NEMO Equipment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Outdoor gear manufacturing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Cam Brensinger |
| Headquarters | Dover , United States |
| Products | Tents, sleeping pads, shelters |
NEMO Equipment, Inc. is a company headquartered in Dover, New Hampshire, that specializes in the design and production of outdoor gear such as tents, sleeping pads, and shelters. Established in 2002 by Cam Brensinger during his industrial design education at the Rhode Island School of Design, NEMO has prioritized innovation within the outdoor equipment industry.
History
NEMO introduced its inaugural collection of backpacking and mountaineering tents at the Summer Market Outdoor Retailer event held in Salt Lake City in 2004. By early 2005, the company had secured the ISPO BrandNew Award in Munich and gained recognition as one of the year's top inventions from publications including Time magazine, Reader's Digest, Men's Journal, and Popular Science. The brand has been honored with several design awards, such as the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum, a Design Distinction from I.D. magazine, and the 2006 Bottom Line Design Award presented by Business 2.0 and Frog Design. Outdoor magazines like Backpacker and Rock & Ice have also praised its tents.
In 2024, NEMO unveiled the 'Endless Promise' series, a line of camping products crafted almost entirely from recyclable materials. Each item features a QR code that provides instructions for repair, resale, or recycling, reflecting NEMO’s dedication to achieving zero waste and carbon neutrality.
The company has established collaborations with community groups and nonprofits to promote diversity and inclusion in outdoor activities. In 2023, it extended its partnership with Camp Yoshi and in 2024 joined forces with the Outdoors Empowerment Network to aid gear libraries and leadership development initiatives aimed at youth-oriented outdoor education organizations.
Design distinction
NEMO is well-known for its AirSupported Technology, which replaces conventional aluminum tent poles with low-pressure airbeams, resulting in improved durability and simpler assembly.
Additionally, the company has cooperated with the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts on the Extreme eXPeditionary Architecture (EXP-Arch) initiative, focusing on creating quickly deployable, mobile shelter solutions for specialized use cases.