NEMO Dagger OSMO Ultralight Backpacking Tents

Used it a few times already. It’s very light and easy to setup. No leaks!! Holds heat well for cold months. CON: It’s expensive but as always you get what you pay for.

Light weight and packable. We packed in about 2 1/2 miles each trip.

On our first trip, with our new tent, we were elk hunting at 10,000 feet. We set it up in a howling 30 MPH wind with gusts to 50. The tent stakes would not hold, so we tied it down to our backpacks. We didn’t get much sleep, but it held up through the night.

On our second outing, elk hunting at 8,600 feet, it snowed 6 inches overnight. It’s not a 4 season tent, so we had to knock the snow off (from the inside) every hour or so. Two days later it snowed another 3 inches. Once again it held up and kept us dry (but definitely not warm).

Great design, great features but too delicate to have to worry about it getting torn in the wilderness. It suffered a torn rain fly just on the first set up in the yard. I chose to choose durability over weight and went with another manufacturer.

This tent is a design marvel! When I first set it up, I was like “what is this wizardry that allows such a small package to produce such a generous and functional space?” I am a bit biased toward Nemo tents in general, mostly because my 3p Aurora has been fantastic. However, that tent is a bit heavy for a 2-person backpacking trip (over 5 pounds), so I decided to look for a more suitable product. The Dagger is not the lightest weight 2p tent on the market, nor is it the cheapest, but the minimal weight compromise and slightly more substantial price compromise were worth it for my needs. Shopping for tents is like shopping for shoes. Can you get by with just a pair of sturdy sandals for hiking in the desert? Yes. Do you want to forego close-toed shoes among cactuses and snakes? Maybe not. I personally prefer sandal hiking, but I think it’s also a totally reasonable position to want close-toed boots. Same thing with tents. Do you need ample vestibule space, two doors, and enough head room to sit comfortably in your tent? No, the basic function of a tent is to protect you from the elements, and there are many lightweight ways to do that. However, if you want to maximize comfort and functionality while minimizing the weight trade-off, the Dagger is the way to go for the following reasons:
1) Premium fabric and construction with seams sealed. No extra work on your part to prep your gear.
2) Bathtub floor will accommodate many different sleeping setups, including two 25 inch air pads (regular length) with extra space for some gear. Bonus landing zone in the vestibule for the stuff that won’t fit at your feet but needs some protection from the bare ground. I still had plenty of headroom when sitting atop my 3 inch air pad.
3) Ample strategically placed guy line attachments. This also helps improve ventilation and reduce condensation (and maximizes interior space). However, if you choose to only guy out the vestibules, I would expect that you might have issues with condensation. Note that the tent does not come with sufficient guy line to properly ventilate. Not a deal-breaker for me because I switch out my factory guy lines for MSR line anyway.
4) Plenty of built-in storage in the interior, with the option to add a gear loft (if you can find one). There is a gear loft that fits this tent, but it is only available through third parties.
5) Can be assembled with just the fly and ground cloth only (sold separately), or just the fly. You DO have to understand how to properly use and remove the Jake’s foot to do this. I appreciate this feature because it can be literally lifesaving to have shade in the desert if you are stuck somewhere. This happened to me once with my dogs and I was thankfully able to just pitch the Aurora fly to keep us in the shade until the sun moved.
6) Reliable, established gear company with a strong commitment to stewardship and sustainability. Many of the big brands offer this, but for me it makes a difference when choosing within my budget. Also, it’s a bummer to have a great piece of gear that you can’t get replacement parts for.

Reasons that this might not be the right tent for someone:

1) Setup is different from many standard freestanding tents. It’s not hard once you get the hang of it, but there are ways you could make a mistake while learning that would damage the tent. I recommend watching a few videos if you’re not comfortable with Jake’s feet. The fly is really tight from the start, so make sure to properly align before attaching.
2) Fabric is thin and slippery, and all attachment hooks are plastic. If you step on the tent wrong while setting it up, you could tear the fabric or break a key attachment piece. I do wish this tent came with a spare Jake’s foot for longer trips. I managed to put the poles all the way through the Jake’s foot accidentally several times (because I was setting it up in my living room). It seems to me like the Jake’s feet work best when the tent floor is staked out.
3) The tent does stand by itself, but functionally it seems like more of a hybrid freestanding tent. Get comfortable with guy lines and you’ll be fine.
4) It’s not Ultralightweight in the way a single-walled trekking pole tent is, but this tent is comparable to other lightweight freestanding tents. Again, sandals vs shoes.
5) The stakes it comes with are sturdy, but on the heavy side. My plan is to use mostly MSR mini groundhogs, with a few other stake types on hand just in case.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with this tent and am looking forward to many fun adventures!