How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

The most livable backpacking tent in the NEMO line just got roomier. The updated 3-person NEMO Dagger OSMO tent now has an increased door height and peak height, and more usable vestibule space.
$59
10% Reward
on this and every eligible full-price item*
+
$30
Bonus Card
valid for 60 days after joining*
=
$89
Value
Keep shopping
Imported.
View the NEMO Dagger Product LineView all NEMO Backpacking TentsBest Use | Backpacking |
---|---|
Seasons | 3-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 3-person |
Minimum Trail Weight | 3 lbs. 13 oz. |
Packaged Weight | 4 lbs. 7 oz. |
Packed Size | 20 x 7 x 3.5 inches |
Floor Dimensions | 88 x 70 inches |
Floor Area | 42.8 square feet |
Vestibule Area | 12.1 + 12.1 square feet |
Peak Height | 44 inches |
Number of Doors | 2 doors |
Number of Poles | 1 |
Pole Material | Aluminum |
Pole Diameter | 9.5 + 9 millimeters |
Canopy Fabric | Polyester |
Floor Fabric | OSMO ripstop polyester/nylon blend |
Rainfly Fabric | OSMO ripstop polyester/nylon blend |
Footprint Included | No |
Design Type | Freestanding |
Sustainability | Product meets the bluesign® criteria Contains recycled materials |
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
My trusty old backpacking tent is approaching a decade in age, so when the opportunity to try the NEMO Dagger OSMO arose, I was happy to take it out and see what technology has changed! I opted for the three person model to accommodate my 5’5” self, 6’4” partner, and 50 pound dog on a mellow camping trip to the Eastern Sierras in California. First impression is this tent packs incredibly small, close in width but shorter than my old two person. Always excellent to have more space in my short person XS size backpack. It is also extremely light, again comparable to my old two person backpacking tent. When I pulled out the frame, I was impressed to see all the pieces connected and ready to snap together, including some poles bent to specific angles. No more worrying about your heavy handed camping buddy snapping poles in half while forcing a curve! Tent setup was a breeze and highly intuitive. I love the Y stakes that won’t bend like the old aluminum hooks did so easily. Though it wasn’t included, we did pick up the matching footprint which snapped easily into place with the ball frame ends at the corners. The rain fly likewise has great modern features, though here I do see a couple weak points. It is identical on both ends, so very easy to position. Really unique elastic loop tab connectors attach it to the top of the tent, then the corners clip in at the stakes. There are thoughtful little Velcro tabs at the openings to hold them open if you wish, and plenty of loops and line should you choose to stake it out further. We opted not to this time to avoid creating tripping hazards for the pup. What I didn’t love was the pressure the center frame piece puts on the fabric at the top, and the zippers catching fairly frequently if we weren’t careful on the angle we were approaching it. Inside, we found the space to be quite roomy, with sooo many pockets! Having less slope on the sides really helped the tall one sit up without slapping his face on the wall. We were able to stash our lights and glasses out of harm’s way without needing the clips I brought. I even wove a set of string lights through the loops. We brought a blanket to protect the floor from puppy nails which we may not have needed, but it saved her from tracking pine sap all over inside. We were more than cozy inside down to 40F. In the morning the whole setup dried incredibly quickly. We had virtually no cleanup on it since it seemed to have repelled any stray bugs and everything dropping from the trees. It packed up pretty easily back into the stuff sack, though I do have trouble getting it far down enough to roll closed before clipping it. Overall, we are very impressed at the thoughtful design and fantastic build. It has definitely elevated my expectations for backpacking gear. After our trip the tent is good as new, and you can be sure it will be coming on our next one!
Tested the NEMO Dagger OSMO 3P in my living room and backyard. Poor breathability made it unbearable, overshadowing other features. Pros: +Easy, quick setup with top-notch connectors. +Lightweight compared to competitors. +High-quality tent poles. Cons: -Overheats at 73°F in sunlight, intolerable. -Poor ventilation, stuffy with two people. -Too short for 6’1” / 73-inch user despite 88-inch length. Neutral: =Large vestibule requires a big campsite. =Multi-fabric design and color theme isn't my style. Overall this tent is hot, poorly ventilated tent, only suitable for cooler seasons when snow isn't expected. Overrated for the price.
I love how spacious the Dagger 3P Osmo feels without being too heavy, and the big dual doors and vestibules make it super convenient. The Osmo fabric holds up great in the rain without sagging, plus I appreciate how quick and easy it is to set up after a long hike. It's definitely become my go-to tent for comfortable backpacking trips where livability is key. Only real cons: Definitely more narrow than advertised. Figured the 72” width would accommodate a Roamer Double (52”) and a 20” pad. Not even close, maybe 65-66” wide functionally at best.
Great tent for the most part, love the layout, however on the first time I used it the zipper for the vestibule kept getting stuck and is now stuck permanently as when I tried to fix it the last time the stitching for the zipper holding it to the fly started to pull away. Also for the life of me was not able to get the footprint to align correctly.
The Dagger OSMO combines quality, light-weight materials, excellent livability, and plenty of toughness to keep you charging through your backpacking adventures for many years to come. Love it
I am looking forward to my first season with the Dagger OSMO 3P. My initial pitch in the backyard was a breeze! Looking forward to hitting the mountains with this tent!
Just received this tent. Excellent quality construction. Have used it only a couple nights but am really impressed. I also have the older version of the 2p.
I had been needing to get a tent and was between this tent and the Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 person. From all the reviews, they were pretty comparable with NEMO Dagger having slightly more room. I decided on NEMO in the end due to size and pricing, and I am quite happy with my choice. I have brought this tent on 3 backpack trips so far. Two were in mountainous areas with only one other person and the third was a three person trek on the Olympic Coast. Here’s how it faired. Usability/Accessibility: The tent is easy to set up with only one person. Having just one tent pole makes it super quick. The attachment points for poles and rain fly are really easy to clip into and out of and I had no fear of anything disconnecting. The zippers on the rain fly are a little hard to open with only one hand, as the fabric gets caught. The tie backs for the doors are easy to use and can be hooked with one hand, but I wish they were a little further down the door. When looped back, the door still hand into the entrance, which led to some water dripping into the tent or onto people as they left the tent. Size: The tent is so light that its weight is barely noticeable, especially when split up. The divvy cube and individual sacks for the poles and stakes makes it super easy to divide the tent up. The tent fits two people with tons of extra room. The vestibules are large enough to fit two packs plus shoes on either side without worrying about them getting wet. On the three person trip, we were definitely snug and cozy. I have a NEMO Quasar sleeping pad in regular wide and my two companions had regular width pads. All three pads fit together with no overlap inside the tent. This leads me to believe that three regular width pads would fit perfectly without any fear of touching your partners in the night. I was pleasantly surprised with the inside space. I do wish the tent had more pockets, as each side only has one. An additional pocket on each side would be really clutch. Durability/Weather Wear: This tent saw it all (except snow). The tent itself feels really thin and the rain fly has a different feel than other tents. I was a little worried about the tent floor on rocks & roots, since I didn’t purchase a footprint. Well, this tent held up. The first trip it went on, we accidentally put the rain fly on inside out (oopsies!) and then it hailed and rained and the wind had gusts up to 20 or 30 mph. The tent was dry inside, even with an inside out fly. The tent was also rained on during the other trips, with properly assembled rain fly, and stayed dry on all of them. The tent floor held up great against all the surfaces, from rocks and roots to sand. This tent does not have amazing ventilation, but with the guy lines, we had no issues with keeping the condensation to a minimum. My biggest issue, though, was that the end of one of the tent poles did pop off when disassembling the tent on the second trip. I easily fixed it by reattaching the cord to the end and it’s working fine. TLDR: Held up great in rain, wind, hail, sun, bugs, sand, rocks, roots, and much more. Had a minor snafu with the tent pole end coming off when taking the poles out of the tent, but easily fixed. Fits 3 snug, but cozy and vestibules are large enough for storing all the gear. Easy to set up and take down and lightweight. Very happy with my purchase and would recommend.