About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the tent, which I purchased with my own money in June of 2022.

My take

The Nemo Dagger OSMO is a solid, quality-built, lightweight tent for getting into backpacking. It offers an intuitive design that makes setting up a matter of a few minutes and offers space for any adventure.

About the tent I own

• Product Model: 2022 Nemo Dagger 2P Tent
• Size: 2 Person

About me

• Height: 6’1’’ / 184 cm
• Weight: 200 lbs / 90 kg
• Experience: 16 years of camping/backpacking and founder of Tahoe Adventurers, a non-profit that brings people outdoors.

Test conditions

• When I bought the tent: June 2022
• Days tested: 8 Days
• Number of occupants: 1–2
• Pack: 2015 Osprey Aether 70
• Sleeping pad: 2022 Nemo Quasar Regular Wide Insulated
• Sleeping bag: 2022 Nemo Disco 15F Regular
• Total pack weight: 50 lbs
• Used for: Car camping, tent camping, backpacking
• Where I’ve used it: Mt. Rose Wilderness; Chickadee Ridge; Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada; Desolation Wilderness, Lake Aloha, California
• Seasons I’ve used it in: Summer

How it performs

What I was looking for

Back in 2016, I made a trip to Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile. At that time I was in a hurry to fit in as many activities during my trip. However, I didn’t get enough time to do the famous W-Trek. Recently I started making plans to tackle it with some upgraded gear that was going to be lightweight, durable, weather resistant, and packable.

Why I chose this gear

The Nemo Dagger OSMO 2P is the perfect balance between lightweight and abundant space. When choosing Nemo, I knew I was getting a quality build, lifetime warranty, and an intentional design that makes it easy to store and set up. In order to decide, I took over a month of searching and reading hundreds of reviews between brands like MSR, Black Diamond, Big Agnes, and Nemo Dragonfly and Hornet tents. I ultimately chose the Dagger for the light weight, space, and quality that Nemo is known for.

What I love about it

• Ease of setup: This tent takes about 5–7mins to set up. The Dagger has a single, hubbed pole structure making it easy to orientate oneself and properly set up the tent. Color-coded clips and corners make setup intuitive.
• Breakdown speed: Breaking down the tent was quite easy and would take around 2–3 minutes. Nemo thought of everything, including bags for every piece of equipment. Just unclip the rain fly and the tent, then just fold up and pack away.
• Weight: The weight (3 lb 14 oz) for a 2P tent is great! What’s more, if hiking with a partner, I can divide the weight as Nemo includes a “Unique Divvy” dual-stage stuff sack.
• Performance in rain: During testing I had an unexpected evening thunderstorm approach. The Dagger performed amazingly; in fact, Nemo states that their new OSMO fabric has advanced water repellency that lasts four times longer and has three times less stretch. My hiking group saw I had no issues compared with their tents.
• Performance in wind: I bought the Dagger 2P with the wind in mind, as the winds on my future Patagonia trip can reach up to 74mph (or 120 km/h). During my testing, we experienced winds of 20–40mph, and it performed great. Just need to make sure to stake it well and check the wind direction to position the tent correctly.
• Performance in heat: Having the rain fly off when it gets warm helps reduce the heat significantly and I never felt uncomfortable. The mesh on top makes the dagger a very breathable tent.
• Performance in desert areas with no trees: I camped near some hot springs in the middle of Nevada where I had no cover and the tent performed great; the rainfly kept the sun out.
• Performance in wooded areas with lots of trees: My favorite use of the Dagger is camping in areas with lots of trees and shade. Despite the number of mosquitos in some areas, as soon as I close the two doors of the Dagger, nothing is getting in.
• Performance when camping with a partner or group: This tent is roomy enough to sleep two comfortably with extra gear inside. Plus it has two vestibules and two doors. In fact, if one needs additional space inside the Dagger, Nemo sells a “gear loft” that allows for extra storage.
• Special features: I can’t emphasize how nice it is two have two vestibules and two doors for a tent that only weighs 3lb 14oz. If I or my partner need to get up at night, I don’t worry about crawling over each other or waking each other up.
• Stability Once I stake the tent down I never worry about it flying away. Despite the wind being between 20–45 mph, the structure held with no issues.
• Durability The durability of the Dagger is great, and the OSMO fabric shows how Nemo upgraded their Dagger line. I expect to see it become the main fabric all tents coming from Nemo will feature in the future. The 30D ripstop nylon floor felt like it can withstand regular use, and Nemo also sells a separate footprint for additional protection.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Special features: The main issue I encountered was the zipper getting stuck a bit when trying to open it from the inside. I found the best way to approach this is to unzip slowly.

Favorite moment with this gear

When I took my adventure group on a backpacking trip to Mt. Rose Wilderness for a sunset view and we were setting up our tents, the ease of setup of my tent left so many people speechless. I also had members approach me to ask about the space, doors, and vestibules that it offers compared to theirs. A tent that weighs only three pounds but offers incredible comfort is something that left everyone wide-eyed.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Dagger might be a little more expensive than similar tents from other brands or those within the Nemo lineup, however, it is a tent that will be an adventure partner for many years to come. The high quality and features this tent presents make it worth every penny and more. If I ever encounter a problem, I can reach out to Nemo. Within the Nemo tent line, I would also recommend the Hornet Elite OSMO; that will be a bit smaller inside but will have the same quality fabric and light weight. Another alternative is the Hubba Hubba tent from MSR, which would be very similar in weight and interior space.

Final verdict

The Nemo Dagger 2P tent is one of the best tents I’ve ever tested and now have the pleasure of owning. I was amazed at how much space I have. Nemo has clearly put a lot of time and effort into this tent, making it incredibly intuitive, lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. It’s quite the beauty, and it will attract the eye of any hiker. I’m incredibly excited to take it out on more adventurers and, in specific, to Patagonia!