NEMO discontinued the Galaxi tent from their lineup as of 2020.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Footprint included
Durable
Easy to set up
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy
Large pack size
NEMO Galaxi 2 Review
A heavy but luxurious tent for camping and short backpacking trips
Credit: NEMO Equipment
RELATED: Best Backpacking Tents of 2024
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
We loved testing out this tent. It offers plenty of space with a few luxury features, like a star-gazing, retractable fly and an included footprint.
Performance Review
The Galaxi is comfortable, easy to set up, durable, and stands up well to bad weather. It's a heavy, bulky tent, and so scores lower in the weight and packed size metrics.
The tent toughed it out on a cold fall weekend. It's much more stealthy when the leaves are still on the trees.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Comfort
This tent is an incredibly roomy and comfortable model. It has a pre-bent pole structure, which means that it sets up with vertical walls, maximizing interior space. It has two side doors that are unusually shaped. We think that they are a little on the small side compared to some award-winning tents. They are also opposed from each other, the implication being that sleepers are meant to orient head-to-toe. On the plus side, their shape makes it easy to zip and unzip with one hand.
Spacious on the inside. Noteworthy features include the side and end gear pockets, as well as the vestibules, which jut away from the tent at a lower angle than many other models.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
It has two generous 11 sq. ft. vestibules which offer plenty of space of a pack and footwear (though they extend at a long, low angle, so zipping them can be a little bit of a pain if you're already tucked into your bag). It also has a handful of thoughtful features like overhead light diffuser pockets, fly zipper vents, and a magnetic door tie, which allows you to pull back the door and fasten it with one hand. It also comes with an included footprint, which is a rarity among backpacking tents.
The peak height and lateral headroom make it easy to sit up without bumping into the ceiling.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
The tent doesn't really have privacy panels, but the bathtub floor does extend up a bit further at the head and foot ends. The two side pockets aren't quite as expansive as in other models, but we rarely felt that we needed more storage space than it had.
The two side gear storage pockets can hold a lot of stuff that you might want to keep accessible. It's a little annoying that they are at the foot end though.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Ease of Set Up
The single hubbed-pole design makes the Galaxi easy to set up. Because of all of the 'legs' moving around at the same time, it is easier to set up with two people, but one person can do it fairly easily as well. The fly attaches with grommets to the four main corners of the poles, just like the tent body does.
The single pole structure with a central hub makes this tent easy to set up for one person and a breeze for two.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Between the tent, fly and footprint, there are three grommets to try and fit at the corner of each pole. It's a tight fit to get them all on there at the same time.
Weather Resistance
This contender kept us dry in downpours and held strong in high winds. This tent performed well where many fail because the waterproof floor extends fairly high up the sides of the walls, guarding against splashback.
The deep bathtub floor keeps ground moisture and splashback out of the sleeping area.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
There are no separate dedicated vents for condensation, but there are props on each side of the fly that allow you to unzip the vestibule in order to facilitate airflow without opening it up (too much) to the elements.
As noted above, the vestibules extend at a long, low angle, so if the fly is already wet, you can count on getting your arm and top of your head wet too. However, once you are safely tucked inside the fortress, it should keep you dry through the night.
The kickstand on the fly facilitates ventilation while still keeping out light to moderate rain (as long as it's not too windy).
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
If the forecast is nice, you can always roll back the fly halfway to really get some air circulating while also looking up at the stars.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Durability
This tent is awfully heavy, but in this case, that also comes with increased durability. It has a 68 denier (D) ripstop fly and 75D floor. Also included is a custom-fit footprint for added abrasion resistance to protect the bottom of the tent.
The Galaxi comes with a decent amount of guyline and adjusters, stakes that stay in the ground, a couple of patches, and a pole splint (not pictured).
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
As with any PU coated product, we would eventually expect the material to degrade (see our Buying Advice for more info on this). However, with proper care and storage, this tent should last a long time. This tent has some minor faults, but durability isn't one of them.
Weight & Packed Size
The Galaxi really tips the scales. It's a hefty 6 lbs. 1 oz. At this weight, it's certainly not meant for longer backpacking trips, even split between two people.
Its thicker, durable fabrics also take up way more space when they are stuffed in a pack. With a 19"x8" packed size, you should count on bringing a high-volume backpack.
Value
The Galaxi is a great value. We are pleasantly surprised by the price of this tent. There are comparable tents at the price point, but few come with a footprint like this one does. The Galaxi has many luxury features that mean the price is right if you're looking for a solid, general use tent.
Conclusion
The Galaxi is the Cadillac of this tent review; it is a big heavy boat with enough useful extras that make the oohs and aahs last beyond the first pitch. We wouldn't want to take it deep into the backcountry, even with two people, but for car camping or paddling adventures, it's hard to top this model.
—
Jessica Haist and Jess McGlothlin
You Might Also Like
