NEMO Hornet OSMO 3 Overview

Backside Line

The NEMO Hornet OSMO 3 is a standout ultralight backpacking tent that’s constructed for consolation and stuffed with intelligent options. CleverHiker Founder Dave Collins used this tent on backpacking journeys within the Wallowa Mountains and the Cascades, and the Hornet 3 is a go-to for Gear Analyst Ian Krammer when backpacking within the Colorado Rockies in summer time. The Hornet 3 is a citadel within the backcountry with an enormous inside, two doorways, and huge vestibules that simply accommodate two huge sleeping pads and all of your gear. The proprietary OSMO material repels water with ease, however maintains a taut pitch in soaking moist situations to maintain you dry and comfortable contained in the tent. And, it’s comparatively gentle weight is a dream for hikers who prioritize weight financial savings with out giving up livability. NEMO’s consideration to element is obvious within the tent’s high-quality building and plentiful inside pockets.

Nonetheless, the tent does have limitations. The semi-freestanding design signifies that it requires cautious staking for max stability, particularly when the wind picks up. It’s additionally too cosy for 3 folks to sleep comfortably, making it finest for 2 with additional gear or a canine as a substitute of a trio. And, the worth is on the upper aspect, which could deter budget-conscious backpackers.

Consolation

Ultralight doesn’t need to imply sacrificing consolation. With the NEMO Hornet OSMO 3, a pair of hikers can have the conveniences of a standard 2-person tent – two doorways and vestibules, a roomy inside, and helpful pockets – with out the extra weight. It’s obtained a ton of room inside – we commonly match two folks, a canine, and all of our gear with out feeling cramped – due to steep sidewalls and loads of headroom. The beneficiant ground dimensions and peak peak simply match two huge sleeping pads, so that you’ll have loads of room to toss and switch and unfold out.

Dialed-in options like NEMO’s Nightlight Pockets disperse your headlamp gentle in a tender, even glow due to a big overhead pocket to create an excellent cozy environment contained in the tent. Plus, the tent has an enormous gear loft pocket that makes it simple to cover litter, and well-placed aspect pockets offer you devoted spots for smaller gadgets, from chargers to pocket knives. As an added bonus, this spacious shelter prices across the identical amount of cash as lots of the main 2-person backpacking tents.

The Hornet OSMO 3 does have some drawbacks, although. Tall customers over 6’3” may discover the slanted aspect partitions, peak peak – slightly below three and a half ft – and tapered ground restrictive and fewer snug. 

Weight & Packability

At solely 3 kilos, 5 ounces, the Hornet 3 is tremendous light-weight for a 3-person tent. This can be a nice selection for backpackers who need to stability  weight and house. The semi-freestanding fashion reduces the variety of pole sections, which contributes to its lighter weight, and its double-wall Nylon Ripstop building makes it extraordinarily packable. The cheap packed measurement may be compressed even additional utilizing NEMO’s progressive Divvy stuff sack. These things sack permits you to effectively divide the tent’s elements contained in the bag with a separate part for poles and stakes, fly and tent. This can be a small however superior design function that’s useful for splitting the burden of the tent between two to a few people or staying organized whereas solo. The straightforward-to-stow design enhances general packability and value within the backcountry.

Nonetheless, whereas the Hornet 3 is gentle, it’s not the lightest choice accessible in comparison with different semi-freestanding fashions we’ve examined. In case your prime precedence is ultralight and shaving ounces, you could need to hold going. Equally, the packed measurement is compact, however nonetheless bulkier than non-freestanding minimalist tents. And whereas we love the Divvy sack for packability, it does add a little bit of weight and bulk in comparison with conventional stuff sacks.

Climate Resistance

The Hornet 3 stands out due to its OSMO material, which dramatically improves water resistance over commonplace nylon and polyester rain flies – one thing we seen whereas testing. This high quality nylon mix nonetheless stretches when moist or chilly, though a lot lower than comparable tents, so the rainfly stays extra taut and doesn’t sag as dramatically. And we love the distinctive fastener system that makes use of wire locks and hooks to safe the fly to the tent and hold the rainfly held again on good days.

The Hornet 3’s rainfly is uncommon: it extends to the bottom on solely 3 sides. On the fourth aspect, the rainfly solely covers half the tent, and the inside tent has nylon that covers the world the rainfly doesn’t. On paper, this design ought to improve air flow whereas nonetheless providing water resistance. In actuality, we’ve discovered that this basically makes one aspect of the Hornet a single-walled tent, which may result in condensation construct up, and doesn’t assist a lot with airflow. That stated, it nonetheless works very properly to maintain the water out, and the Hornet 3 will hold you dry and sheltered in a downpour.

Regardless of its strengths, the Hornet 3 does face some weather-related challenges. This tent can get uncomfortable on scorching days and accumulate condensation on chilly nights resulting from a scarcity of air flow. Because it solely has two small struts positioned on the prime of every door, airflow struggles when the rainfly is on. We’ve discovered the one strategy to catch a breeze is to open the tent doorways, which isn’t splendid in moist situations or once you want privateness. And, the cord-lock toggles for the rainfly doorways are sensible, however their low placement is a bit irritating, because you’re pressured to duck right down to see previous the flap. These are pretty small points general, however they impression consolation and safety when storms roll in.

Ease of Setup

With its progressive and intuitive design, pitching the Hornet 3 is simple. The mix of color-coded poles and a easy hubbed construction permits one individual to pitch this tent in three minutes or much less. NEMO’s Gatekeeper system – a spherical ball on the finish of every pole that snaps right into a plastic holder – retains the poles in place so you’ll be able to arrange solo with out worrying about them slipping out. The one Y-shaped pole, additionally color-coded, aligns with the tent in an intuitive means for quick, easy pitching in moist climate and in low gentle. Light-weight, high-quality stakes paired with hooks, in addition to pre-attached man strains and built-in man line tensioners will allow you to obtain a steady, quick pitch with out considering too onerous about it, so you’ll be able to loosen up, eat, and get to sleep.

Regardless of its strengths, the Hornet 3’s semi-freestanding design is usually a little bit of a headache on uneven or rocky floor. This is a matter with semi-freestanding tents generally: the foot space does bets on packed and flat grime to realize essentially the most stability. And, you’ll doubtless must re-tension, and even re-stake your tent in moist and windy situations, for the reason that material tends to stretch when uncovered to moisture, making it a bit much less handy in excessive climate. That stated, we’ve solely run into these points just a few instances, and the tent is quick, easy, and intuitive to pitch in most situations.

Sturdiness

The Hornet 3 proves that sturdiness can go hand in hand with light-weight design. It’s a troublesome but nimble and spacious shelter for the backcountry. NEMO makes use of a 15D nylon physique and a fly constructed from OSMO Ripstop material, a technical nylon material that offers the tent glorious resilience. In line with NEMO, OSMO material provides 4x higher water repellency and 3x much less stretch when moist in comparison with commonplace nylon materials. Our rigorous backcountry testing backs this up: the Hornet 3 maintained a reasonably taut pitch with just one adjustment throughout a 24-hour downpour, whereas different comparable tents have been noticeably sagging and wanted many extra tweaks to maintain the pitch tight. The Hornet 3 can deal with a number of seasons of standard use, making it a terrific selection for backcountry adventures.

Whereas the Hornet 3’s supplies are sturdy, the 15D nylon used within the physique remains to be fairly skinny, which suggests it requires cautious dealing with to keep away from punctures or tears. And, the sturdiness of the tent closely depends upon constant upkeep, as neglecting to scrub, dry, or correctly retailer the tent can result in  faster degradation of the supplies.

Ought to You Purchase the NEMO Hornet OSMO 3?

The NEMO Hornet 3 is ideal for light-weight backpackers who prioritize a spacious, light-weight, easy-to-pack tent with out sacrificing important options like livability, climate resistance, and sturdiness. With its low weight, this tent is good for people who need to hold their load gentle whereas nonetheless accommodating a canine or additional gear. The pocket design is superb and the doorways are huge for a really livable house. The OSMO material and 15D nylon physique provide stable safety in opposition to the weather, making the Hornet 3 a dependable selection in the event you’re heading into wild climate. Backpackers who typically discover themselves in moist, windy, or rugged environments will respect the tent’s potential to keep up a taut pitch and resist sagging in harsh situations.

Nonetheless, the Hornet 3 is probably not one of the best match for taller or wider campers who need much more room, or backpackers who don’t thoughts a barely heavier tent with extra options. And, its semi-freestanding design may be difficult in rocky or tender terrain, and the skinny supplies, whereas sturdy, require cautious dealing with. Lastly, informal campers or these on a decent funds may discover the worth tag of the Hornet a bit out of attain.

What Different Backpacking Tents Ought to You Think about?

MSR Freelite 2 Overview: The MSR Freelite 2 shares the Hornet 3’s long-lasting high quality and semi-freestanding design, making it fast to arrange and a long-term funding. That stated, it weighs much less and provides much less inside house, making it a greater choice for backpackers prioritizing lighter gear.

Massive Agnes Tiger Wall Overview: The Massive Agnes Tiger Wall is semi-freestanding as properly, with the same measurement, simple setup, and loads of inside pockets just like the Hornet 3. The Tiger Wall stands out with a lighter weight, cheaper price, and higher efficiency in heat summer time situations.

SlingFin Portal 2 Overview: The SlingFin Portal 2 matches the Hornet 3 in weight, worth, and inside house, providing a comparable expertise for backpackers. Nonetheless, it provides a lot better climate resistance, making it a superior choice for these backpacking in robust shoulder season situations.