EMS Velocity 2 Tent

Too short for anyone over 6' and too narrow for all but the most intimate couples.

I bought this tent a few years ago. While it did the job, it is one of my least favorite backpacking tents.

 
The packed Velocity 2 is the green bag strapped to my pack.

 
The setup tent looks a bit like a horseshoe crab.

WEIGHT

At 69.7oz (without the footprint), the Velocity 2 is far from lightweight. In fact, it weighs nearly as much as my old 3-person dome tent, but with less room.

INTERIOR SPACE

Over the past few years, I have used the Velocity 2 successfully as a 1-person tent. It is a little too short for someone of my height (I'm 6' 2"). My head and feet hit the walls of the bathtub floor as well as the sloping walls of the tent. This can lead to discomfort when it rains or if there is a lot of morning dew (as with all silnylon tents, the Velocity 2 sags noticeably when wet). However, on dry nights, it was perfectly comfortable.

Attempts to use it while hiking with my girlfriend led to the realization that you would have to be very comfortable with one another to use this as a 2-person tent. I do have fairly large shoulders (42" jacket size, for reference), but I have never felt quite so cramped in a tent before. There was no configuration we could come up with that wouldn't result in at least some overlap. This isn't an issue if you hike with a significant other, but could easily strain a friendship.

GEAR STORAGE

I found the Velocity 2 to have plenty of space for all of my nighttime gear. Pockets at the head of the tent held my book and flashlight while a mesh "attic" held a fleece in case I got cold in the night. There are even extra attachment points that will allow the addition of another "attic," thus doubling your usable gear storage.

The vestibules are large enough for me to fit a pair of hiking boots and a 67L pack under them for protection from the elements.

VENTILATION

This is one airy tent. The inner structure is almost entirely mesh (save for the bathtub floor). By leaving the rain fly off, you get a great view of the night sky. With the rain fly on, you have two vestibules (one over each door) with two sets of storm doors. Rolling back one storm door on each side lets a nice cross breeze through the tent.

This ventilation also means very little condensation on the interior walls under most conditions. The only time I was ever really uncomfortably hot in this tent was while camping on a desert island in 100°F midday heat (no shade, no wind, no snow-cone vendor). 

SETUP

Setup couldn't be easier. The Velocity 2 uses a single pole with color-coded endpoints. Once you have the corners snapped into place, the rest of the tent simply snaps / slides onto the associated connection points. After a bit of practice, I can go from packed to fully pitched in about 8 minutes. Teardown is just as easy.

WATERPROOFING

The Velocity 2 is very well waterproofed, but all silnylon tents tend to sag when wet. While it will keep the rain / dew out, the sagging fabric doesn't do away with condensation nearly as well as when the tent is dry and taut. If you're under 6' tall, this won't likely be too big of an issue.  If you're closer to my height, it can lead to an uncomfortable night.

A very spacious, lightweight tent.

This review is for the current updated version, different from what is pictured.

I am going on 6 years of ownership with this tent and ended up purchasing the 2P after being extremely impressed with the 1P version.

Fast forward and I have sold the 1P and now use the EMS Velocity 2 for everything. Backpacking, motorcycle camping, car camping, spring, summer, and fall, this tent is my go-to.

Here's the real deal: This tent is the most underrated tent on the market. It is in the same class as all the big dogs and it is indeed a high quality tent which can run with them.

The bulk of my experience with it comes from traveling thousands of off road miles through some of the rowdiest terrain in the west. That's no lie, and this tent comes with me. It has kept me dry in ridiculous rainstorms, not gotten me zapped in lightning storms and has held its ground during some pretty strong gusts.

It's no four-season expedition tent, but throw in some lightweight stakes and sub in some sticks when you can and this tent is one beefy little fortress for its weight. HIGHLY underrated, uses top of the line materials.....and poles as other manufacturers, however it says "EMS" on the label instead of something else.

Don't be fooled, because it is really that good. 

Background

Over 100 nights in this tent. Plenty of "sleepovers" too.

I'm 5'2" and I've enjoyed this tent. Everyone I hand it to exclaims how light it is and I've had no problem carrying it for backpacking. I will admit it is small and you have to be very comfortable with the people you share it with, but the benefit of that is it stays warm easily. My 6'4" boyfriend used it once and basically said never again. I've never had a problem with the zippers (and they glow in the dark which is cool).

Setup: Super easy. One pole and you just have to pop it into all the spots. I haven't bought a footprint but now can't find one.

Stability: Pretty easy to get taught. Its shape is good for the wind. I've used it in rain and snow without a problem.

Weather: Again, no problem with wind, rain or snow. Its never leaked on me. I've had more problems with condensation on the fly in the morning than anything else. I worry about warmth more than ventilation so I could probably vent it more.

Storage is good enough for me. It packs really easily. None of the features are noteworthy compared to other tents I've been in.

I've used this tent about 3-4x per year for the last 3 years in N.Y., Colorado, and Alaska.

Beautiful looking tent with a major design flaw in the zippers / mesh. Caution!

The tent is beautiful looking, lightweight, and sets up and takes down easily. The problem? You have to be so careful with the zippers. They are prone to catching the mesh from the tent and after very few uses, I've managed to rip holes in the mesh (one is about 3 inches long).

This is a real pity. I've used many tents (EMS, Nemo, LL Bean) and have never had this issue to this extent. It is a design flaw, and I'm waiting to see if they'll honor an exchange or refund.