NEMO Hornet OSMO 3 Assessment

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 fort 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 cloth repels water with ease, however maintains a taut pitch in soaking moist circumstances 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 clear within the tent’s high-quality building and plentiful inside pockets.

Nevertheless, the tent does have limitations. The semi-freestanding design implies that it requires cautious staking for optimum 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 value is on the upper facet, 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 conventional 2-person tent – two doorways and vestibules, a roomy inside, and helpful pockets – with out the extra weight. It’s acquired a ton of room inside – we repeatedly match two folks, a canine, and all of our gear with out feeling cramped – because of steep sidewalls and loads of headroom. The beneficiant flooring dimensions and peak top 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 delicate, even glow because of 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 straightforward to cover litter, and well-placed facet pockets provide you with devoted spots for smaller objects, from chargers to pocket knives. As an added bonus, this spacious shelter prices across the similar sum of money as lots of the main 2-person backpacking tents.

The Hornet OSMO 3 does have some drawbacks, although. Tall customers over 6’3” would possibly discover the slanted facet partitions, peak top – just below three and a half toes – and tapered flooring restrictive and fewer comfy. 

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 wish to stability  weight and area. 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 might be compressed even additional utilizing NEMO’s progressive Divvy stuff sack. These things sack means that you can effectively divide the tent’s parts 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 3 people or staying organized whereas solo. The simple-to-stow design enhances general packability and value within the backcountry.

Nevertheless, whereas the Hornet 3 is gentle, it’s not the lightest possibility obtainable in comparison with different semi-freestanding fashions we’ve examined. In case your high precedence is ultralight and shaving ounces, chances are you’ll wish 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 because of its OSMO cloth, which dramatically improves water resistance over normal nylon and polyester rain flies – one thing we observed whereas testing. This high quality nylon mix nonetheless stretches when moist or chilly, though a lot lower than related tents, so the rainfly stays extra taut and doesn’t sag as dramatically. And we love the distinctive fastener system that makes use of twine 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 facet, the rainfly solely covers half the tent, and the inside tent has nylon that covers the realm 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 primarily makes one facet of the Hornet a single-walled tent, which might result in condensation construct up, and doesn’t assist a lot with airflow. That stated, it nonetheless works very effectively 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 as a consequence of an absence of air flow. Because it solely has two small struts positioned on the high of every door, airflow struggles when the rainfly is on. We’ve discovered the one method to catch a breeze is to open the tent doorways, which isn’t very best in moist circumstances or if 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 compelled to duck right down to see previous the flap. These are pretty small points general, however they affect 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 traces and built-in man line tensioners will allow you to obtain a steady, quick pitch with out pondering too arduous about it, so you’ll be able to calm down, eat, and get to sleep.

Regardless of its strengths, the Hornet 3’s semi-freestanding design could be a little bit of a headache on uneven or rocky floor. This is a matter with semi-freestanding tents normally: the foot space does bets on packed and flat dust to realize essentially the most stability. And, you’ll seemingly must re-tension, and even re-stake your tent in moist and windy circumstances, because the cloth 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 circumstances.

Sturdiness

The Hornet 3 proves that sturdiness can go hand in hand with light-weight design. It’s a tricky but nimble and spacious shelter for the backcountry. NEMO makes use of a 15D nylon physique and a fly made out of OSMO Ripstop cloth, a technical nylon cloth that provides the tent glorious resilience. In line with NEMO, OSMO cloth affords 4x higher water repellency and 3x much less stretch when moist in comparison with normal 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 had been noticeably sagging and wanted many extra tweaks to maintain the pitch tight. The Hornet 3 can deal with a number of seasons of normal use, making it an incredible selection for backcountry adventures.

Whereas the Hornet 3’s supplies are sturdy, the 15D nylon used within the physique continues 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 is determined by 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 right for people who wish 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 area. The OSMO cloth and 15D nylon physique supply stable safety towards the weather, making the Hornet 3 a dependable selection if you happen to’re heading into wild climate. Backpackers who usually discover themselves in moist, windy, or rugged environments will admire the tent’s potential to take care of a taut pitch and resist sagging in harsh circumstances.

Nevertheless, the Hornet 3 might not be the perfect 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 might be difficult in rocky or delicate terrain, and the skinny supplies, whereas sturdy, require cautious dealing with. Lastly, informal campers or these on a decent finances would possibly discover the value tag of the Hornet a bit out of attain.

What Different Backpacking Tents Ought to You Take into account?

MSR Freelite 2 Assessment: 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 affords much less inside area, making it a greater possibility for backpackers prioritizing lighter gear.

Huge Agnes Tiger Wall Assessment: The Huge Agnes Tiger Wall is semi-freestanding as effectively, with an analogous measurement, straightforward 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 circumstances.

SlingFin Portal 2 Assessment: The SlingFin Portal 2 matches the Hornet 3 in weight, worth, and inside area, providing a comparable expertise for backpackers. Nevertheless, it affords significantly better climate resistance, making it a superior possibility for these backpacking in powerful shoulder season circumstances.