Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite Backpacking Tent Review
An easy-to-use, compact, lightweight double-walled backpacking tent with the perks of a traditional backpacking tent
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June 25th, 2024, updated to reflect an additional year of testing notes and findings from our Best Ultralight Tents guide
Our Verdict
The Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo is a lightweight, easy-to-set-up backpacking tent ideal for trips where you want the advantages of a two-walled tent without the weight. With almost no condensation, tons of ventilation, and ample bug netting for stargazing, the Hornet Elite has the benefits of a two-walled tent with a weight matching many single-walled backpacking tents.
At 2 lbs for two people and one of the best compact sizes out there for a tent of its size, the Hornet Elite Osmo is a good shelter for couples or for solo backpackers who want a luxuriously-featured tent. It's become my go-to tent for backpacking trips in foul weather where I want the advantages of a two-walled tent without much of a weight penalty compared to a single-walled shelter. With a semi-freestanding design (corners on the foot side of the tent can benefit from being staked out, and vestibules also benefit from being staked out), it's a full-featured tent but has a more compact size and weight than other backpacking tents out there.
The Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo is the winner of our best lightweight backpacking tent in our Best Backpacking Tents guide and Best Semi-Freestanding Tent in our Best Ultralight Tents guide. While its lightweight fabric requires more care than traditional backpacking gear, and its minimal footprint and narrow width means you have to like your hiking partner a lot, we think it's worth it for the weight savings.
COMPARE PRICES OF THE NEMO HORNET ELITE OSMO
Treeline Review editor Liz Thomas camping in the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 2 during a January thru-hike of the California Riding and Hiking Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. Photo by Kate Hoch.
I’ve used the Hornet Elite Osmo on two thru-hikes of the High Sierra Trail for a week straight of monsoon weather as well as a yo-yo hike (double hike) of the California Riding & Hiking Trail in winter storm warning weather. I’ve used it in rain, sleet, high winds, as well as gentler conditions at altitude and in desert conditions. I have 40 nights in this shelter, and it’s become my go-to tent for three-season conditions that call for more coverage and protection than my usual ultralight tarp system.
We also liked that the Osmo 100% recycled and PFAS-free fabric is award-winning for its eco-friendly innovation. Nemo is a leader in the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps and a member of the Science Based Targets Initiative.
We also delve into similarities and differences between the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo and the Nemo Hornet Osmo, a similar but less expensive version of this tent that we recommend. We dedicate this long-term Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 2 p gear review to do an in-depth look at why we like this lightweight tent.
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Specs
Type: Double-wall
Sizes available: 1-person, 2-person
Freestanding: Semi-freestanding
Season: 3-season
Minimum Trail Weight: 27 oz/779 g
Packed Weight: 33 oz/936g
Door Quantity/Vestibules: 2
Floor area: 27.3 sq ft / 2.5 sq m
Inner tent width: 50″ wide at the head, 42″ at the foot
Length: 85″ long (measured from the inner tent)
Vestibule area: 6.2 sq ft + 6.2 sq ft / 0.6 sq m + 0.6 sq m
Peak height: 37″
Tent poles: 2 (included)
Maximum length of a tent pole segment: 12″
Packed size: 19.0 x 4.0 x 2.0 in / 48 x 10 x 5 cm
Seam-Taped: Yes
Stakes required for pitching: 6
Fabric (Inner Tent): OSMO™ Ripstop (1500 mm); 15D recycled Nylon Ripstop/ No-See-Um Mesh
Rainfly fabric: OSMO Ripstop (1200 mm)
Comparison table
| BACKPACKING TENT | FREESTAND | WALLS | PEOPLE | DOORS | VESTIBULES | WEIGHT (oz) | LENGTH (inches) | MAX WIDTH (inches) | HEIGHT (inches) | FLOOR SPACE (sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO 2 | Semi | Double | 2 | 2 | 2 | 32.96 | 80 | 50 | 37.0 | 27.3 |
| Nemo Hornet OSMO 2 | Semi | Double | 2 | 2 | 2 | 40.00 | 85 | 51 | 39.0 | 27.5 |
| Zpacks Duplex | No (Yes, with kit) | Single | 2 | 2 | 2 | 18.50 | 90 | 45 | 48.0 | 28.1 |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV 2 Carbon | Semi | Double | 2 | 1 | 1 | 24.00 | 86 | 42-52 | 40.0 | 28.0 |
| Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 | Yes | Double | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50.08 | 88 | 52 | 40.0 | 29.0 |
Treeline Review writer Sam Schild testing the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo on a backpacking trip in Arizona. Photo by Sam Schild.
Best for
The Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 2 p is a two-person backpacking shelter designed for long-distance backpacking and lightweight missions for three-season use. It’s lightweight enough to take on longer thru-hikes and more technical backpacking trips but simple enough that you don’t have to be a backpacking pro to use it. It's designed for a backpacker who is willing to pay a little more for weight savings and is ok being careful with delicate lightweight gear. When splitting the weight between two people, it's 1 lb per person (2 lbs total), putting it in line with many single-wall ultralight tents. Still, we think it’s best enjoyed as a roomy tent for one person who likes to store their gear inside the shelter or backpack with a dog.
Treeline Review editor Liz Thomas testing the Nemo Hornet Elite during a spring storm in the San Gabriel mountains.
How we tested
I used the Nemo Hornet Elite for the past year on:
High Sierra Trail (twice) with Mt Whitney summit and extension into General Sherman and giant sequoias
California Riding and Hiking Trail in Joshua Tree National Park (twice)
Backpacking in Arizona’s Supersitution mountains
Numerous backpacking and camping trips in the Sierra, Mojave Desert, San Gabriel Mountains
What we liked
Luxury and advantages of a double-wall tent (including a bathtub floor) without much of a weight penalty compared to minimalist ultralight shelters
Vertical walls and tension in the ceiling make it feel roomy
Minimal condensation and good ventilation
Osmo fabric dries very quickly and doesn’t absorb water
Osmo fabric is eco-friendly (100% recycled and PFAS-free DWR)
Ability to set up as mesh only for bug protection with excellent stargazing capabilities
Single DAC Featherlite pole with FlyBar crossbar means no lost pieces
Fast and intuitive setup that's color-coded
Dual entry so you don’t have to crawl over another person
Each person gets their own vestibule for gear storage
The interior layout of the Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite. Photo by Sam Schild.
Design
As a double-walled tent, the Nemo Hornet Elite comes with a standalone inner tent that is semi-freestanding (it benefits from adding two stakes to the foot area but if I'm feeling lazy and it's not windy, I don't bother). It has a separate rain fly that you’ll need to stake into the ground on the foot side (but you can hook it on on the head side). You can always stake out the inner tent for a tighter pitch or in high wind.
You can also use the rain fly as a standalone tarp if you want to go even lighter weight (but it will still need to be staked). This could be an option if you’re base camping and want to carry a shelter “just in case” for a summit push. If you want to own only one tent, this could also be a good option for folks who want the versatility of a two-walled tent but the ability to occasionally use it as a single-walled tent.
Close-up on the easy-to-set-up FlyBar crossbar on the Nemo Osmo tent.
Bent poles and crossbar
The easy setup on the Nemo Osmo tent is due to Nemo's patent-pending FlyBar crossbar, which is a volumizing pole clip that increases your headroom and keeps tension on the walls so you have more livable space. The fact that the FlyBar and all the pre-bent Y poles are all connected together means one less thing to lose or accidentally leave behind at home or in camp. As a hiker who usually backpacks with ultralight tents that set up with trekking poles, not dedicated tent poles, I was surprised how much I liked these Nemo tent poles. They're lightweight and durable, made of DAC Featherlite, often considered the highest-quality options of poles available for 3-season use.
Other tent brands like the MSR Hubba NX use a perpendicular cross pole to add headspace and keep that tension, but I find that often that design is much harder to get the tension right. That system can be less than intuitive to know where to put what poles. I prefer Nemo’s simple and sleek yet well-thought-out system. The pre-bent Y-shaped poles make it easy to clip into the inner tent for a taut pitch. I also appreciated that the poles and clips are all color-coded to make setup intuitive.
Dual doors
I like the dual doors so each backpacking partner can have their own door and vestibule for storing shoes and gear. You don’t have to wake your partner up or crawl over someone when it's time to pee in the middle of the night.
Some reviewers complain that a straight up-and-down zipper on the door (instead of a curved zipper) can cause water to end up in the vestibule. That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for a more lightweight zipper.
Each door can be rolled back with what Nemo calls their Gatekeeper™ door tiebacks. These honestly didn't feel that different from any other door tieback system. However, I've used some truly awful tent tieback systems on other brands of tents so I can appreciate when one actually works.
Placement of fabric and mesh
The bug netting mesh on the Nemo Hornet Elite is great for stargazing. The mesh, in addition to the tent body fabric, is made of 100% recycled material. I also liked that the Osmo rip-stop waterproof nylon fabric towards the floor extends upwards to create a semi-wall, especially on the side of the footbox. This means that your footbox won't get wet even when there is vertical rain, as I experienced in Joshua Tree and the High Sierra Trail.
Dual Side entry
I loved the dual side entry on the Nemo Hornet Elite. I often was setting my tent up in the dark by headlamp, often in less-than-ideal places while it was pouring rain. The dual side entry meant I could set up close to a tree or rock and still exit my tent, even if I couldn’t quite tell which side was front and back as I set up frantically.
Usable Interior Space
The Nemo Hornet Elite is a tight fit for taller folks maxing out at about 6’, as the length is 85" and the peak height 37". It's also not as wide as other two-person tents, fitting exactly two Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLites side by side. This is a good tent for couples who like each other. This wouldn't be the tent I'd take to share with a random person I just met in a backpacking meet-up group.
The walls on the Nemo Hornet Elite are more vertical than many backpacking tents, though, which means when they say 6’, there isn’t as much of a sloping ceiling dangling in your face as you get on a lot of ultralight tents. My Katabatic Palisade Quilt is 6’ long, and I almost always use it with a bivy to prevent the footbox from getting moist from condensation in my tent. I made the bold move of going bivy-free on the High Sierra Trail during a week-long monsoon storm and was shocked to find the sleeping bag stayed dry. This is in part due to the Nemo Hornet Elite’s excellent ventilation, so there wasn’t much condensation, and also the near-vertical walls that kept my footbox off the walls.
What we liked
The Nemo Osmo Elite was a lot of mesh, which was great for keeping out bugs but staying cool during several weeks of camping in the Sierra in July.
Excellent ventilation
Double walled tents are generally much better than most single-walled tents and tarps for ventilation, and the Nemo Hornet Elite has all those ventilation advantages without much of a weight penalty. Even when I set up in the middle of a field—the ultimate condensation test—I stayed dry overnight. Note: this was essentially a lawn at a camp in the Sierra, so it was still Leave No Trace.
Close-up on the clip-in pole supports on the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo.
Easy to Pitch
The first time I set up my Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo was by headlamp the night before I left for a 125-mile backpacking trip. I always practice setting up in my backyard before going on a trip, and my schedule was so busy that it was the only time I had to try it out. I had allotted an hour to figure out the nuances of this ultralight tent. I was shocked that 5 minutes later, without reading the instructions, I had figured it out. I don't consider myself a tech-y person. A day in hell for me is putting together IKEA furniture. Yet the Nemo Osmo came together easily.
Color-coded pole clips (blue and black) make it relatively easy to set up this tent, which is not always true for semi-freestanding tents.
The snaps for the Y-shaped DAC Featherlite poles are color coded, making it easy to figure out what goes where. Pitching the tent is much more intuitive than most tents—especially a tent of this minimal weight. I find, in general, the rain fly is the most difficult part to get taut while pitching a backpacking tent. Yet on the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo, I was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to get the rain fly attached and secure.
The Nemo Hornet Elite fits into a small package that many backpackers find can fit in their backpacking backpack’s water bottle pocket.
Packability
One of my favorite things about the Nemo Hornet is how packable it is. As a long-time DCF fan girl, I was especially impressed by the poly-nylon fabric. It comes with a roll-top stuff sack that keeps everything compact, though I traded it out for a lighter stuff sack to save weight. The new Divvy Cube™ (Nemo's trademarked rectangular stuff sack) makes it easier to split weight with a partner, but since I mostly rolled solo with this tent, I often used my own lighter-weight stuff sack.
However, when I did use the Divvy cube, I was pleasantly surprised. It's rectangular and designed to fit better with a backpacking backpack. As a result of its Nalgene-water bottle size, I’ve found myself stuffing my Nemo tent into day packs and on travel trips where I didn’t plan to backpack---just in case the opportunity arrived to get a night under the stars.
Close-up on the poles for the Nemo Hornet Elite tent, which are less than 12” long.
Suitability for bikepacking
The included stuff sack has daisy chains on it and is less than 12" long, making it ideal for strapping to a bike for bikepacking. The tent poles are less than 12" as well, meaning you can strap them along your handlebars. The one thing it's missing that many bikepackers enjoy is some storage organization. Nemo has a history of coming out with bikepacking tent versions of their backpacking tents. We would be excited if a bikepacking version of this tent became available in the future to test for our Best Bikepacking Tents guide.
Bathtub floor
I appreciated the advantages of the lightweight bathtub floor on the Nemo Hornet Elite. I spend most of my thru-hiking time in ultralight tarps that have no bathtub floor, instead throwing down some Polycro as a groundsheet. When hiking in wet conditions, I could not have been more thrilled to be using the Nemo’s bathtub floor, which effectively kept water out of the shelter.
Close-up on easy to adjust rainfly tie-out on the Nemo Hornet Elite Omso.
Triangular tent corner pullouts
Although it seems minor, I appreciated the triangulated corner guy line pullouts. Compared to tents that don't elevate the pullout so much, this gear nerd-friendly design increases the volume at the foot, protecting sleeping bags from tent wall condensation. With other designs, tent walls can slope – making a longer tent functionally much shorter. So although the Nemo Hornet Elite is only 6 feet long and 49" wide, almost all of that length felt protective and like usable space.
Waterproofness
The Nemo Hornet is pre-seam sealed, something I really appreciate because many lightweight tents require you to do it yourself. With my busy travel schedule, I got the Nemo Hornet right before heading on a backpacking trip and really appreciated not having to deal with seam sealing right before I left to go backpacking.
The Nemo Hornet Elite is one of the lightest-weight double wall backpacking tents you can find, leading to some happy campers.
Weight
You’ll have a hard time finding another double wall backpacking tent for 27 oz weight. This is what intrigued us about the Nemo Hornet Elite in the first place—that it’s possible to get the advantages and benefits of a double wall tent for almost no weight penalty. This is mostly achieved by a thin fabric (1200 mm) and no-see-um mesh. However, extreme minimalists will choose a single-walled tarp over the Hornet Elite. It's not the best ultralight tent out there, but it isn't trying to do that. The Nemo Hornet Elite is for backpackers who want a lightweight tent with better coverage and a smaller learning curve than tarps.
Warranty
Nemo offers a lifetime warranty on this tent. In our experience, Nemo's customer service has been responsive and friendly, which is better than we can say for many tent brands.
Minimal stretch when wet
The Nemo Osmo fabric is a proprietary waterproof 100% recycled ripstop nylon/polyester blend that is very lightweight (1200 g/m2). I found the fabric to dry quickly, be incredibly compact when packed, and not have much stretch when it gets wet. When it comes to the minimal stretch when it gets wet or when it's windy, the Nemo Osmo fabric reminds me a lot more of DCF than silnylon. When Nemo first announced Osmo, they were proud to say it has "4x longer-lasting water repellency and 3x times less stretch when wet than previous Hornet tents."
When silnylon tents are pitched, they start to sag, and water can pool up. That isn't the case with the Osmo fabric found in the tent body and rain fly. It reminds me of the silpoly fabric found on the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo, which is our winner for best one-person tent and has its own long-term review.
The Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo can handle being used in rough environments, like close to these yucca. But you must be careful with it.
Durability
It's worth starting this by saying I'm generally gentle on gear. I started ultralight backpacking at a time when gear came with warnings that said "if you're at all worried this pack is too light for you, then it's not for you." For context, I've thru-hiked the Sierra High Route with the Gossamer Gear LT5 carbon fiber poles without them breaking.
I treated the Nemo Hornet Elite the same as my other ultralight gear. I didn’t use a groundsheet with this tent (to avoid carrying extra weight). With the thin fabric, I was concerned that pine cones, pine needles, cacti, and rocks may puncture a hole. I'm pleased to say I haven’t had any issues yet.
Get me in a room with other gear nerds, and I can wax poetic about the importance of a robust zipper on an ultralight tent. The zippers on this tent performed well and don't stick.
Pro tip: if you do get a tear or puncture, we recommend silnylon patch from Gear Aid.
We strongly recommend that you regularly clean and treat your zipper with zipper lubricant. For more info on tent repair, see our How to Wash and Repair a Tent article.
The rainfly on the Nemo Hornet Elite is both PFC- and PFAS-free.
Sustainability
Osmo's ripstop nylon fabric found in the rain fly and tent body is woven from 100% recycled yarns and is both PFC- and PFAS-free, which means it forgoes the use of harmful perfluorocarbons. Nonetheless, it still is 4x as waterproof as the previous version of their tent. It still meets fire-retardant standards without added chemicals, winning Nemo an Innovation award in 2022. The tent also came with a Repreve pole bag that is also 100% recycled as part of the 100K Polybag Elimination Project, meaning the poles don't come wrapped in a plastic bag when you get the tent new. However, to save weight, I always leave it at home.
Liveable Space
It’s common to see ultralight and lightweight tents skimp on size to save weight, and the Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite could be bigger. But of the space it's got, it makes it almost all liveable space. The FlyBar reduces sagging, and the triangulated volumizing guy outs in the corners mean that even the areas near the walls are usable. Since it's a double-walled tent, you can get right up to the edge of the inner tent without worrying about condensation, meaning you can get all the way up to the sides of the tents.
For one person and their wet gear, this tent is palatial. With two vestibules, you could easily store gear in vestibules and fit a couple. Just don’t plan on spreading out.
Some backpackers may wish there was a bigger footprint for this tent, but I generally like to keep things minimal. A smaller footprint on a tent means I can squeeze into smaller campsites that people with bigger tents miss out on.
Headroom
Because of the near vertical walls of this tent, there’s plenty of room to sit up. I appreciated this on mornings when I found myself sitting out a storm and winter evenings when it got dark at 5 pm and I was spending 14 hours in my tent until sunrise.
The author setting up the Hornet Elite tent on a spring day in the San Gabriel mountains.
What could be better
Price
Double-wall ultralight backpacking tents tend to be more expensive than their single-wall counterparts because of the additional fabric and components needed. Plus, OSMO lightweight recycled fabric is a high-end proprietary material that took a lot of R&D and time to develop, so it is expensive compared to fabrics that have been around for longer. As a result, the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo tent is on the more expensive end of lightweight backpacking tents. The only tents that were more expensive are made of Dyneema Cuben Fiber (DCF), like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid or the Zpacks Duplex.
However, Nemo has a similar tent, the Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p (it drops the word "Elite"), that has almost the same specs but is made with a heavier and more affordable fabric. The Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p is not a budget tent by any means, but it still saves you some money over the Elite. It weighs 6-7 oz more and is probably a better choice for most backpackers due to the lower price. See more about the Hornet Osmo below.
Length
Although it wasn’t a problem for me, reviewers over 6 feet tall said they would have liked to see this tent be made in a longer length. Unlike single-wall tents, you can get the top of your head right up against the inner tent without worrying about condensation. Still, if you're over 6 feet tall, you may want to consider a longer tent.
Headroom
At 37", it isn't the highest peak height of a backpacking tent that we tested. There are better options out there for taller folks. But for me, it was all I needed.
The rainfly on the Nemo Hornet Elite offers just enough coverage and doesn’t completely come down to the back side.
Weatherproofness above treeline
Some of the reviews I read talked about wanting more windproofing and waterproofing above treeline in this tent. I spent almost all my time sleeping in this tent below treeline. If I have the option, I’ll plan my backpacking days to not sleep on top of a pass in pouring rain.
Smart tent site selection is one of the easiest ways to avoid an unpleasant night. With the exception of a few nights on the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and some trips in Scotland and Wales, I've found that even on high altitude trails like the John Muir Trail, it's possible to find a tent site below treeline each night. My general rule is if a piece of gear will cover me for 80% of the conditions, it's worth going with a lighter weight piece of gear than something heavier with more coverage.
Some folks prefer to sleep above treeline, whether for photography, epic sunrises, or having a good story. Other backpackers may not have a choice when it comes to sleeping above treeline, either due to their trip’s itinerary or poor planning. Others may find themselves above treeline for extended periods because they are hiking a high route. If that’s you and you predict many nights above treeline, I’d steer you towards a tent that has thicker fabric and is even more windproof (like a pyramid-style tent like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid).
Features
Nothing says hiker like eating a cold soaked dinner in the Nemo Hornet Elite tent.
Materials and waterproofing
The Osmo fabric has a hydrostatic head of 2000 mm, which means the fabric can withstand a 2000 mm column of water before it starts to wet through. 1400 mm is considered the minimum to be considered waterproof. We recommend tents be a minimum of 2000 m, and the Nemo meets those standards. Generally, this means it can withstand heavy rain for a few hours. I've had almost a week straight of nights of heavy rain in the Nemo Hornet Elite and had no issues, but as mentioned above, I always choose campsites that are sheltered.
Compressible
The Nemo Hornet Elite compresses down to a small size, 9.0 x 4.0 x 2.0 inches, or about the size of one of those tall 40 oz Hydro Flasks. It comes with a bigger stuff sack and a stuff sack for the poles, but I always repackage it to the smallest size I could and didn’t use the pole stuff sack to carry the least weight possible.
Quick Dry
One of my favorite things about the Nemo Osmo Elite fabric (besides the eco-friendliness) is that it dries very quickly. I shy away from silnylon tents because they absorb water and take a long time to dry. In my experience, that dry time is frankly not always possible when you have rain day-after-day. Having put my time in with silnylon tents, I switched to Dyneema Cuben Fiber (DCF tents) like the Zpacks Duplex and DCF Tarps similar to the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid. Still, DCF fabric is expensive. Although the Osmo Elite fabric is high-end, it still isn’t as expensive as DCF. Another quick dry fabric we like is the sil-poly fabric found in tents like the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo and Skyscape Trekker.
The Nemo Hornet Elite is so easy to set up that we’ll occasionally pitch it at lunch during backpacking trips for a bug-free break.
Netting
One of my favorite things about the Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite is the generous amount of durable and bug netting. Since it’s a double-wall tent, in good conditions you can choose to just set up the inner tent and still be bug free. It’s great for looking up at the stars. This was especially nice during warm nights camping in the Sierra, where I didn’t need a rain fly but most definitely wanted some bug netting to protect me. The first time I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, I cowboy camped and used a bug bivy on warm, dry nights. Setting up the Nemo Hornet Elite takes nearly the same amount of time for set-up yet gives so much more room to move around and feel like I can do my thing on buggy nights.
Vestibules
The Nemo Hornet Elite has two vestibules that go all the way down to the ground. You can fit your shoes and backpack there and they will stay dry. Most tent manufacturers and backpacking stove manufacturers say you should not cook in your vestibule (and we agree!), although, in intense rain storms, I found myself doing just that several times.
Floor area
The Nemo Hornet Elite has 22 square feet of floor space, which is on the smaller end for a two-person shelter. However, the footprint doesn’t always mean that there’s room for everyone and everything that needs to go in the tent. With the high near-vertical walls, I felt like a lot more of the inside space was usable than other two-person lightweight tents I own. The advantage of a smaller footprint (in addition to being lighter weight) is that it can fit into smaller campsites.
Floating bathtub floor
The Nemo Hornet Elite has a floating bathtub floor that reduces stress on the Osmo material and minimizes punctures. If you’re worried about punctures, I recommend picking up a lightweight polycro groundsheet or some Tyvek. Nemo also sells a Hornet footprint that works for both the Hornet Elite and the similarly designed Hornet tent.
Internal Storage Areas
As someone who has spent hundreds of nights sleeping in ultralight tents, I often look at internal pockets and attics as gimmicks that true ultralighters can live without. But I appreciated the headlamp hammock (which Nemo calls the "Nightlight Pocket”). You can use it to diffuse your headlamp light into a lantern. I usually kept my sunglasses up there so I don't lose them. There's also a hook with a snap to suspend a headlamp or wet gear items that need drying.
NEMO HORNET OSMO VS NEMO HORNET OSMO ELITE
Hornet Elite
Minimum Weight: 33 oz
Packed weight: 40 oz
Type: Double-wall tent
Pole required: poles included
Freestanding: Semi-freestanding
Entry: Side entry
Floor space: 27.5 sq ft / 2.6 sq m
Vestibule area: 7.1 sq ft + 7.1 sq ft / 0.7 sq m + 0.7 sq m
The Nemo Hornet 2P is a 2-person double wall shelter with a nearly identical design to the Nemo Hornet Elite, but costs $220 less. The Hornet is semi-freestanding (no trekking pole necessary). It's also available as the Nemo Hornet 1p for solo adventures or as the Nemo Hornet 3p for larger groups or couples with a dog or a lot of gear.
We noticed a few main differences between the Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p and Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite 2p:
Elite is lighter (6 oz lighter trail weight, 7 oz lighter packed weight)
slightly higher peak height (39" vs 37") on the Hornet
slightly bigger vestibules on the Hornet (7.1 SF vs 6.2 SF)
Slightly bigger floor area (Hornet is 0.2 SF bigger)
Slightly wider (Hornet is 1" wider)
Floor fabric (Hornet uses a 1500 mm OSMO ripstop and Hornet Elite uses as 1200 mm OSMO ripstop)
Canopy fabric (Hornet uses 15 D ripstop nylon and no see um mesh and Hornet Elite is all mesh)
COMPARE PRICES OF THE HORNET OSMO
Is it worth paying $220 more for the Hornet Elite over the Nemo Hornet 2p?
For most people, the Nemo Hornet 2p should meet all of your needs. The exception would be thru-hikers or people who are doing big peaks or long-trips where the 6-7 oz of savings really will math out in the long run. If you're mostly using your tent for casual weekend trips, the extra 6 oz won't make much of a difference. But if you're out for weeks or months or are tackling a trip that is towards the limit of your physical ability, it may be worth it to get nearly half a pound of weight savings.
Other tents to consider
ZPACKS DUPLEX
Packed weight: 1.16 lb
Type: Single wall tent
Length/Width: 90 / 45"
Floor Space: 28.13 SF
Height: 48
Freestanding?: No
Doors/Vestibules: 2 / 2
The Zpacks Duplex is a 2-person Dyneema Cuben Fiber ultralight tent for thru-hikers, backpackers, and bikepackers. It's a pound lighter than the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo, but that weight doesn't include poles (you provide your own trekking poles). It is not freestanding. However, you can purchase an optional Duplex Freestanding Flex Kit.
The Zpacks Duplex has more spacious floor space and vestibules. However, the usable space toward the head and toe box is limited due to sloped walls and condensation. Zpacks offers a version for taller folks for this reason called the DupleXL.
Like the Nemo Hornet Elite, there's lots of mesh for ventilation. The Duplex is more expensive than the Nemo Hornet Elite but is a worthy contender for backpackers and thru-hikers out for long periods of time or on difficult trips.
VIEW THE ZPACKS DUPLEX
Weight: 21.4 oz (includes stakes but not including trekking poles)
People: 1
Type: Double wall tent
Pole required: 2x trekking poles (42-45") or 2x Tarptent's vertical poles for bikepackers and bike touring
Freestanding: Semi-freestanding
Entry: Dual side entries
Floor space: 15.75 ft2 - 2.2 m2
Vestibule area: 16 ft2 - 1.4 m2
The Tarptent Notch Li is a premium 1-person ultralight backpacking tent made of Dyneema Cuben Fiber. It requires two trekking poles to pitch. The Notch weighs 21.4 oz (includes stakes) but does not include the weight of the poles as it requires you to use your trekking poles for set up. It costs $629 (includes the mesh interior), making it slightly less expensive than the Nemo Hornet Elite 2-person.
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Weight (excluding stakes): 23.5 oz (excluding poles)
Type: Single wall tent
Pole required: 2x trekking poles (set to 125 cm) or 2x Gossamer Gear's vertical poles for bikepackers and bike touring (not included in weight)
Freestanding: Not freestanding
Length: 84"
Width: 42" (foot) /64" (ridgeline in middle)/43" (head)
Height: 43" (at ridgeline)
Entry: Dual side entry
Vestibule area: 10 sq ft
The Gossamer Gear Two is a single-walled 3-season shelter with two doors and very generous vestibules. It's less expensive than the Hornet Osmo Elite and weighs less (though the weight doesn't include poles, so isn't quite an apples-to-apples comparison).
The Two is wider than the Osmo Elite. Due to the single-wall design, it has less functional space than the specs may suggest since you don't want to rub against condensation on the walls (this is normal for single-wall tents). Still, it has more functional space than the Hornet Osmo Elite. It has a large footprint, which can be an issue when trying to fit into smaller campsites.
The nylon ripstop sil/PU fabric is waterproof to 1800 mm, which is a better hydrostatic head than the Nemo Osmo Elite. It has more of a learning curve to get the set-up taut. It costs $230 less than the Nemo Hornet Elite, but again, it's not quite comparing apples-to-apples as that price doesn't include poles. You can add a pair of LT5 three-piece carbon fiber trekking poles for an extra $195.
COMPARE PRICES OF THE GOSSAMER GEAR TWO
Packed weight: 3.13 lb
Type: Double wall tent
Length/Width: 88 / 52" (head) 42" (foot)
Floor Space: 29 SF
Height: 40
Freestanding?: Yes
Doors/Vestibules: 2 / 2
What we liked: Great, light-ish weight, all-around freestanding backpacking tent
What we didn't like: Sharp taper from head to foot, zippers can be touchy
The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 won our best backpacking tent award overall for its excellent space, weight, and ease of use. It's the same price as the Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite, but directed for two different kinds of users.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 tied for the lightest truly freestanding tent we considered. In contrast to the minimalist Hornet Osmo Elite, it’s among the most spacious of the 2-person backpacking tents we reviewed. Unlike the Nemo, two people fit comfortably: the two doors provide easy access for both sleepers, and the two vestibules provide ample storage space for gear. You can even use a trekking pole or two to make the vestibules even bigger.
Users can pitch the Copper Spur as a freestanding tent or stake it out to get the most room out of their pitch. Still, the HV UL2 is heavier by almost a pound with a fully-packed weight of just over three pounds. Price-wise, the HV UL2 is between the Nemo Hornet Osmo (the non-Elite version) and the Nemo Hornet Osmo Elite.
COMPARE PRICES OF THE BIG AGNES COPPER SPUR HV UL2
Weight (excluding stakes): 26 oz (740 grams)
Type: Single wall tent
Stakes required: 6
Pole required: 1 trekking pole or 1 49" carbon 5-section pole or 1 49” 3-section pole (sold separately for bikepackers, bike touring, packrafting, and paddling)
Freestanding: No
Entry: Side entry
Floor space: 26.25 square feet
Vestibule area: 8.5 square feet
Peak height: 48"
Packed size: 11" x 4.5"
If you were considering the Nemo Hornet Elite to use as a spacious one-person shelter, you may want to consider the Lunar Solo. The Lunar Solo is a generously-sized 1-person shelter with a single large door and vestibule. It has a weight of 26 oz–just 2 oz more than the Nemo Hornet Elite, but is significantly less expensive at $260. You can see our full review of this shelter here. The Lunar Solo is the winner of Best Solo Backpacking Tent in our guide to Best Backpacking Tents.
VIEW THE SIX MOON DESIGNS LUNAR SOLO
Weight (excluding stakes): 27 oz (7900 g)
Type: Single wall tent
Pole required: 2 trekking poles or 2 45" carbon or 11" folding pole (sold separately for bikepackers, bike touring, packrafting, and paddling)
Freestanding: No
Entry: Side entry
Floor space: 23 ft2 - 2.2 m2
Vestibule area: 16 ft2 - 1.4 m2
The Skyscape Trekker is a 1-person shelter with two side entry doors and vestibules. The Skyscape Trekker is 103” long and has a 45” canopy height. It’s a great choice for tall hikers. It has an easy five-stake pitch. If you were considering the Nemo Hornet Elite to use as a spacious one-person shelter, you may want to consider theSkyscape Trekker. The Skyscape Trekker weighs 28 oz and costs $275, so is about the same weight as the Hornet Elite but less expensive (about half the price of the 1-person version of the Hornet Elite). We think the Trekker is a better option for taller hikers.
VIEW THE SIX MOON DESIGNS SKYSCAPE TREKKER
Liz Thomas testing the Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo tent in the eastern Sierra.
Why you should trust us
Liz Thomas is an award-winning Los Angeles-based writer and Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. A former Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail, Liz came to Treeline Review from New York Times/Wirecutter, the New York Times’ product review site, where she was a staff writer on the outdoor team.
Liz has talked gear on Good Morning America (TV), in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Men’s Journal, Women’s Health, Gizmodo, and Outside Magazine.
To test the Nemo Hornet Elite, she thru-hiked several long distance trails in rain storms and winter storms. She also camped for a week in the Sierra using the Nemo Hornet Elite and used it on hikes in the San Gabriel mountains.
You can read more about Liz at her wikipedia page here or on her website. See all her Treeline Review articles on her author page.
