Best Backpacking Tent of 2021

In a world where companies are trying to create their own quiver-killer tents, NEMO seems to be leading the charge. The NEMO Dragonfly 2 is the perfect balance between lightweight efficiency and overall comfort. The setup is foolproof, and the fly helps to make the tent feel pretty bombproof. Really, we think all the proofs are covered. The 2-person tent is $300, and the 3-person version is $400. The value is there. This is a feature-packed, weight-conscious, and—dare we say—luxurious tent for anyone looking to get into the backcountry. The material throughout the tent is durable, and the tent is made to handle anything nature can throw at it. For these reasons and how excited this tent got us to go camping again, the Dragonfly is our Best Backpacking Tent of 2021.

Compare to Similar Products

See Our Best Backpacking Tent Review 2021 HERE!

A standout amongst its peers, the NEMO Dragonfly 2 toes the line between feature-packed car camping and light and fast backpacking. It’s light enough so as to not be a burden in a backpack but spacious enough that you’d feel like you were cheating when you pitch it in the backcountry. NEMO has done an excellent job with the Dragonfly, and we feel any camper could find a use for this tent. Due to this versatility and reasonable price tag, the NEMO Dragonfly is our Best Backpacking Tent of 2021.

The NEMO Dragonfly is available in a 1-, 2-, or 3-person configuration, so there is a Dragonfly for just about every situation.

Comfort

The interior features help the Dragonfly to stand out as well. Inside are two light-diffusing pockets to create a nice glow using your headlamp. There are also two sidewall pockets and a larger overhead gear pocket that could hold a couple of jackets or even a newborn (but maybe leave the baby on the ground for safety).

The design of the tent also adds several comforts to the overall package. Both doors are extremely large and make for a simple entry and exit. Each vestibule is large and leaves a lot of space for gear storage, with a trapezoidal design to assist with wind protection. There is white No-See-Um mesh along the walls for added privacy and black mesh along the top to allow for stargazing on a clear night.

Ease of Setup

NEMO does an excellent job of making their setup as easy as possible. The poles are color-coordinated with the webbing attached to the tent—as are the clips that attach to the fly. Just match green to green and grey to grey, and you will be all set. There are several guy-line attachment points and adjustment points along the fly to stabilize the tent too. A single camper with experience setting up tents should be able to pitch this tent in under five minutes. AND GO!

Weatherproofing

One of the “flaws” of other NEMO tents is that to save some weight on their overall tent package, they leave some cutouts on the rainfly. This doesn’t impact the waterproofing, but it leaves only one layer of protection between you and the weather. With the Dragonfly, the rainfly creates an all-encompassing barrier between you and the elements. The rainfly on the Dragonfly is treated with a silicone waterproofing solution to boost its longevity.

The bottom of the tent has a slight bathtub lip to keep splashes out of the inside of the tent. The reach of the fly creates large vestibules to create additional protection for gear and equipment that you don’t want to sleep next to.

Durability

The rainfly is a 15D Sil/PeU nylon ripstop that has the previously mentioned silicone coating. It’s lightweight but not thin enough that we’re afraid it’ll tear when someone sneezes too close to it. The tent does not come with a footprint, but a custom footprint is made and sold separately by NEMO for about $50. Again, adding the footprint to your cart is always worth the extra investment.

The poles are Featherlite aluminum and made to be both strong and flexible. There have been some reviewers on their website that have noticed breaks in the crossbar pole, but we have not noticed any issues with the pole and it is hard to say how these tents have been set up. As with anything, lightweight poles needed to be treated with care.

Weight

It is almost hard to believe that everything mentioned above comes in a 3lb 2oz (1.41kg) package. No, it is not the lightest tent in the review or the largest, but it falls in that happy medium of comfort with practicality on the trail. The Divvy Sack that NEMO has created for their tents helps to split the weight between two hikers. The stakes and poles can be carried by one hiker while the tent body and rainfly are compressed and can be carried by the other. Three pounds doesn’t sound like a lot, so now split that weight and you could sneak a couple more chocolate bars into your pack without noticing a difference! Thank us later.

The Bottom Line

In a world where companies are trying to create their own quiver-killer tents, NEMO seems to be leading the charge. The NEMO Dragonfly 2 is the perfect balance between lightweight efficiency and overall comfort. The setup is foolproof, and the fly helps to make the tent feel pretty bombproof. It’s amazing, really, because all the proofs are covered. The 2-person tent is $400, and the 3-person is $500. Yes, it’s a serious investment, but this is a feature-packed, weight-conscious, and—dare we say—luxurious tent for anyone looking to get into the backcountry. Three cheers for our Best Backpacking Tent of 2021!

^ Back to Top ^