Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW tent: first impressions
The Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW is a super-lightweight, durable and incredibly well-thought-out two-person tent. It’s the latest version of the Danish brand’s popular Telemark series, which has been around since 2013, picking up a ton of awards in the process, and proudly calling itself “the most advanced tent in the world”.
• List price: £720 (UK) / Not currently officially available in the US (try imports)
• Style: Tunnel tent
• Weight: 1.02kg / 2.2lbs
• Waterproofing: 2,000mm fly, 8,000mm groundsheet
• Rooms: One bedroom, one a half vestibules
• Compatibility: Two people and gear
Weighing in at a mere 2.2lbs (1,024g), the Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW is one of the most impressively light and packable tents that can easily be stretched into UK four-season conditions. It’s a single-pole tunnel tent design which delivers enhanced stability in high winds and can easily sleep two (when the inner is expanded to its largest size). It also comes with a bunch of additional features that tangibly improve your experience of sleeping in a tent – all while being super-easy to use and a joy to play around with.
When bought directly from Nordisk, the Telemark 2.2 LW will set you back a rather steep £720. This puts it at the top end of the price spectrum, swimming in similar waters as the ultra-premium Hilleberg Akto, the rugged Terra Nova Laser Compact AS or the hyper-dependable Terra Nova Southern Cross. So how does the Telemark perform versus these brands, and is it really the “most advanced tent in the world”?
Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW: features
On top of the ability to expand the inner, the Telemark 2.2 LW also comes with a host of additional features that I particularly appreciate as a user. As well as a zip, for example, the storm flap comes with a snappy magnetic clip which holds everything tight. This prevents any rain from penetrating your zipper, and is such a joy to use that you can easily lose 20 minutes just playing about with it.
Additionally, to make maximum use of the vestibule in calm conditions, you can also combine three of the four corner poles into one longer pole for mounting the door. This holds everything up and out of the way, all while giving you an extra canopy to sit under, be it to cook a meal or simply enjoy the view.
Another nice touch are the tiny hooks that make it super easy to roll the door up. Though these are small, they make it simpler to get your door out the way, which in turn means I actually roll up the door on this thing (instead of just letting it flap in the wind like I do on most tents).
For me, however, my favorite feature is the double-door entrance. On a tent this small and light, it just doesn’t feel like it should be possible to have two doors (and two small vestibules). And whether you use the other or not, having two entrances to choose from always improves your experience.
Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW: in the wild
I received a sample of the Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW earlier this year, and have since been able to get out and use it on a handful of multi-day and overnight trips. I used it in a couple of my usual spots out on Dartmoor National Park, on a two-day filming shoot in Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) – where I had to carry it alongside a ton of additional kit – and on a three-day fastpacking trip. In that time, I’ve managed to use it in all conditions except driving snow, having put it up against heavy rain, beating wind and even the odd moment of surprise British sunshine. And, you know what? I’ve loved using it every single time. Here’s why.
The first thing I particularly appreciate about the Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW is the level of detail that’s gone into every facet of this product. From pitching to packing away, every part of the user experience has been considered and optimized, starting with the carry bag.
Firstly, it’s tiny. It packs down to about the size of a rugby ball and weighs less than many three-season sleeping bags out there, so it’s barely noticeable in your pack. In fact, on a late fall fastpacking trip, I was torn between taking this or a bivy sack. But seeing as this is barely any bigger and only 400g heavier, the choice was obvious. Inside the bag, you’ll find the neatest tent you’ve ever seen. This is thanks to the fly wrapping up into its own internal stuff pocket (much like you see on many down jackets), which you then lash together with two straps to compress the package further.
Pitching the Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW is also exceeding simple. Featuring a singular pole tunnel design, it’s just a matter of sliding in the central, high-quality DAC Featherlite pole, pegging out the corners and pulling the lashings tight to create its shape. You can then peg out the side guy-out points in order to give it maximum stability in windy conditions. Thanks to this simple shape, you really only need four pegs to get a good pitch, or eight if you want to maximize its strength in the wind. Thankfully, the tent comes pre-supplied with eight Nordisk lightweight pegs, meaning you can put this up against the worst of it out of the box. Which, considering most tent brands put too few pegs in the box as standard these days, was a nice surprise when I pitched this first time.
Inside the tent, you’ve ample room for one person and gear. The tent also comes with one main vestibule, which is easily big enough for boots, packs and cooking kit, as well as a smaller vestibule on the other side capable of holding smaller items. If you’re using this tent as a duo, you can also expand the inner to give you a good amount of internal space, easily enough for two. This does render the main vestibule mostly useless, however, giving you instead two smaller vestibules that you’d struggle to get a big pack into, let alone two. For that reason, I see this tent as a four-season shelter for one or a three-season shelter for two, but it depends on how close you are to your bedmate, and how much kit you tend to take with you.
Meet the reviewer
Nordisk Telemark 2.2 LW: performance
Another thing that I find endlessly impressive about the Telemark is its ability to stand up to weather that a tent this small and light has no natural right to survive in. Over my months of testing, I’ve put it up against torrential rain and beating wind, and never once has this thing leaked.
For added security, the groundsheet is made from a PU-coated nylon ripstop material that comes with a hydrostatic head of 8,000mm. This is substantially more waterproof than most other tents of this style on the market, and I found that it kept me fully dry even when camping on waterlogged boggy ground during an impromptu overnighter on Dartmoor in southern England.
The flysheet, which comprises 100% ripstop silnylon with a 2,000mm hydrostatic head is equally waterproof and does a great job at staying quiet even when the wind picks up. Naturally, as with any silnylon flysheets, the material can stretch a little when it gets wet, meaning your tent may look a little saggier in the morning. However, unlike with many tents, the sagging has never gotten to the point where I felt the need to tighten the pitch at any point.
When it comes to wind, this thing is up there as one of the best-performing lightweight backpacking shelters I’ve ever used. In my mind, it’s easily on par with the likes of the Robens Starlight or the Terra Nova Southern Cross, even if the design is slightly more flexible and prone to a little bit of shaking in the night. Even when gusts of over 30mph hit the tent, I never once felt like it even noticed, let alone feared for its stability. Would I camp in it in a winter storm on the top of Helvellyn? Probably not. But aside from in something like the Nortent Gamme or The North Face Summit Dome tent, you’d never catch me up there anyway.
Overall, I think the Telemark 2.2 LW from Nordisk might very well be my new favorite tent. Its ability to perform in a huge range of conditions combined with its super-small size and light weight means you can take it on practically any style of adventure. Additionally, the level of consideration that the developers have put into the design makes this tent an absolute joy to use, and I still get excited every time I put this thing up.
Naturally, at over £700 when bought at its list price directly from Nordisk, none of this comes cheap. But I think it easily stands out as one of the best tents on the market today – and I think it might just get my vote were I to have to pick one tent to use for the rest of my life.
