Tent: Nemo OSMO Dagger Backpacking Tent

Season: 3-season

2-Person Packed Weight: 4 pounds, 6 ounces

3-Person Packed Weight: 4 pounds, 10 ounces

2-Person Price: $459.95

3-Person Price: $549.95

Backpackers know that ounces equal pounds, and a backpacking tent is one of your pack’s heavier pieces of gear. While many backpackers are happy to spend a little less money and sacrifice a few extra pounds, there are those interested in an ultralight backpacking tent. I am one of them and have found my Nemo Dagger 2-person backpacking tent to be well worth the money. 

I am not sponsored but as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This review is based on my personal experience and opinions. I think Nemo tents are high-quality and worth taking a look at. Ultralight tents are not always cheap, but the features in the Nemo Dagger make it worth it, in my opinion.

Nemo Dagger Tent Specs

I have the two-person Nemo Dagger ultralight backpacking tent, the version before they made it with the OSMO fabric. However, I will talk a little about the OSMO fabric based on what I’ve read about it. Additionally, the three-person tent doesn’t vary significantly other than about four ounces. There are several key features I love about this backpacking tent.

Doors and Vestibules

The doors and vestibules were the main reason I chose this tent: it has one on each side. Yes, this tent has two doors and two vestibules. It’s a convenient feature if two people are sharing this tent. So you don’t have to clamber over each other to get out, and you each have a side for storing your extra gear. 

Size

The two-person tent is big enough to fit two average-sized people, their sleeping pads and bags, and not much more. It’s not a tight squeeze, but there is not a lot of extra space either. The extra vestibule mitigates some of this, but don’t expect a lot of extra room for a dog. However, at only an additional four ounces, I’d consider the three-person tent if you’ll be using it regularly with two people. 

Fabric

The Nemo Dagger uses Nemo’s new proprietary OSMO poly-nylon ripstop fabric for the rain fly. Ripstop is strong and lightweight, to begin with, due to its cross-structure threading, but the OSMO takes it up another notch. According to the Nemo website, it’s designed to have 4x water repellency and 3x less stretch when wet. When I got the original Nemo Dagger, because it is so lightweight, I was a little afraid it would tear easily, but I haven’t had a problem with it so far. 

If the weather is nice and you choose not to use the rainfly, the tent canopy is made with No-See-Um mesh. This is another cool feature of this tent. This mesh makes you forget you’re in a tent. The stars are clear, and you almost think the mosquitos outside are in the tent with you. 

Floor

There are no seams around the base of the floor of this tent, meaning less potential for water to leak in through a potential weak point. One of the downsides is how far up the floor goes at the door. So you have to crawl over what I would estimate is a 6-8 inch high side wall to get in. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a bit inconvenient. 

Poles

The hubbed poles are lightweight and have what I’d almost describe as a ball joint on the end that easily snaps into the tent’s corners. They have held up well and are lighter weight than less expensive tents.

Stakes

The Nemo Tent Stakes with this tent is lightweight aluminum and seems to do well. They’re stronger than the wimpy steel stakes that bend easily that cheaper tents come with. 

Nemo Dagger Tent Setup

The Nemo Dagger backpacking tent is easy to set up. It’s a dome tent and follows the same basic principles as most backpacking tents. You snap all the poles into place, then insert them into the clips in each floor corner. As I mentioned above, the ends of the poles have a ball-joint type feature that snaps in easily. Clip the canopy to the poles, and you’re halfway set up! 

An upscale feature of the Nemo Dagger is the corners of the rain fly are color-coded to the tent corners so you can get it lined up and snapped on correctly the first time. Stake the corners of the rainfly out to create your vestibules, and you’re set. 

This tent also comes with guy lines if you choose to use them. They’re very lightweight and fluorescent so that you can see them easily. They also have small reflectors woven into them to see them with a headlamp in the dark rather than tripping over them and ending up face-first in the dirt. 

Final Rating of the Nemo Dagger Backpacking Tent

On a scale of 1-5 for ultralight backpacking tents, I’d give the Nemo Dagger backpacking tent a 4.5, and I’d buy it again. It is on the expensive side, and that’s a definite detraction. However, it’s not entirely unreasonable as far as ultralight tents go.

Nemo tents are high-quality, and the Dagger is no exception. 

I have several backpacking tents, and this is my favorite for a few key reasons. First, I love that it has two doors and two vestibules. The door feature was the main reason I chose this ultralight tent in the first place. However, my other favorite features include the mesh canopy that makes it feel like you’re not in a tent at all and how little this tent weighs.

If you will be regularly using it with two people, I would recommend bumping up to the three-person Nemo Dagger to give yourself a little extra room. At only four more ounces, there is no reason not to.

I hope this review helps in your search for the perfect backpacking tent.

If you found this content useful, you might like:

How to Choose a Camping Tent

How to Backpack: Tips for Getting Started

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Feel free to reach out if you have other questions!