Head to head
Nemo Dagger OSMO vs Nemo Aurora
The Nemo Aurora gives each person more floor — 16.2 sq ft against 15.3, which is the difference between standard and standard. The Nemo Dagger OSMO is the lighter carry at 3 lb 5 oz, and the Nemo Aurora is the cheaper of the two at ~$300.
 Nemo Nemo Dagger OSMO |  Nemo Nemo Aurora | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Backpacking | Backpacking |
| Rated capacity | 2-person | 2-person |
| Floor area per personestimated | 15.3 sq ft (standard) | 16.2 sq ft (standard) |
| Floor area | 30.6 sq ft | 32.4 sq ft |
| Vestibule area | 24.2 sq ft | 18.4 sq ft |
| Peak height | 43 in | 44 in |
| Minimum trail weight | 3 lb 5 oz | 4 lb 11 oz |
| Packed weight | 3 lb 15 oz | 5 lb 10 oz |
| Weight per personestimated | 26.5 oz (trail weight) | 37.5 oz (trail weight) |
| Pad fitestimated | 2 × 25 in pads fit | 2 × 25 in pads fit |
| Fits sleepers up toestimated | 6ft 10in tall | 6ft 10in tall |
| Doors | 2 | 2 |
| Freestanding | freestanding | freestanding |
| Poles | aluminum | aluminum |
| Wall type | double wall | double wall |
| Season rating | 3-season | 3-season |
| Floor hydrostatic head | 2,000 mm | 2,000 mm |
| Packed size | 20 x 6.5 x 3.5 in | 21.5 x 8 x 4 in |
| Approx. price | ~$600 | ~$300 |
Nemo Dagger OSMO
The Dagger's pitch is rectangular floor plus huge vestibules: 30.6 square feet that stays 50 inches wide from head to foot instead of tapering, and 24.2 square feet of vestibule, which is more covered gear space than some tents have floor. OSMO is Nemo's recycled poly-nylon blend, and the claim that matters is that it stretches about a third as much as nylon when wet — so the fly you tensioned at dusk is still tight at 3am rather than resting on the inner. Fifty-three ounces is a real backpacking weight rather than an ultralight one, and the current pole structure added four inches of door height over the previous generation.
Best for
Two people who use wide pads and want the tent to still be tight at 3am in the rain.
Nemo Aurora
Three hundred dollars, footprint included, 32.4 square feet, a 53-inch rectangular floor and a 2000 mm floor rating — the Aurora is the value entry in this catalog and it does not feel like one from the inside. The price of that is 75 ounces, nearly five pounds, in 75D polyester that will outlast the thin stuff by years. Nemo sells it as a bundle with the footprint, which is how a $300 tent ends up cheaper than a $300 tent.
Best for
A first backpacking tent, or a loaner tent that will get treated badly and survive it.
Rows where the two differ are tinted. Specs are the makers’ own; floor area per person, weight per person and pad fit are our arithmetic on them.