Eric Larsen Braved the Harshest Conditions on Earth in NEMO’s Canon™ -40 Bag

NEMO is proud to have supported Eric Larsen as he attempted to achieve another world record by traversing the Arctic Ocean from Northern Ellesmere Island to the geographic North Pole. For the expedition, he enlisted NEMO’s Canon™ -40 to keep him warm in some of the world’s coldest and most uninhabitable conditions. Larsen, accompanied by Ryan Waters, had hoped to cover the nearly 500-mile distance in less than 49 days to break the current ‘unsupported’ expedition speed record set by a Norwegian team in 2006. They finished today, May 7th, in 53 days. 

For this expedition, dubbed Last North, Larsen and Waters travelled across the moving sea ice by skis, snowshoes, and at times, swimming through the semi frozen slush. Carrying nearly 350 lbs. of gear on this unsupported trip, Larsen worked closely with a select group of gear manufacturers to develop a variety of lightweight, durable equipment tailor made to withstand the extreme conditions of this journey.

Built to keep you warm and protected in the most extreme conditions, NEMO’s Canon™ -40 was designed for endeavors like Last North. The innovative cold weather bag has received numerous accolades and awards, including National Geographic Adventure’s Gear of the Year and Best in Show from both Gear Junkie and Gear Institute.

Canon’s™ temperature-regulating Thermo Gills™ vent body heat at the core without letting cold air rush in; the Stove Pipe™ Tunnel Hood with PrimaLoft® insulation keeps a pocket of warm air near your face so breathing is comfortable in bitter cold; zippered arm openings allow you to enjoy the comfort and warmth of the bag while eating or prepping gear; and the Toester Box™ foot box reduces cold spots by blending down and PrimaLoft® along with a breathable inner fabric.

Larsen and Waters encountered some of the most challenging weather and terrain on Earth. In a report from Waters on 4/14/14, he said, “Ask an yee shall receive… For several days now we have been going on about just needing some wind to harden up the snow surface. The weather powers that be answered today with a vengeance… We awoke to gnarly wind on the tent and white out conditions. Such is life. We had actually drifted over 5 miles to the east northeast….Covered in snow from the 45 mph wind all day blowing on us and slightly worn out from almost falling over all day on the flat light surface, we celebrate tonight with Pringles in the tent. A highly sought after local commodity in this lone tent out on the frozen ocean.”

Larsen reported on his Canon™ -40 during trip saying, ”Our NEMO Equipment sleeping systems have proven to offer us the only real respite from the elements. At night, we are extremely warm and comfortable inside.”

To catch up on Larsen and Waters’ journey to the unforgiving frozen landscape, of the North Pole, click here.

NEMO continually looks for ways to change the expectation of what sleeping outdoors is all about. Designing products that are built to last, comfortable and fun to use, the brand continues to develop products for adventures anywhere—from the backyard to the world’s most remote locations. To see NEMO’s entire 2014 line, available now, please visit www.nemoequipment.com. For sales inquiries, please contact Ben Saunders, Sales Manager, ben@nemoequipment.com and for media inquiries, Kate Ketschek, kate@revolutionhousemedia.com.