Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p Review ✔️In Heat, Rain, Hail & Snow!

I’ve had countless tents over the years but have never put too much thought into which one I was getting… Until now.

After spending way too many hours researching, comparing and deliberating, I finally landed on the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3-person tent. I’ve been using it all summer now and can confidently say I made the right choice!

In this review, I will go through all the technical specifications, features, pros and cons of the Nemo Dagger Osmo to help you decide if it’s right for you.

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Quick Summary – My Experience with the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p

When looking for the perfect tent, I wanted it to be super versatile. I needed a tent that was light enough and packed down small for backpacking, but also one that had plenty of room for comfortable car camping. Durability was also super important to me as I want this tent to last as long as possible.

After using the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p for an entire summer in all types of conditions (heat, hail, lightning, heavy rain and snow) with my partner, I can confidently say that this tent checks all my boxes and more.

The one thing that I had to compromise on with this tent was the price. This is not exactly a budget-friendly tent but I see it as more of an investment. In this instance, I was looking for high quality and durability which should ensure my tent pays for itself in a few years!

1. Features

The Nemo Dagger Osmo is packed with features, some of which I am honestly still discovering. Here is a quick list of the main ones and what I think about them.

• Two doors & vestibules
  I wanted a lot of space for both comfort and storage in this tent. Plus I knew I would be sharing it with my partner who likes to get up in the middle of the night, so having two doors was very important to us (and this has turned out to be a huge upgrade). On the other hand, while the vestibules have a lot of floor space in theory, in heavy rain and snow I found that the water creeps up under the fly and only a small patch of ground actually remained dry in the vestibules. In those conditions, I think this would happen with any 3-season tent but it’s something to consider if you want to rely on storing your bags outside.

• Landing Zone™
  The “Landing Zone” is a small triangle piece of fabric that attaches inside one of your vestibules to act as a bucket floor. I have used the landing zone on all of my camping trips but honestly, it hasn’t been very effective at keeping my things dry and clean. The material is super thin which means if the ground is already wet, the water can easily transfer up through the landing zone. The bucket shape also doesn’t work as well as you would imagine since it attaches to the fly door which means it only stays upright as long as your tent is pegged in exactly the right spot.

• Pole structure
  When comparing many different tents on the market, the pole design was a feature that I carefully considered. I specifically wanted a pole structure that gave near vertical walls for increased interior space on both sides. The Nemo Dagger Osmo poles do just that with their unique design, and since it is mirrored on both ends, you can comfortably sit up facing each other. The poles all come preconnected and pre-bend in specific spots so all you have to do is put them together and clip into the tent feet. It’s super simple and hard to mess up which is great!

• Jake’s Feet
  No this isn’t a person. Jake’s Feet is the unique Nemo design for attaching the tent poles to the base. It essentially looks like a ball and socket joint which is easy to attach yet secure and stable. I’ve only ever used the regular pin and stake type attachment so this type of technology does feel premium to me. I can also say that it was super easy to snap together and felt much more sturdy than normal. The big pro about these for me is that it makes setting up the tent alone WAY easier! I’m a fan.

• Storage
  There are four internal pockets (one at each corner) and a light pocket on either end. We have found this to be more than enough when combined with the roomy vestibules and extra internal dimensions. There are also hooks on the ceiling of the tent which can be used to attach a canopy shelf (bought separately). We don’t feel it’s necessary as we don’t camp with a lot of things, plus we prefer to have the headroom.

• Light diffusing pockets
  This one honestly feels a little bit like a marketing gimmick. We still use it as it is in a good location to store our headlamp, and it does seem to diffuse the light a little so we’re not blinded, but I wouldn’t say it’s a tent necessity.

• Ventilation
  There is one vent attached to either door which can be opened or closed depending on conditions, allowing for airflow even in the rain. I read some reviews that this is not sufficient but even when the perimeter of our tent was buried in snow, we still found there to be more than enough airflow thanks to the mesh body of the tent.

• Stuff sack
  As I mentioned earlier, being about to take this tent backpacking was an important consideration for me. So I was super happy to try out the stuff sack. Basically, you can remove the poles and pack the tent down to half its size if you want to split the load with a friend. We’ve carried it both ways so far and even with it all in one, the packability is great. You do need to make sure to fold the tent correctly in order to fit it all back in, but you won’t be fighting for your life!

• Lifetime warranty
  I haven’t had to use the warranty yet (hopefully I never will), but it always gives me some reassurance to know that the gear I buy can be replaced. I have read reviews of people having no issues with parts that needed replacing under the warranty but I feel it’s also important to point out that the warranty only covers “defects in workmanship and materials” for the original owner with a receipt.

• 3 season suitability
  After using the Nemo Dagger in everything from -7°C (19°F) and snowing to 30°C (86°F) sun, I can confirm that this is a true 3 season tent. Going into our snowy camping trip I was a little worried it would be too cold considering half the body is made of mesh, but I was pleasantly surprised by how effective it was. We weren’t cold in the slightest.

2. Technical Specifications of the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p

As I mentioned earlier, the feature that really drew me to this tent was its weight-to-space ratio. At just 2.1 kg you get a lot of interior space for two people which is just what I was looking for.

Weight

• Packed Weight: 2.1 kg / 4 lb 10 oz
• Minimum Weight: 1.75 kg / 3 lb 14 oz

While it isn’t the absolute lightest tent on the market, I feel 2.1kg is still fairly reasonable on a short backpacking trip, even for one person to carry. So if you split it with a friend you get a super light tent while still sleeping like royalty!

Size

Packed Size: 50 x 16 x 9 cm / 19.5 x 6.5 x 3.5 in

Internal Dimensions:

• Floor Dimensions: 229 x 178 cm / 90 x 70 in
• Vestibule Area: 1.1 sq m + 1.1 sq m / 11.4 sq ft + 11.4 sq ft
• Peak Height: 106 cm / 42 in

My partner is 183cm / 6’ tall so finding a tent that was long enough for him to stretch out was something else that I studied closely. We also both have extra wide sleeping pads which are 76cm / 30” wide.

Knowing we wanted the tent to be roomy is what led me to pick the three-person version over the Nemo Dagger Osmo 2p. With the 3p version, we got a lot more space for just a 24g difference in weight.

In the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p tent my partner can not only comfortably lie down fully stretched out, but we can also store a large backpack at our feet inside the tent. Plus, thanks to the symmetrical design we can both sit up inside facing each other without having to bend over.

Waterproofing

Both the rainfly and the tent floor have 2000 mm waterproofing. In theory, this means that the tent can withstand up to 2000mm of water at one time before it starts to come through. For most people, that’s more than enough.

The very first night we slept in our new tent it poured. And I mean really poured, at the same time as the most insane lightning storm I have ever seen passed overhead complete with horrendous winds.

While it was a sleepless night and we woke up to a literal moat surrounding our tent (and creeping underneath), remarkably, the entire thing stayed dry.

Nemo claims that the propriety fabric used in the Dagger Osmo has 4x better water repellency than other similar fabrics. While I don’t know how true that is, I can tell you that I was super impressed that not even a drop of water managed to seep up through the floor considering we weren’t using a ground sheet.

3. Materials

Tent Body

The body of the tent is made with a combination of Nylon Ripstop and No-see-um mesh. While I haven’t had a chance to try sleeping without the fly yet, the thin black mesh is supposed to be almost invisible at night so you can have an uninterrupted view of the stars.

In the time I’ve used it (and the wild winds), it seems more than sturdy enough. While the material might feel quite thin if you’re used to more heavy-duty, budget tents, in my experience this is not going to be an issue.

Rainfly & Floor

Both the fly and floor are made from OSMO™ Ripstop (2000 mm) which is one of Nemo’s proprietary materials designed for performance.

According to their marketing, the fabric has “4x better water repellency and 3x less stretch when wet” than similar materials on the market. During the rain, hail and wind, I noticed that the tent barely saged at all, even with just 4 guy ropes holding it in place.

Once covered in heavy wet snow there was some noticeable sagging of the fly which resulted in the fly touching the tent mesh in one particular spot. There’s a chance that if we had arranged our guy ropes better this may have been avoided but thankfully, despite the materials touching it only let in a few drops over the course of a night and wasn’t a real issue.

I also appreciate that fabrics are made from recycled yarns while being PFAS-free (nasty chemicals) and approved by bluesign®. I always try to buy environmentally friendly gear where possible but I will admit it’s not usually the first qualifying factor on my list.

Poles

The tent poles are made from anodized aluminum which makes them lightweight, flexible and durable which is a big plus.

Before buying the tent I read some reviews of people snapping poles in the first use which made me a little nervous to commit to the purchase. But I also read that in most cases where this happened, Nemo replaced the poles and said they must have been faulty.

In my experience, the poles are great! They really got tested in the wind and snow that we experienced on a few of our camping trips this year and have yet to see any signs of wear and tear. The slight flexibility of the poles also allows the tent to move around with extreme winds instead of trying to fight the force which could result in breakage.

4. Durability

Overall, I have been really impressed with how the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p tent has stood the test of the weather. I guess it’s left to be seen how it will stand the test of time!

Our tent has endured gale-force winds, extreme rain, and wet, heavy snow in the 6 months that we’ve owned it. All of these challenges it passed with flying colours.

The only thing I am a little concerned with is that the floor seems a little thin. To be fair, I have not seen any reasons so far to indicate that this is a problem and it may be because I am used to cheap, heavy-duty tents. Most of the terrain that we’ve camped on has been packed dirt so I can’t attest to sleeping on sharp rocks just yet, but I do think I will be investing in the tent’s footprint to protect it a little bit more.

5. Usability of the Dagger Osmo 3p Tent

Setup

Setting up the tent is also a breeze, even if you have to do it alone! Everything is colour-coded so you can easily see which straps and poles attach where. The only thing you really need to use your brain for is to make sure that the fly is the correct way out.

For solo campers, the unique clip-in design of the pole feet really makes a monumental difference when setting up the tent solo. The secure way the poles clip in prevents the poles from coming detached as you run to the other side to wrangle the opposite end into place.

Interior Space

The space inside is everything we wanted and more. The walls are not quite verticle but the way the tent stands much more upright than a traditional design really does give you much more usable space inside. At 76cm / 30” wide, our sleeping mats are extra wide for added comfort and even with two placed side by side, we still have extra room at the sides and feet.

That being said, while I am sure you could squeeze three adults in there if needed, as with all other tents, this 3 person tent is really only designed comfortably for 2 (and maybe a dog).

Doors

Having two external doors is a game changer in both storage and comfort when sharing the tent with another. We change how we want to use the double doors depending on the type of trip. Sometimes we use both doors for access and other times we designate one vestibule for storage and the other is used as a main door.
The only thing that I don’t like about the doors is the zip design. For a tent with such a large amount of interior space, it seems like the doors could have been designed a bit better. The zips work fine and I can unzip it with one hand, however, the shape of the door itself can make getting in and out slightly awkward for taller people.

Packability

I touched on this briefly throughout the article already but the packability of this tent is great if you are happy to split the poles from the tent body.

The included stuff sack allows you to really cinch down the body to a fraction of its regular size however this means you need to be extra careful not to lose your poles. I would love it if the pole lengths were a little shorter so that you could easily transport it all together in your backpack but I understand that this is a trade-off for such a roomy tent.

6. Value for Money – Is it worth it?

Short answer; Yes!

While I strongly believe that you don’t need to have the best equipment to get outdoors, if it is something that you want to commit to doing for a long time, I absolutely believe in quality over quantity.

The Nemo Dagger Osmo 3P tent retails for $599.96 USD which I feel is a pretty good price for this type of tent when compared to others on the market. When you consider that a “budget” tent still costs at least $150 and is likely to break after a few years of use, I feel paying a bit more for a tent that should last a lifetime makes it more than worth the price.

If you feel that the price is still a little too high for your budget, make sure to keep an eye out because I’ve seen this tent go on sale at least 3-4 times a year (including in summer)!

7. Pros & Cons of the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p

8. Alternative Options

When it comes to big purchases, I am 100% an overthinker. I compared practically every single backpacking tent on the market before deciding to purchase the Nemo Dagger Osmo (I even have spreadsheets).

So if you’re the same, I thought I would help you out by listing some of the shortlisted tents that I considered and why I ultimately went with the Dagger Osmo.

• Other Nemo Backpacking Tents
  I looked at the Mayfly Osmo, Dragonfly Osmo and Hornet Osmo, all of which are lighter than the Nemo Dagger, but ultimately, I didn’t like the asymmetrical pole design as it severely reduced the interior space.

• MSR Hubba Hubba 3
  This was a close second when it came down to picking the perfect tent for me. Besides the fact that the 3-person version was out of stock when I was ready to buy a new tent, I also thought that there was nothing to justify the extra cost (around $130 more than the Nemo Dagger Osmo). To top it all off, the new colour of the tent is hideous!

• Copper Spur HV UL3 Tent
  Recently replaced by the Copper Spur UL3 Tent, this tent was the same price as the Nemo Dagger and a bit lighter. I also liked the ability to use trekking poles to create a covered opening. However, in addition to the pole structure being more like a traditional cross shape (less internal space), I was concerned because the material of the tent seems to be quite a lot thinner. Not only does this make me worried about the tent’s durability but also, as my partner is a light sleeper I was worried the additional light would only add to the problem.

9. Who’s the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p Best For?

The Nemo Dagger Osmo 3P tent is best for someone looking to invest in a versatile tent that is light enough for backpacking but comfortable enough for extended car camping trips.

I also think that the Nemo Dagger is only really suitable for sleeping 1-2 people, despite being rated as a 3-person tent.

If you are looking for the lightest tent or the biggest tent, this may not be the one for you. However, what I love about this tent is that it has a great balance of the two.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p Tent

I hope my detailed review of the Nemo Dagger Osmo 3p tent has helped you decide if it’s right for you! Reading posts like this really helped me make up my own mind when choosing the best tent to buy and I wanted to pass that along to my readers.

If you’re still undecided, make sure to check for sales frequently as it often gets reduced in price throughout the year which could save you hundreds of dollars.

Also, check out the rest of my articles, I write lots of outdoorsy guides to help people like you get inspired to adventure further!

Happy camping,
Kate

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