NEMO Dragonfly Osmo 2 Review

With 29 square feet of floor area and a reasonable peak height of 41 inches, this tent has the dimensions to keep two people comfortable while remaining just over three pounds.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

The Dragonfly Osmo 2 isn't the roomiest tent, but it provides plenty of comfort. Its 88-inch length is pretty standard for lightweight backpacking tents, though it's a little narrow, and the taper from 50 inches at the head to 45 inches at the foot is definitely noticeable. However, the two large side doors make it easy to get a bit of extra room if you need to spread out into the vestibule area.

We also appreciate the two-tone mesh canopy. The black fades into the scenery for minimally obstructed star gazing if the weather cooperates, and the white up the sides provides a little more privacy if you need to do a quick wardrobe change and there are other people at a site.

The showstopper of this tent's comfort features is the storage pocket system. There are two massive mesh pockets — one at the foot and one overhead. We loved being able to stash bulky items like rain jackets up there to keep them accessible but out of the way. They also make great "drying racks" if you have some damp socks that need airing out. Each side has a small accessory pocket for a phone, glasses, or gloves, and there are two light pockets for a headlamp to cast overhead light at night.

Weather Resistance

This tent stands out for its exceptional fly geometry. It avoids the common problem of wind flap that we often encounter with traditional triangle vestibules. Instead of just one stake point, each vestibule has two, making it super easy to get the fly taut during set-up and ultimately preventing it from sagging and getting the gear underneath all wet. The dimensions of each vestibule are also generous, and because of their shape, they do a better job at actually covering gear instead of leaving half of it sticking out of the bottom and exposed to the elements.

The Dragonfly also uses a proprietary Osmo ripstop nylon fabric for the tent and fly. We were skeptical at first, but after testing, we did notice that the fly sagged less than other models with regular ripstop nylon. For anyone who has tried to enter or exit a tent on a rainy day and gotten soaked by a floppy fly, this is a noteworthy improvement in materials technology. The fly doors also have small built-in kickstand vents that are meant to facilitate airflow while keeping the fly mostly closed.

Weight

The Dragonfly Osmo 2 registered on our scales at just over 3 pounds. It's not the lightest model in the fleet, but considering everything else this tent offers, we would take the extra ounces in a heartbeat for a backcountry trip over a long weekend.

Dividing up the weight, with the fly and tent with one person and the poles and stakes with the other, also makes for an evenly split and super reasonable load.

Durability

This tent toes the line between delicate and durable. In any case, it is made with high-quality materials. It comes with fairly standard 8.7mm diameter DAC Featherlite poles. They offer enough durability to go the distance, and we never had any issues during testing. The Dragonfly Osmo 2 also comes with a pole sleeve for emergency repairs.

The sturdy fly geometry described above also keeps the fly from getting wind-whipped and frayed. In addition, it may seem like a small thing, but we also love the triangle-shaped stakes, which we learned can take quite a beating from a rock if you need to drive them into hard-packed earth. They never bent on us.

Ease of Set-Up

This is an easy tent to pitch. The elastic-connected pole segments click together quickly. The foot-end segments (and corresponding sockets on the tent) are also color-coded green to make it easy to get everything oriented correctly, and the same goes for the rain fly. Each of the four pole corners has a ball at its end that snaps quickly and securely into a corresponding socket, and standard clips on the tent give the whole thing its volume.

The only issue we sometimes encountered when taking down the tent is that the sockets at the corners were a little too good — we separated the ball at the end of the poles from where the pole segment is attached to (fortunately, when this happens, nothing is actually broken and it snaps right back into place, it's just a little surprising).

Packed Size

The thoughtful design of the Dragonfly even goes so far as to include the stuff sack. It has a roll-down top with a clip closure. This ensures that if you are packing up with a wet fly, it won't drip into your pack. We often choose to ditch the stuff sack completely, and we were just as happy when we did. Both the tent and fly are easily stuffable around other gear.

Our only issue with this tent in terms of packability is how challenging it is to get the whole thing back into the stuff sack for long-term storage. The dimensions of the bag are just very narrow.

Should You Buy the Nemo Dragonfly Osmo 2?

Yes. If you are in the market for a high-end, lightweight, and comfortable backpacking tent, this is the way to go. It is no doubt expensive, so if you don't think you will use it multiple times a year on multi-day trips, then there are more affordable options out there. But if you have a big trip planned and need an all-star to go the distance, this one has the storage pockets, weather resistance, and durability to round out its balance of light weight and comfort.

What Other Backpacking Tents Should You Consider?

If you like what the Dragonfly offers but need just a little more width for you and your hiking partner, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 is a very similar tent and a phenomenal option to consider. If you are willing to spend the money and want even more space, then you can't go wrong with the Sea to Summit Telos TR2 or Nemo Dagger Osmo. And if you want a more affordable backpacking tent option, the REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+ is a reliable (but very bulky) tent that will have you backcountry camping in luxury.