There are a lot of large tents on the market. But the NEMO Dagger Osmo 2P and 3P tents solve the universal problems with a new tent fly material that will make you want to buy this tent right now.

If you’ve ever woken up to a sagging tent fly, even though you swear you’ve tended it, it wasn’t your fault. Your fly, which is nylon, sags at night.

Most double tent roofs are made from lightweight nylon coated with polyurethane. But sinus nylon likes to absorb water, it stretches and is slow to dry.

To tackle these issues, NEMO has developed a composite tent flysheet made from a nylon and polyester weave. The two-tone fabric has a distinctive look, is extremely light and has a clean aesthetic. We received a first glance sample to put together for a camping weekend. Read on for our review of the new NEMO Osmo Dagger 2 tent.

In short: It took NEMO over 100 iterations to perfect their Osmo fabric, and in our testing it’s pretty awesome. Not only did it let in more light than a solid green tent fabric, it also stayed tight and dried quickly. NEMO has made tremendous improvements in waterproofing and stretching, and it hasn’t made any compromises on tensile or tear strength.

As well as adding a great history of durability, this is a big factor in the tent weighing 11 ounces less than the current Dagger 2 but still just as tough.

Review of the NEMO Osmo Dagger 2 tent

When you first set up the tent, you will notice the two-tone strands. The green strands are nylon and the white strands are polyester. This is the wünder material developed by NEMO, what he calls “Osmo”.

Not only is it not stretchy, it also dries faster and is more water repellent. Best of all, Osmo is also 100% recycled and, according to Gabi Rosenbrien, NEMO Product Development Manager, sets a new standard for sustainability. And for those wondering, this fabric meets legislative requirements to be flame retardant without the standard toxic chemicals.

Rosenbrien said it was the first tent without DWR C6, the chemical treatment that promotes beading and rolling of water that has recently been targeted as a bioaccumulative environmental pollutant.

The NEMO Dagger Osmo comes in a new structural rolltop tent bag that is more oval than round. It left less dead space when I stuck the tent in a backpack. It also made the tent easier to share when my partner and I shared the weight.

Plus, the bag kept its shape even when I pulled on the sticks. And these poles no longer come in individual plastic bags inside a waterproof fabric pole bag with a tie or strap. NEMO worked with its pole maker, DAC, to get rid of plastic again.

The protective pole bag supplied with all NEMO 2022 tents is now undyed, uncoated and free of excess material. It protects the posts and helps spread the story of the Little Post Bag – that NEMO and DAC are working to eliminate 100,000 plastic bags.

In production, the Dagger’s pole bag uses zero water (for dyeing), 100% recycled polyester and 1.6 recycled bottles. The end is sewn into a flap to keep the posts inside.

My experience

When I first pitched the tent, and then went in, I actually exclaimed, “Yes! When I discovered NEMO’s new one-handed Gatekeeper Clip, a toggle that keeps the fly back. No more toggle and loop. Instead, NEMO uses a claw-like clip that grips the seesaw – and it’s a one-handed affair.

The tent door opens with two separate zippers, one that opens horizontally and one that opens diagonally. By using two zippers instead of one, NEMO has built a door that is easier to open and won’t snag. The design takes the stress out of the zipper where it needs a rounded corner, which is where a lot of zipper breakouts happen.

The Landing Zone tent received another serious sniff of approval from me. It’s great to have room in the vestibule, but when I leave gear in my vestibule it inevitably becomes sandy, muddy, or wet because it’s in contact with the ground.

The Landing Zone removable bucket base provides a waterproof, clean and dry base positioned under the flysheet of the tent. It was protected enough to hold electronics, a bag or whatever I wanted outside the tent. It extended the weather protected area of ​​the tent without encroaching on my living space.

Snuggled up in my sleeping bag, I discovered another great invention from NEMO. The Dagger Osmo has a “Nightlight” light diffusing pocket. So instead of a blinding beam of light around the tent when I hung my headlamp from a clip at the top of the tent, I could slip it into a pocket. It turned my blinding white headlight beam into a more relaxing glow for the day.

Conclusion

At 3 pounds 3 ounces, the Dagger 2 single-hub tent isn’t the lightest backpacking tent. But it’s extremely livable, a tent that I would take on a hike and a tent that I would use for basic camping. It’s roomy and light, and while lighter typically means more expensive, in this case, the Osmo Dagger 2 is priced on par with the current Dagger 2 (starting at $ 430).

Unfortunately, you cannot buy yours yet. The Dagger Osmo 2 and Dagger Osmo 3 will be available in Spring 2022.