Nemo Dagger Osmo Lightweight Backpacking Tent Review

I’ve been camping since I was a baby crowded in between my parents and my older brother, all of us snuggled up in comforters and pillows from home. The first tent that I could consider “mine” (I shared it with my brother) was made of canvas and painted in a variety of pastel colors. I can’t count the number of times over the years I’ve woken up with rain edging in around me, a pile of snow somehow inside the tent, or a camping buddy elbowing me in the face trying to get out to go for a midnight bathroom break. Needless to say, when I’m camping now as an over-thirty adult, I’m pretty picky about my camping setup, and my alltime favorite tent is the Nemo Dagger Osmo.

How to Buy

Key Features

100% Waterproof

I’ve been using the two-person design of this lightweight tent for two years now and I first fell in love with it camping off Riverhead, Long Island. Little did I know when I set out for this trip with my husband, this is a very marshy area with creeks and rivers surrounding our campsite, which was gorgeous at sunset, less fun at 1 a.m. when it started downpouring. As the rain started to pound down on the tent and we could hear the water levels of the creek edge into camp, I got out my phone to book a hotel for when the tent inevitably flooded — it never did. 

When I tell you this tent is waterproof, I mean it 100 percent. We woke up the morning after the storm as it continued to drizzle, packed up camp, and the grass where the tent had sat all night was still somewhat dry whereas the area around the footprint was a muddy puddle. The Osmo fabric that makes up the Nemo Dagger is a polyester/ripstop nylon blend designed to minimize stretching when wet to prevent sagging (that can cause your tent to cave in) and any moisture seeping through the material. 

Compact to Pack

In addition to this being the most durable and weatherproof tent I’ve ever used, it’s one of the lightest, and the best two-person tent we’ve tested. All of the components weigh just over four pounds, but they can easily be separated thanks to organizational stuff sacks, so you can split the items between your daypack and your partner’s. 

It’s also light enough that I’ve had no problem packing this in larger suitcases for flying. The packed tent takes up about the same amount of space as my hiking boots, and I’ve now flown with it to get to camping sites in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida. 

Spacious When Open

Considering the tent’s compact size when packed, it’s incredibly spacious when assembled. My husband is 6 foot 4 inches and says this is the first tent he’s ever slept in as an adult in which he did not have to lay horizontally to fit comfortably (which is really more of a benefit to me.) Our two sleeping pads and sleeping bags fit side by side without overlapping and we had plenty of space in the night if we shifted around. It also features a door on either side of the tent, so you no longer have to deal with someone climbing over you in the night when nature calls.

While the Dagger also comes with a “Landing Zone” where you can store your packs and gear on clear nights, we loved that there was enough space to store our packs inside the tent when needed. And if you’re someone who wants even more room to fit your pup, a child, or another friend, the three-person version of the tent boasts nearly 43 square feet of space (a significant increase to the 31-square-foot two-person tent.)

Easy to Set Up

When it comes to setting up the tent, this couldn’t have been easier. It doesn’t come with any instructions, but by the time I found instructions online, my husband had already fully set it up. All of the pieces are color coded, so figuring out which clip goes to which loop is simple and intuitive. The poles are all connected to each other on one center spoke, giving you an instant frame that guides the shape of the overall structure. We didn’t need any additional tools either, I stepped on the stakes with my boot and they went right into the ground. It can be tricky to determine the right way to apply the rainfly, but after using it a couple of times, it becomes second nature.

The Verdict

The Nemo Dagger Osmo may be my favorite tent when it comes to durability and size, but it also has additional comfort features that continue to surprise me. There are slim pockets on either end of the tent, so no matter which way you’re lying, you lift up your arm and have easy access to your phone, headlamp, or, in my case, my glasses. Overhead, there is also a small adjustable hook where you can hang your camping lantern, and the tent’s structure is surprisingly sturdy enough to even hold up our nearly two-pound lantern without sagging. The doors can also be rolled back and secured open with additional color-coded clips to give you a bit of a breeze.

Considering the quality and comfort of the Nemo Dagger Osmo, you really won’t want another tent for your future camping trips. And, considering Nemo offers a lifetime warranty, you won’t have anything to worry about no matter what Mother Nature throws at you in years to come.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Taylor Fox is the outdoor gear editor for Travel + Leisure. She started camping as a child and has continued to love camping as an adult — even when she’s being rained on. Her camping expeditions have taken her all over the world from the mountains of Wyoming to the islands of Indonesia where she lived for two years. She has had the Nemo Dagger Osmo tent for over two years and it is her go-to for any campout. 

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