NEMO Moki Updated 4 Season Tent – Major upgrades

NEMO updated a lot to the beloved Moki tent

I have loved our older NEMO Moki tent for years.  It served us well during summers and winters.  Rain, snow or wind.  Nothing seemed to bother it.  When I heard that NEMO was working on a new version of the Moki, I was thrilled. I placed the pro deal order immediately and planned the first test.  A nice snow storm in Colorado.  My kind of camping!

No more accessories

Much to my surprise, the geometry is totally different than the previous generations.  Meaning the Paw Pad, footprint and CHEEZ cloth were not compatible anymore. Bummer, as I have all the accessories.  Is that a big deal though?  No, it turns out it was not.  Now I don’t have to carry the extra paw pad or footprint.  Plus, I hardly ever used the CHEEZ cloth (and I have camped in plenty of negative temps totally fine without it).

New geometry

At first, I was puzzled by the new shape and design of the Moki.  It is now wider (75″), taller (50″) and shorter (90″). It looks more like an igloo now.  Which, is pretty cool. The vestibule is now sewn to the body of the tent.  No longer can you zip it off and have symmetrical doors.

Improvements in materials and set up

I chatted with the good people of NEMO on why all the changes.  Turns out, they were able to improve the 40D OSMO nylon ripstop material.  No longer is the inside white.  This is actually beneficial as it is softer to the touch and more durable.  The biggest improvement – of all the impressive updates thus far – is the ability to set the tent up from the outside.  This is always something I look for in a 4 season tent.  There are (4) identical DAC Featherlite 9.6mm poles to set up the body of the tent.  Easy as following the color-coded sleeves and clipping the tent body into place.  One 9mm pole is slid through a sleeve to support the vestibule.  Very simple set up.

Real world testing – is the Moki really a 4 season tent?

Yes.  It is.  Simple as that.  Here is why:

1. lightweight enough to bring backpacking (9lbs) spread across 2 people.
2. spacious for 2+ people (it really can sleep 3 people)
3. side windows are also doors, letting you ventilate in all directions
4. handles snow loading very well
5. handles anything very well

I tested it in snow storms during the winter of 2018.  Usually by myself (palatial for one person!).  My wife and our two dogs used it all summer for camping in Colorado.  She loved the last Moki but really loves the new one.  It is easier to set up, more spacious, and we don’t need to put a ground cloth down. I have literally camped on snow, snowmelt and wet ground.  Never had an issue with soaking through.

Final thoughts on the NEMO Moki tent

The Moki does a lot of things very well.  It provides winter protection and can handle snow.  It can also handle hot temperatures and ventilate during summer use.  There are four ways to enter and exit the tent.  Set up is easy, even with gloves on.  OSMO fabric breaths well and hardly ever have condensation issues.  Even when I forgot to open the top vents and had 3 occupants in the tent – there was little condensation.

MSRP $850 is a fair investment for this kind of tent. But, you get a winter tent, a car camping basecamp, a bug out shelter, lots of space and durable construction. I think it is worth it.  Even though I paid “pro” price, I would recommend the Moki to anyone in the market for this kind of tent.