Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p
$430, 2 lbs. 1 oz./948g
backcountry.com
Sleeping in this ultralight tent while backpacking a section of the Arizona Trail along the Gila River in the first days of April, I had a chance to not only test its performance, but also to consider the unique little niche it fills. If you’re seeking the lightest and most packable shelter that possesses all the ease of use, protection, and convenience of traditional double-wall tents as well as a degree of livability that will suit many backpackers, the Hornet Osmo 2p offers much to like.
We had moderate wind at times, lows in the 30s and 40s, and no precipitation on that Arizona Trail hike. While I intend to use the Hornet Osmo 2p more to augment this review, I think what most distinguishes it from its closest competitors is less about weather—tents with this structural design in this weight class will deliver enough protection for most backpackers—and more about details that are easily overlooked but play a noticeable role in how much you’ll like a tent.
Nemo’s Hornet Osmo 2p belongs to a small club of semi-freestanding, two-person, two-door, double-wall tents weighing precisely or barely over two pounds/907 grams. These tents share similar designs on a macro scale but differ mostly at the micro level, in details that impact the user experience in almost every aspect from setup to interior and vestibule space.
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One major difference arises in materials. The Hornet Osmo tents employ Nemo’s proprietary Osmo fabric, which uses a combination of 100 percent recycled nylon and polyester yarns. Nemo says the nylon fibers provide 20 percent more strength than standard nylon (presumably nylon of similar weight) while the polyester fibers resist stretching when wet by a factor of three and the fabric’s water resistance has increased by a factor of four. Plus, Osmo achieves water repellency with a finish that’s free of PFC/PFAS chemicals and meets flammability requirements without chemical additives. I’ve seen no concerns about durability so far.
As with all tents using this basic design, set-up is a snap. Color-coded DAC Featherlite NSL poles that join at a single hubbed intersection feature a center ridgeline that forks to two corners—a common pole structure that trims weight but requires staking, which makes it “semi-freestanding.” The short Flybar bridge pole crosses over the main ridge pole to pull the walls outward, creating nice headroom—a feature common in backpacking tents but the Flybar’s flexible design makes it easier during setup than some others and distributes tension evenly. Clips and grommets attach the interior tent body to the poles and the Hornet requires just six stakes.
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Unique guy-outs on the canopy exterior walls clip to the rainfly to pull the walls outward, keeping them from sagging inward to brush your head or against your bag. Triangulated corner guy-outs pull the lower tent walls outward to minimize contact between any condensation on the walls and sleeping bags. But I found the excellent ventilation enabled by the all-mesh interior canopy walls and the two opposing doors eliminated condensation even in overnight temps just above freezing. The doors,reasonably large for a tent in this weight class, enable easy entry and egress.
Comparing the Hornet Osmo 2p’s dimensions with two similar competitors in its weight class that I’ve reviewed, the MSR Freelite 2 and the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Solution Dye: The Hornet’s 27.5 square feet/2.6 square meters of floor area offer slightly less space than those other two; the peak height of 39 inches/98cm is identical; and the floor dimensions of 85×51 inches/215x130cm, with the floor tapering to 43 inches/108cm wide at the foot end, compares with the Tiger Wall but the Freelite does not taper.
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From a user perspective, that’s a snug backcountry abode best suited to people who don’t mind occasionally bumping one another. This is a typical tradeoff for a double-wall tent with such a low weight and high space-to-weight ratio. With this or any tent of similar dimensions, some people might want to consider whether they will occupy it primarily just during sleeping hours or often spend considerable waking hours inside, due to temperatures and weather.
The two vestibules, each 7.1 sq. ft./0.7 sq. meters, are slightly smaller than the other two tents but provide adequate storage space for a mid-size backpack and boots.
The packed size of 12.5×7.5×3.5 inches/32x19x8.5cm makes it more packable than comparable tents that have only slightly more living space. But its packed length is most unique: While I normally load tent poles separately into my pack—standing them up in one back corner to accommodate their length—the Hornet’s tent poles are so compact that I could leave them inside the divvy cube stuff sack with all the tent components and easily lay it horizontally into the bottom of my pack.
All new Nemo tents come with a 100% recycled fabric pole bag (instead of wasteful, single-use poly bags).
Other models in this series are the Hornet Osmo 1p ($400, 1 lb. 13 oz./822g) and Hornet Osmo 3p (2 lbs. 13 oz./1.28kg)—both also among the lightest in their categories—and the even-lighter Hornet Elite Osmo 2p ($650, 1 lb. 11 oz./779g) and Hornet Elite Osmo 1p ($550, 1 lb. 7 oz./657g).
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Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p
The Verdict
While it may not be the right tent for two bigger people, the Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p represents one of the lightest and most packable two-person, double-wall, semi-freestanding tents, with ease of use, protection, and livability that will appeal to many lightweight and ultralight backpackers.
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You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p at backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, or nemoequipment.com, or any Hornet Osmo tent model at backcountry.com, moosejaw.com, or nemoequipment.com, or any Hornet Elite Osmo tent model at nemoequipment.com
See “The 10 Best Backpacking Tents” and all reviews of backpacking tents, ultralight backpacking tents, backpacking gear, and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside. See also “5 Tips For Buying a Backpacking Tent” and “How to Choose the Best Ultralight Tent for You.” (Both of those stories require a paid subscription to The Big Outside to read in full, which costs as little as $7, or under $5 per month for an entire year.)
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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “How to Plan a Backpacking Trip—12 Expert Tips,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”
NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See The Big Outside’s Gear Reviews page for categorized menus of all gear reviews and expert buying tips.
—Michael Lanza