The Dagger OSMO 3P by NEMO is spacious and easy to set up. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
When out in the wilderness, the last thing you want to be causing any trouble is a tent. Being a shelter from bad weather is only one part of the equation – It’s a familiarity that, over time, begins to crawl into your heart as one of the few consistencies wherever you go. As time goes on, you learn to maximize every square inch of the tent to engage in a routine of making it homey, if only for a night or two. All of this is to say, that having the right tent in your life helps make time in the great outdoors feel more like home. What’s the right tent? We’ve got our money on the NEMO Dagger OSMO ($600).
NEMO’s Dagger OSMO 3P is a tent that I felt a strong connection with. I tested a ton of the Best Backpacking Tents this year, and it was a standout — and one of our top picks — for many reasons. We’ll get to the materials and ease of setup soon, but the best part of this tent was that the design made it feel spacious and easy to make myself at home. Until you have a tent like this in your life, it’s hard to understand what I mean. Add in the fact that the tent is made from recycled materials and has a lifetime warranty, and you’ve got something that will last for many years down the trail.
Editor’s Note: One of our other gear testers also checked out the NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P and had high praise.
| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight | Expensive |
| Easy setup | Material is thin and prone to damage |
| Uses bluesign-approved materials |
First Impressions of the NEMO Dagger OSMO
Packaged Weight: 4 lbs 2 oz
Floor Area: 31.3 sq ft
Peak Height: 42″
Other Versions: 2P
The first thing I noticed about the Dagger is how lightweight it is. For a 3-person tent, 4 pounds 10 ounces isn’t that bad, considering you can presumably share the load with your tent mates. Even if you’re just solo and want to stretch out, the weight is manageable enough if you’re not a full-on ultralight backpacker.
Pulling the tent out, the fly felt fairly thin to the touch, which may be a concern to those who are hard on gear. NEMO’s proprietary OSMO fabric is a 100% recycled blend of polyester and nylon, which they claim to be stronger, stretch less when wet, and repel water better than standard synthetic fabric. That’s a bold claim and sounds dangerously like marketing speak, but that’s why we test these tents, after all.
Once the setup occurred, it became clear that a ton of thought went into the design. Utilizing the DAC tent pole system, a few snaps and clicks are all that’s needed to get the poles into place. With a clip on the fly straps to go directly to the end of the tent, I was able to set the tent up in just a couple of minutes. This is especially important when setting up in poor weather when every second spared means extra time out of the weather. All the tent poles and stakes were lightweight yet rigid enough to not bend out of shape under pressure.
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Notable Features of the NEMO Dagger OSMO
As mentioned before, the big standout of this tent is the design, which seems to have made every square inch of this space liveable. With 42 square feet of internal space and another 22 square feet of vestibule area on both sides, this tent can certainly hold three people and their gear with breathing room to spare. I’m a fan of not maxing out the number of required people inside, and so if you use this tent for two people, it’s roomy and spacious enough to not be crammed but the tent still packs up small enough for only one person to carry without worry.
The rain fly gave plenty of ventilation while still keeping the interior safe from a coastal downpour in British Columbia’s coast mountains. Rain can last for days here with little reprieve, so airflow is essential. I’m happy to report that even with it raining cats and dogs, inside the tent everything was warm and dry.
The tent leaves plenty of space for air to escape while still keeping the inside dry. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
Another main feature of this tent is that it uses 100% recycled materials in the OSMO fabric, so you can sleep well knowing that you’re doing your part to not add more plastic crap to our world. NEMO also makes this tent without the PFAS “forever” chemicals which do not break down, so the water repellency of the OSMO fabric is even more worthy of remark in that respect.
Drawbacks of the NEMO Dagger OSMO
Being a lightweight tent, the fabric isn’t very thick. While they claim that it’s stronger than others, it’s also of concern if you are someone who is traditionally hard on their gear. Although that said, I set the tent up in a number of spots with rocky terrain, and, three months later, the floor is still intact. But for people camping in areas of sharp rocks, it might be a good idea to bring a thicker footprint to lay underneath.
Another reality of this tent is that it is expensive. Despite not being a traditional “ultralight” tent, it still carries the hefty price tag of something that weighs far less (for example, the Zpacks Duplex, which weighs less than a pound). But, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and if you have the money to invest, this tent will last a very long time, should you take care of it.
Although thin, the rainfly held water back even in a downpour with no leaks. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
Final Thoughts
The NEMO Dagger OSMO 3P tent can be considered a premium tent for the fact that it uses a proprietary fabric made from recycled materials, and is lightweight enough to take backpacking, but also roomy enough to bring extra comforts if you have a car. We did this by packing two larger foam mats (the Exped Megamat 10 and Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe) and they fit inside perfectly. But if you’re out on the trail and need a reliable shelter, this tent sets up quickly and provides enough space to wait out the storm, while also having ample vestibule space to cook and store your gear.
Airflow kept condensation at bay, yet the fly kept the rain out with no worries. When the sun was shining the all-mesh upper dome gave a supreme view of the night sky.
A few quick snaps and the tent is secure to the ground. The setup is literally done in minutes. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
All in all, this tent is worth the extra price tag, if you can afford it. NEMO has some top-quality designers on their team and paired with premium lightweight materials, you have a winning combo for a tent that you’ll get to know and love as a prime place to sleep and stay out of the elements.
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Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the rest of our top picks in our guide to the Best Backpacking Tents. For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.
