Materials

If you are familiar with lightweight camping items, you know that there have to be some sacrifices. Luckily, Nemo has managed to maintain a decently strong material without adding too much to the weight. With normal caution, you shouldn’t have any issues with the material or poles of the Dragonfly. If you are reckless, it is possible to snap one of the poles or put a hole in the fabric.

The floor is made from 20 denier sil PeU ripstop nylon. It has a single seam tub construction that makes it more durable and also helps to keep water out. The main portion of the tent is made from 10 denier ripstop nylon and is outfitted with a mesh canopy that keeps out no-see-ums.

The included rainfly is made from 15 denier sil PeU ripstop nylon. Unfortunately, a footprint is not included.

Weather Protection

This three-season tent can handle many different weather conditions. It has multiple tie-down loops and a total of eight stakes, making it sturdy in windy conditions. There are strut vents at the top of each zipper and many mesh panels that provide great ventilation, especially during the rain.

One area of concern, however, is that the included fly doesn’t fully cover the head of the tent. For some people, this has caused leakage, for others, it hasn’t seemed to be an issue.

Either way, the top of the tent is flat, so you may need to push the water or condensation off of it from time to time. It can not be set up fly first. In better news, the tent materials dry quickly.

Ease of Use

The Dragonfly really shines in this area. If you have set up a camping tent alone before, this shouldn’t take you more than about five minutes. If you are less experienced, maybe ten.

The featherlight poles are pre-bent and color-coded with matching webbing. The eight included stakes (four for the tent and four for the vestibule) are made well and easy to push into the ground.

Nemo really could not make setting this tent up any easier. Of course, it’s always wise to run a couple of practice setups at home before heading out.

Portability

Weighing in at 3.16 pounds, this is a mighty tent in a lightweight package. When it is properly packed up, it measures 19.5 inches by 4.5 inches. It is an easy size and shape to attach to the outside of a pack.

To make everything even more convenient, the stuff sack is a Divvy dual-stage sack. This allows you to share the burden with your camping partner - meaning you each only carry about 1.5 pounds.

Comfort

Depending on the size of you and your partner, there is a good chance you will feel quite comfortable in this tent. For one person, it’s more than spacious enough. The tent is wider at the shoulder area and thinner at the foot. This means that you don’t necessarily need to cuddle your hiking buddy - unless you want to.

It has a total floor area of 29 square feet. The highest point of the tent, where your head is if you sit up, is forty inches. There are two large doors, meaning that you don’t need to climb over your partner to get in or out of the tent.

To stay comfortable at night, there is a mesh ceiling. It is made from black mesh and gives you a fairly clear view of the sky without letting in pesky insects, including no-see-ums. The side mesh walls have plenty of roll-back points that allow you to control the ventilation and maintain a comfortable temperature.

Features

There are quite a few thoughtful touches added to this tent that will make your life easier. First, let’s discuss the organization. There are two gear pockets at the head of the tent. Also, there are two overhead light-diffusing pockets. This is a great spot to put a headlamp without having to wear it, readjust it, or deal with the harsh light.

There is also an overhead gear loft. You can choose to put your pack, jackets, or extra blankets up here. It is surprisingly spacious. If you still need more space, the exterior vestibules are very large and covered by the rainfly. Honestly, a person or an animal could sleep out here if necessary.

To make a nighttime setup easier, and to avoid stepping on or running into your stakes, they are finished with reflective tape. If you want, you can also secure this tent with guylines.

Hopefully, you will not need to use it, but there is a Nemo lifetime warranty included. Rumor has it that the company is very pleasant to deal with and fair. If you accidentally snag the fabric, there is also a repair kit included.

When considering a two-person Nemo tent, there’s no doubt that you will come across the Dagger. This is similar to the Dragonfly, but it is slightly more expensive and slightly more durable. Where the canopy of the Dragonfly is made from 10 denier material, the Dagger is made from 15 denier material. The same story with the floor fabric, the Dagger is made from 30 denier, and the Dragonfly only 20.

Because of these differences in materials and durability, the Dagger also weighs a bit more. It comes in at 3.76 pounds. The packed size of this tent is 19.5 inches by 6.5 inches (two more inches than the Dragonfly). Other than these minor differences, these tents have most of the same features in terms of organization, pockets, and portability.

Another remarkable option is the REI Flash Air 2. It costs ¾ the price of the Dragonfly. However, it is not a freestanding tent. It needs to be staked out. All packed up, it weighs only 2.8 pounds, making it the lightest option mentioned in this article. If you want to save even more weight, you can use your trekking poles to pitch the tent and leave the included tent poles behind.

It has a peak height of 42 inches and two large zippered doors. There are convenient storage pockets, loops, and plenty of room in the vestibule to store your gear. While the denier rating is not listed, I can tell you that the material is thin, but seems to be fairly strong. I would guess the ratings are on par with the Dragonfly.

Nemo has successfully brought us the best of both worlds: function and ease of use. Setting this tent up is a breeze, it provides adequate room for one to two people, and it has great organizational pockets.

While the overall durability is impressive for a tent this lightweight, you need to remember to use caution. If you accidentally step on a pole during setup, it will break. If you set up close to a branch on a windy night, there is a possibility that it will tear the fly or canopy.

Overall, this is not a small investment. It is rather expensive, but well worth it if you plan to use it multiple times a year. If you treat it well, it will return the favor.