Inside NEMO’s Super Versatile Dagger OSMO 2P Hiking Tent

NEMO’s tents are what happens when a company throws out the rule book and rethinks every aspect of their design. Tim’s got the lowdown on what makes the Dagger OSMO 2P such a good backpacking tent.

I remember my first time in a Dagger two-person tent. It was 2018 and I was hiking the Light to Light walk on the NSW South Coast and I’d never used a tent like it. Light pockets, a unique ball-and-socket style pole system for the corners, and heaps of headroom are the memories that flooded back when I had the chance to try today’s version.

As it turns out, NEMO has doubled down on their design philosophy since then, bringing a tent that’s admirably light and tough, while also being more roomy, and even sustainable.

Let me break down exactly why the Dagger OSMO 2P should be on your radar.

A team kayak campout was the perfect chance to check out a few tents

First up, what the heck is OSMO?

OSMO doesn’t stand for anything, it’s just a name in all caps like NEMO. OSMO refers to NEMO’s poly-nylon composite fabric, first released in 2021, which changed the game for lightweight hiking tents.

Unlike many competitors, OSMO fabric is officially bluesign® APPROVED (everything is in all caps these days hey?). This means that it’s passed a third-party assessment to prove that it was made with less environmental impact, with responsible resource use, safe chemical management, and safe working conditions.

OSMO ripstop fabric manages to do this while being 100% recycled, PFAS-free, with 3x less stretch when wet and 5x (!) longer-lasting water repellency than similar fabrics. It’s even 20% stronger and and resists hydrolysis (a process that breaks down polyurethane in tent fabrics) better than its competitors.

Few tents are made from sustainable materials, the Dagger OSMO 2P is one of them

The material is also solution dyed, a process that dyes the yarn, rather than the fabric. It saves energy and water while retaining colour better than traditional methods.

What’s the catch? So far, no one’s found one. While you do pay a premium price for a NEMO OSMO tent, the high performance and sustainability make it totally justified.

Heaps of Liveable Space

Tents are famous for pushing the limit of what ‘two-person’ really means, but the updated Dagger OSMO 2P pushes back against that. The door is a full 10cm taller, making it way easier to get in, and the height increase flows through to the vestibule, which makes it easier to use the space for storage, or even cooking. 

This was achieved with a rethink of the pole design – the Volumizing Stash™ strut that runs from the tent’s main ridge weighs the same as before, but new angles increase liveability.

Struttin’ its stuff

NEMO rates the tent as the ‘category leader in usable space’ and it’s safe to say that this is pretty accurate. At 127cm wide, with zero taper, the Dagger OSMO 2P can fit two ‘wide’ sleeping mats side by side. Add in the trapezoidal vestibules that stick 71cm out from the tent, and the 224cm interior length, and even large Explorers shouldn’t feel cramped.

While this is comfy for multi-day hikes, the extra space makes the Dagger OSMO 2P comfortable enough for car camping and road trips, which is pretty important if you have a small car, or are only planning on buying one tent.

For one person, it’s a palace

Features, Features, Features!

This part’s not for the weight weenies, they can sleep in a dyneema sack with no pockets, we won’t judge. But if your idea of camping is a little more comfortable, the Dagger OSMO 2P delivers in spades. 

In particular, I loved the Landing Zone waterproof storage tub which clips into the vestibule. In a place like Australia where the rain comes quick and heavy, being able to keep your shoes and pack protected from water that runs under the vestibule is a must. It can clip into either vestibule, but it’s worth noting that it only comes with one.

The Divvy Cube was great for sharing though. Effectively it’s a stuff stack that understands that carrying the weight of a two person tent is generally done by… two people, and allows you to easily split the tent up.

Even the pole bag is made from plastic bottles

When you’re setting it up, the Axial corner anchors can be clipped in and tightened with one hand, which avoids some of the fuss that other tents make you go through.

There’s also the one-handed Gatekeeper door clips which are so easy to use that they encourage you to lift that door up and take in the view, and the Nightlight pockets I fell in love with years ago, that turn any headlamp into a diffused, warm light.

Corners clip in easily, if they don’t, you’ve set it up wrong

But wait, what about the weight?

You’d be forgiven for thinking that I was preparing you before I drop some heinous weight total, but you’d be wrong. The freestanding design can be run with a few pegs for the vestibules at a minimum weight of 1.51kg, or 1.78kg if you bring all the guy cords, stakes, and the Landing Zone.

This low total is partly thanks to the DIAPOLE anodised aluminium poles, which minimise weight while retaining strength. It’s worth noting though, it doesn’t pack up that small, which is kind of a given when you’re adding usable space, but at 51cm long you may want to split it up if you’re packing it solo.

The poles are light without being concerningly thin

Wind Resistant From Any Direction

I can’t figure out why NEMO doesn’t highlight this themselves, but the design of the Dagger OSMO 2P is perfect for 360 degree wind resistance. While some tent designs require you to face one end ‘into the wind’, the Dagger’s octagonal shape works no matter which direction you face it. 

This means that you can put your head in the right place on a slope, or choose to face the door to a view, and it’ll also be just as strong when the wind inevitably changes direction.

Side on, just as aero

The OSMO Ripstop fabric on the fly has a waterhead of 1500mm, which is pretty standard, and water rolls off the taught material with ease. The floor fabric is only 2000mm, which is on the low end in the hiking world, but saves weight. NEMO does sell a tough 75D footprint specifically for the Dagger OSMO 2P, so you can choose to bring it for wet or rocky conditions.

Have a Stab!

Nah, I don’t know why it’s called the Dagger either, to me it’s more of a pocket knife. Whether it’s a lightweight solo mission or car camping with your partner, the Dagger OSMO 2P manages to ride the line particularly well. It’s durable and sustainable, without sacrificing comfort or ease of use. If you’re after a two-person hiking tent, it should definitely be on your radar.

Photos by @jackjbrookes

Yum – more moments like this please