NEMO’s OSMO Fabric: Learn to Love the Rain and Save the Planet

James digs into what makes NEMO’s new OSMO tent fabric such a game changer. Tent lore will never be the same.

Have you ever actually wanted it to rain when you’re heading out on an adventure?

Normally I’m checking the long term forecast for weeks beforehand, then counting down the days, crossing all my fingers and toes that the clouds stay clear when I have something planned.

That changed recently, when I got a new NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P tent to play with.

A tent that makes me excited for rain? That’s kinda weird, and it’s funny really. Shelters and tents have always been about exactly not that – somewhere to run to when the rain comes. A backup for poor weather, not a reason to get excited.

Damn, is that blue sky?

A Brief History of Human Shelters

In the scheme of mankind, tents are an incredibly new invention, really.

First there were overhangs and caves – nature’s Airbnbs, you could say – where people cooked and lived to stay out of the wind and rain. But they were limited, fundamentally by their immovability. (This might not seem relevant, but stay with me.)

While humans created bricks and primitive buildings, we’ve always felt the pull back to the wild, and we’ve always been dreaming up the best way to take our shelter with us wherever we want to go. 

There were tents made from hair and animal fat, but then the ancient Egyptians came along and introduced an element of class with the use of linen and woven mats. Meanwhile the nordic tribes of Asia set up yurts without knowing they’d start trending on Instagram hundreds of years later.

In the 19th century canvas came along and campers went wild with the stuff. It was on rucksacks and in shorts, shirts, and tents. Some of the best adventurers were weighed down by this stuff carrying out the most rugged of adventures and paving the way for us next generation.

A 10th century peasant’s mind would explode if you showed him this pole structure

From there, technology increased exponentially with nylon and polyester and acrylic and polyurethane and silicone treatments. Lightweight tents became a thing, and all manner of different designs and structures started popping up (yes, pop up tents were introduced too).

It seemed like everything had been done, that tent technology was finally beginning to settle down into the same pattern that kept on working. It felt like progress had stagnated, that maybe we’d reached the end of tent evolution.

Well, I’d like to introduce the next evolution of tent technology, NEMO’s new OSMO fabric: not your grandpa’s tent fabric.

Who’s NEMO?

NEMO is a New Hampshire-based outdoor gear company founded in 2002. They specialise in tents and sleeping set-ups to make setting up camp a dream. 

The NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P tent

And what’s OSMO?

OSMO is NEMO’s new fabric released in 2021 and that same year it was named one of the Top 100 Greatest Innovations by Popular Science. It doesn’t take long to realise why. OSMO is the first poly-nylon composite tent fabric on the market.

It’s made from recycled polyester and nylon yarns and backed with a polyurethane coating for waterproofness. NEMO says the new nylon-polyester blend offers the best of both fabrics in terms of durability, weight, stretch, and water repellency.

Unmatched Water Repellency

OSMO is four times more water repellent than traditional tent materials on the market. Yep – that’s compared to other tents you can buy at the shops, not those animal skin teepees I was talking about earlier.

OSMO ensures that rain beads and rolls off effortlessly, keeping the interior completely dry. I can’t help but imagine the thrill of lying comfortably inside my tent, listening to the rain tap-dance on the rainfly. It’s one of the main reasons I want it to rain now, just to test out the OSMO – is it really THAT waterproof?

Less Stretch, More Stability

You know those mornings when you wake up and it’s rained all night, your tent is soaked and has started stretching and sagging so it looks like the fly is a touch too big for the inner? Well not with OSMO. It’s three times less stretchy when wet compared to normal tent fabrics.

It helps your tent retain its tautness and structural integrity even in the wettest conditions, preventing water pooling, increasing water shedding and wind resistance. This means no more awkward re-tensioning of guylines in the middle of a storm – game changer.

OSMO fabric stretches and sags less than other tent materials

Tear Resistance

The last possible thing you want to happen to your shelter is for it to break. We all know that, and NEMO does too, because OSMO is 20% more tear resistant than your average tent. This added durability not only enhances the longevity of your tent but also provides an extra layer of confidence so you can sleep peacefully at night.

Good for the Planet

And while we’re talking about sleeping at night, I can only do that when I know I’ve done my absolute best to minimise the impact my actions have on the planet.

I love our wild places, and I want to protect them and keep them as they are. One of the best ways we can do that is by reusing things humans have already consumed, and not hacking up new resources. 

Thankfully, OSMO’s fully recycled. The nylon and polyester blend also means OSMO is free from traditional (and potentially harmful) chemical waterproofing coatings like Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) or Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS), which can be bad for your health and for the planet. 

The tent bag is also 100% recycled as part of NEMO’s 100K Polybag Elimination Challenge – so-called because the bag will save NEMO 100,000 polybags over the first two years of the initiative.

Recycled materials in the tent bag, because we can and we should

Other Features Apart From OSMO

While my NEMO Dagger 2P Tent is made of OSMO – and that’s a key feature – there’s also a tonne of other features packed into the tent. 

The Divvy Cube rectangular stuff sack is easier to fit into a pack and allows you to split the load with a partner. 

The Landing Zone tub provides a waterproof and protected space within the vestibule for those things you want to store safely at night – and if you’re going super lightweight, just unclip it! 

The Nightlight Pocket headlamp diffuser turns any head torch into a tent lamp while the Gatekeeper door clips make holding the doors back a cinch (I normally can’t be stuffed to roll up my tent door, but now it’s so easy, I do it all the time).

Gatekeeper door clips – so simple that I actually use them

OSMO has only been around for two years, but it’s already taking the world by storm (ooh storm? Let me grab my tent and head out!). 

Is it the last iteration of tent technology? Who knows, gear designers are continually blowing my mind with the stuff they can create. OSMO is a prime example.

Now when I see a sea of blue on the BOM radar I grab my tent and head out, because OSMO’s credentials have laid down a challenge that I can’t help but try out. So far it’s passed with flying colours.

And as I pitch my tent for the night and the rain starts to fall, I can’t help but think a caveman would absolutely lose it if he knew just how good I have it.

The tent models in the Osmo family include the NEMO Dagger Lightweight Backpacking Tent, the Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent, and the Dragonfly Ultralight Backpacking Tent, all of which are available now at your local NEMO stockist.