NEMO Equipment Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainability and Innovation
For the past two decades, NEMO has been a leader in innovation and design in the adventure gear world. As with many companies, the idea was born from a trip using gear that was poorly designed. Founder, Cam Brensinger, saw the opportunity for improvement and sought out to be the one to bring thoughtful design to outdoor adventure equipment. Cam wasn’t even out of design school before he founded NEMO Equipment. The first offices were opened just three days after he graduated and he immediately got to work building protypes.
The company started off with tents and has since expanded to include sleep systems, camp furniture, and camp accessories like pillows and showers. Within all of these categories they have products that fit the bill for car camping, backpacking, and even ultralight camping. Being an outdoor company who’s founder and employees are outdoor enthusiast themselves, it’s no surprise sustainability is a part of their mission. After years of research and education, NEMO celebrated it’s 20th birthday by becoming Climate Neutral Certified with the goal of reducing their emissions in half by 2030. We’ve highlighted a few of their products that are in line with reaching that goal without compromising NEMO’s standards of producing high quality, well functioning gear for the adventure minded.
Meet OSMO, NEMO’s Newest Fabric Innovation
NEMO’S new proprietary OSMO™ fabric is equipped with advanced water repellency that lasts four times longer than traditional fabrics. This composite fabric has three times less stretch when wet, which reduces sag and helps maintain wind and rain shedding. OSMO fabrics are completely PFC and PFAS-free, meet fire retardancy standards without the use of added chemicals, and are woven from 100% recycled yarns.
Follow Nemo’s sustainability actions over time here.
The first two products on their line with the new OSMO fabric are the Dagger and Hornet Elite tents.
Dagger OSMO Lightweight Backpacking Tent
Features: The Classics Plus New & Improved
The NEMO Dagger OSMO is the perfect tent for lightweight camping, especially when you want (or need) a little extra space. The Dagger is a NEMO classic and the OSMO version holds all of the same great features (plus some), as it’s predecessor. New features include the Landing Zone™ tub for protected storage under the vestibule and the Gatekeeper™ door clips which make holding the doors back a cinch.
More Features:
- DAC Featherlite NSL pole structure.
- A Color-coded, hubbed pole set with color-matched webbing on the tent makes setting up this tent a breeze, even if you get caught in a breeze!
- Nightlight Pockets™ turn your headlamp into a tent lantern while removing blue light and casting an even glow.
- New Divvy Cube™ rectangular stuff sack allows you to still split the weight with your partner, but packs more efficiently in your backpack.
- Protected strut vents at the top of both main vestibule entries ensure ventilation even when it is raining.
- Protected by the NEMO Lifetime Warranty.
Hornet Elite OSMO Ultralight Backpacking Tent
For the ultimate lightweight tent, look no further than the Hornet Elite OSMO. If you are an extreme minimalist, or looking to get started in that route, this tent is for you. With many of the same features of the Dagger OSMO, the Hornet Elite OSMO 1 person comes in at only 1lb 7oz at it’s minimum weight (1lb 13oz at it’s packed weight).
Comparison Chart
| Capacity | 1 Person | 2 Person |
|---|---|---|
| Season | 3 | 3 |
| Minimum Weight | 1 lb 7 oz/657 g | 1 lb 11 oz /779 g |
| Packed Weight | 1 lb 13 oz/812 g | 2 lb 1 oz/935 g |
| Packed Size | 19.0 x 4.0 x 2.0 in / 48 x 10 x 5 cm | 19.0 x 4.0 x 2.0 in / 48 x 10 x 5 cm |
| Peak Height | 39 in / 98 cm | 37 in / 94 cm |
| Floor Area | 21.8 sq ft / 2.0 sq m | 27.3 sq ft / 2.5 sq m |
| Floor Dimensions | 87 x 40/32 in / 221 x 102/81 cm | 85 x 50/42 in / 216 x 128/107 cm |
| Vestibule Area | 6.9 sq ft / 0.6 sq m | 6.2 sq ft + 6.2 sq ft / 0.6 sq m + 0.6 sq m |
| Freestanding | Semi-Freestanding | Semi-Freestanding |
| Door Quantity | 1 | 2 |
| Vestibule Quantity | 1 | 2 |
| Canopy Fabric | No-See-Um Mesh | No-See-Um Mesh |
| Fly Fabric | OSMO | OSMO |
| Floor Fabric | 0D OSMO Ripstop (1200 mm) | 0D OSMO Ripstop (1200 mm) |
| Color | Aluninum/Stormy Night | Aluninum/Stormy Night |
| Stuff Sack | Divvy Cube | Divvy Cube |
| Rainfly Fabric | 0D OSMO Ripstop (1200 mm) | 0D OSMO Ripstop (1200 mm) |
Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat
In terms of sustainability, we think the Chipper Foam Seat may take the cake. This lightweight, versatile pad is made entirely from reclaimed and remolded foam scraps from NEMO’s sleeping pad production. In the first year of production in this pad, NEMO kept 8.8 tons of scrap foam out of the waste stream and 48 tons of carbon dioxide out of the air!
This lightweight, easily packable pad can be used as a seat cushion while watching a sporting event, a knee pad for gardening, or become your favorite backpacking companion. By using the same hexagonal nesting pattern from the NEMO Switchback, and a deliberate blend of foam scraps, the Chipper is as light as can be while remaining comfortable and supportive.
NEMO continues to push the edge of innovation and sustainability in their products and we are excited to see what they come up with next!
Check out the review below comparing the two person Dagger, Hornet, and Aurora tents.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, Tahoe Mountain Sports will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund the content for this blog.
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