Key Specs:
Brand: Nemo Equipment
Model: Sweepstake
Price: $25 for six
Availability: Spring 2020
Unique Features: sliding glow-in-the-dark dirt remover
Upshot: Stakes — the nails that lock your tent to the ground — might not be the most obvious element of a tent in need of innovation, but Nemo Equipment decided to rethink them anyway. It tackled two all-too-common stake problems: they’re easy to trip on in the dark, and they’re covered in dirt when you remove them from the ground. Nemo is solving both issues at once with the same feature — a sliding glow-in-the-dark band that scraps dirt away in one swoop.
Who It’s For: All campers (particularly neat freaks).
Insight: For many core camping items like sleeping bags and tents, innovation often means making them lighter and more packable. Nemo Equipment aims for these twin goalposts too, but it has shown an ability to integrate creative features into its products at the same time. Another example? Sleeping bags that use zippered “gills” to extend the range of comfortable temperatures that they can be used in.
The Sweepstake is in that same vein. Tents don’t see much innovation beyond getting lighter, and at a certain point, ultralight shelters only make sense for hardcore hikers and climbers who prioritize weight over comfort. By addressing a component that can be used with any tent made by any brand, Nemo has found a way to make camping better for all of us.
