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@@ -2,6 +2,48 @@ ## Nemo Osmo Dagger Review +Reasonably light, very spacious, and easy to set up and take down. +Interior comfort is fantastic—there’s sufficient room side-to-side and lengthwise for two people to comfortably sleep. +Large and functional vestibules make it easy to organize and stash gear. + +New Osmo fabric is resists sagging in wet weather, holds up well in wind. More sustainable fabric. Reasonably light. Large, spacious vestibules. Roomy interior with excellent star gazing potential. + + +ility slant. +Nemo boosted interior storage with the latest model, and I had no trouble finding room for all of the essentials inside. + +At a campground last week I watched someone set up what looked like an old-school canvas tent, complete with a wood burning stove in it (it is winter), and I thought see, you don't really need all that expensive high tech gear, army tents still work. When I got home I looked up that tent and realized it was more expensive than most of my backpacking equipment combined. Never mind, I'll stick with the lightweight nylon. + +Recently I've been using Nemo's Osmo Dagger 3P tent, a three-person (sort of) freestanding, double-walled tent made of a new fabric Nemo calls Osmo. It's not cheap either, but the new Osmo fabric is a nylon polyester blend, made with 100 percent recycled nylon and polyester yarns woven in such a way that it stretches less and repels water more than nylon alone. It's also made without the use of flame-retardant chemicals or fluorinated water repellents (PFC and PFAS). Nemo is using this new fabric on its Dagger and Hornet Elite tents. + +While the new fabric is a nice extra, what I like most about the Dagger 3P is just that it's a solid, roomy, lightweight tent capable of withstanding considerable wind without so much a ripple in the tent. + +### Specs + +Nemo makes both two and three person model of the Osmo Dagger. While I have only tested the three person version, aside from the dimensions and weight there isn't any difference between the two. In fact, given how roomy the three person is, this is one tent where I would say couples looking at the two person version don't need to size up to have enough room. + +The three person model is 90 by 70 in for a total of 41 square feet of living space. I had no trouble getting three 25-inch sleeping mats in it and the length was enough to accommodate my five feet ten inch height with about five inches to spare. The max height at the center of the tent is 42 inches, making it rather lower profile, which helps make it aerodynamic. That squat aerodynamic aspect proved welcome during a couple of very windy nights testing in the Porcupine Mountains, where local wind sheer was well over 50 MPH. + +Setting the tent up wasn't hard. The Dagger comes with one multi-segmented pole that's single down the main length of the tent, forking at each end with a cross pole in the middle. The four end points fit into corner jakes feet connectors. The all-in-one design does mean the poles are slightly bulkier when packing it up, but it makes setup super simple. The cross-body pole does a good job of staking out the sides to create more vertical sidewalls for increased living space. + +The sidewalls of the inner tent start off solid Osmo fabric for the first six inches, and then transition to white no-see-um mesh that's still see through, but less than black, which affords you a bit more privacy even with the rain fly off. The top of the tent is black mesh, which provides great ventilation and makes for excellent for stargazing on clear nights. That said, the huge amount of mesh means this tent is definitely in the three-season category. I did not have an opportunity to test it below freezing, but did spend several Autumn nights in the lower 40s Fahrenheit and was quite comfortable. + +The rainfly is where the bulk of the Osmo fabric comes in and I did indeed find that it lives up to its hype. I didn't encounter any torrential rains, but as noted it held up in some high winds and moderate rains. + +This might sound incredibly shallow, but I also very much liked that the Dagger is a muted gray-green rather than the more neon color schemes of some other Nemo tents. + +The rainfly provides two equal vestibules at either door. Doth have zippers at either end for venting or getting in and out. There's also two vent flaps at the top with stays to keep them open so condensation doesn't build up in a prolonged rain storm. The vestibules were plenty big enough to store three packs and three pair of boots, and you can get what Nemo calls landing zones -- an option vestibule floor that clips into color-coded tabs on the tent and vestibule, creating a little gear hammock just off the ground. + +Inside organization is a little bit limited. There are some side pockets on the walls and overhead pockets that are primarily intended to hold a headlamp and diffuse the light. Personally I just need a pocket for glasses and a headlamp, which the Dagger offers, but if you like tons of storage space, that's something to keep in mind with the Dagger. + +The Dagger is what Nemo calls an ultralight tent, which means it's light, packs small, but also that it's a little more fragile than a heavier, more traditional nylon tent. I didn't have a footprint, but I would highly suggest one to help protect the floor. I also find that ultralight tents benefit from more careful attention to site selection, set-up, and breakdown. Spending a minute to clear sharp debris before you pitch your tent will go a long way to helping it last. + +### Conclusion + +I really love this tent. It's lightweight, packs small and is easy to divide between hiking partners. Setup is quick and it sleeps three with gear. The new fabric performed well and is relatively environmentally friendly. It stacks up will against the competition as well. It is longer than the popular MSR Hubba Hubba, with more vestibule space. On the other hand the Hubba Hubba has more storage options in the form of a gear loft and larger pockets. + +For me though, the Nemo Osmo Dagger is one of the best tents on the market right now. + |