, please contact Brent Merriam, at brent@nemoequipment.com, 603-236-7683.

Kate Ketschek / Revolution House Media / kate@revolutionhousemedia.com / 603-828-1050