Ultralight~$480Nemo
Nemo Hornet OSMO
No citable rating — see why we hide some.
Thirty-three ounces, two doors, two vestibules, and the smallest packed size of any double-wall tent here — 12.5 by 7.5 inches, which fits across the top of a pack rather than down the side of it. The Hornet gets there by tapering hard: 51 inches wide at the shoulders falling to 43 at the foot, and an 85-inch floor that a six-foot sleeper fills completely. It is a two-person tent in the sense that two people fit, not in the sense that two people are comfortable, and Nemo's own numbers say so.
Floor area per person
13.8 sq ft
Tight — under 14 sq ft each — shoulders touching, gear outside
Weight per person
16.5 oz
from the trail weight of 33 oz
Peak height
39 in
Approx. price
~$480
Pads: 25.5 in of floor width each — 2 × 25 in pads fit.
Length: a 85 in floor leaves room for a sleeper up to about 6ft 7in once you allow six inches for a foot box and a pillow.
Best for
A solo hiker who wants a palace, or a pair who have already decided that weight beats elbow room.
The size run
One design, 3 capacities. The numbers at the top of this page describe the 2-Person; every size has its own figures below.
| Size | Sleeps | Floor area | Sq ft each | Vestibule | Trail weight | Packed weight | Floor L × W | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Person | 1 | 20.6 sq ft | 20.6 | 7.3 sq ft | 29 oz | 36 oz | 87 × 39 in | ~$460 |
| 2-Person | 2 | 27.7 sq ft | 13.8 | 14.2 sq ft | 33 oz | 41 oz | 85 × 51 in | ~$480 |
| 3-Person | 3 | 39.7 sq ft | 13.2 | 17.2 sq ft | 45 oz | 3 lb 5 oz | 88 × 68 in | ~$580 |
Specifications
- Type
- Ultralight
- Rated capacity
- 2-person
- Floor area per person(estimated)
- 13.8 sq ft (tight)
- Floor area
- 27.7 sq ft
- Vestibule area
- 14.2 sq ft
- Peak height
- 39 in
- Minimum trail weight
- 33 oz
- Packed weight
- 41 oz
- Weight per person(estimated)
- 16.5 oz (trail weight)
- Packed size
- 12.5 x 7.5 x 3.5 in
- Interior floor width
- 51 in
- Pad fit(estimated)
- 2 × 25 in pads fit
- Fits sleepers up to(estimated)
- 6ft 7in tall
- Doors
- 2
- Vestibules
- 2
- Freestanding
- semi-freestanding
- Poles
- aluminum
- Wall type
- double wall
- Season rating
- 3-season
- Fly fabric
- OSMO ripstop, 1200 mm
- Floor fabric
- OSMO ripstop, 1500 mm
- Floor hydrostatic head
- 1,500 mm
- Approx. price
- ~$480
Features
- 12.5 x 7.5 in packed size — the smallest double-wall pack here
- Two doors and two vestibules at 33 oz
- Single hubbed pole with a Flybar volumising clip at the peak
- OSMO recycled fly and floor
- Divvy Cube sack splits the load between two packs
- Sold in 1, 2 and 3 person; the 1-person is 20.6 sq ft at 29 oz
In its favour
- Two doors and two vestibules at a weight most one-door tents match
- Packs shorter than a Nalgene is tall, which changes how a small pack loads
- 20.6 sq ft in the 1-person is roomy for a solo tent at 29 oz
- Semi-freestanding rather than fully trekking-pole dependent
Against it
- 13.85 sq ft per person at the 2-person size, below the 14 sq ft line — it is a tight two
- 85 in floor length leaves nothing spare for a six-foot sleeper
- 1200 mm fly is the lowest waterproof rating in this catalog
- Foot corners must be staked, so platforms and slabs are out
- The heavily tapered foot means bags and boots have nowhere to go inside
Written from the published specification sheet, not from owner reports.
What owners report
Drawn from archived owner discussions, not from a test of our own.
What owners like
- It is repeatedly described as the cheap, light, semi-freestanding answer when somebody is choosing between a mid and a dome
- The packed size is small enough that owners mention it as a reason to choose it over bigger-packing rivals
- Owners who have used the 1-person in demanding places rate it highly and only upgrade for fabric reasons rather than design ones
- At its price it undercuts the freestanding competition while staying under two pounds and keeping two doors on the 2-person
- Nemo publishes clearly which weight figure includes stakes, which owners have checked and quote back at each other
Common complaints
- Wind performance is a known weak point — owners point at the high-cut fly on the head side as the reason
- It is reported as too tight for two people and a dog even in the 3-person size
- The floor tapers hard from 50 to 42 inches, which owners raise directly when comparing against wider shelters
- It is shorter than rivals, which owners bring up as the trade against the Duplex and the Double Rainbow
- Single-hub construction means one pole on one side, which owners looking for a symmetrical tent specifically rule out
Two pounds, two doors and a pole set in the bag is a narrow brief, and the Hornet is where people arrive when they write it. It is cheaper than the freestanding competition, packs smaller than almost anything with a double wall, and its 1-person size in particular gets warm reports from owners who have used it hard.
Wind and width draw the two consistent criticisms. The fly is cut high at the head end for ventilation, and owners specifically cite that as why it does not handle wind well — it is a fair-weather-with-luck tent rather than a storm tent. The floor tapers from 50 inches at the shoulders to 42 at the foot, and people compare it unfavourably against wider shelters on exactly that number.
The realistic reading is that the Hornet 2P is a superb solo tent and a workable two-person tent for people who have agreed in advance that they are sharing a small space. Owners who put two people and a dog in the 3-person report it as too tight, which is a useful calibration for the whole family.
Questions people ask about it
Is the Hornet 2P big enough for two?
It fits two and it is tight — 27.7 square feet is under 14 each, and the floor narrows to 42 inches at the foot. Owners who share it manage; owners who use it solo describe it as excellent. Two people plus a dog does not work even in the 3-person.
How is it in wind?
It is the standing criticism. The rainfly is cut high on the head side for airflow, and owners name that as the reason it does not take wind well. Pitch it with the low end into the weather and every guyline out, or pick a different tent for exposed ground.
Does the minimum weight include the stakes?
Owners have checked this with Nemo directly: because the Hornet is not freestanding, the minimum weight figure is meant to include the stakes it needs. It is worth knowing when comparing its number against a freestanding tent's.
Hornet or Hornet Elite?
The Elite is about six ounces lighter for a lower peak height, a thinner floor and around $220 more. Owners describe the Elite as the one you buy when the base weight is the whole point; most people looking at the pair end up on the standard Hornet.