This is a review of the Nemo Hornet Tent.
I have spent more than 300 nights sleeping in the Nemo Hornet 2 Person Tent.
I have used this tent on the Appalachian Trail, Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand and it was part of my Bicycle Touring Gear List when cycling from Mexico to Ecuador.
This in depth Tent review comes from someone with a lot of experience with this product and in the outdoors in general. Let me start by saying this is the Best Tent for the Appalachian Trail.
Weight: 2lb 6oz / 1080 grams – 2P
Dimensions: 885 x 51/43 in / 215 x 130/108 cm
Pack Size: 19.5 x 5.5 in dia / 50 x 14 cm dia
Nemo Hornet Styles: 1P | 2P | 1P Elite | 2P Elite
Pros:
> Lightweight
> Good value for money
> Good Quality
> Semi-free standing
> Solid in bad weather
> Durable, long-lasting tent
Cons:
> The tent pegs bend easily
> Nemo Hornet Elite is quite expensive
> The inside mesh is prone to tearing near the pole connection loop
The Nemo Hornet 2P is one of the best ultralight tents on the market right now. It is simple, easy to set up and works great in bad weather. When I make this call about just how good this tent is, it is important to note that I have spent more than 300 nights sleeping in a Nemo Hornet 2 person tent.
It would be fair to say there are not too many people in the world that could call themselves an authority on completing a tent review on this product. So this in depth review comes from someone with a lot of experience.
Nemo Hornet Vestibules
I love the 2 vestibules on a tent. When you are out on the trail and the weather turns bad the dual vestibules make simple tasks like cooking an easy process. Often when setting up the tent you will assess the wind direction, the rain, and protection from the weather offered by natural resources such as trees and large rocks, etc.
Often the tent is set up perfectly during the evening only to have the wind direction change overnight. You can use the opposite vestibule in the morning to boil water for your morning ritual of coffee with your breakfast.
Talking about bad weather, this tent is stormproof but will not withstand the kind of strong winds that prevail above the treeline. So this is certainly a 3-season tent only.
Semi Free-Standing Tent
The Nemo Hornet 2P tent is a semi-free-standing tent. The tent can stand up by itself but at the foot end of the tent, the two outer corners need to be pegged down.
When camping on very hard ground or on concrete or similar I would put heavy camping gear near my feet at the edges such as food bags or excess camping gear.
This was only good enough if there was no wind and without the rain fly attached. Otherwise, pegs are needed at the foot end of the tent.
Nemo Hornet 2P Weight
The Nemo Hornet 2P Tent weighs only 2lb 6oz / 1080 grams. This firmly puts this tent in the lightweight category for tents. It is best suited for Thru-hiking, long-distance hiking, and backpacking where you want to lighten your overall base weight.
Nemo Hornet Elite
There is an updated ultralight version of this tent called the Nemo Hornet Elite.
The Nemo Hornet 2-person tent is considered a lightweight tent but a couple of years ago Nemo reduced the weight by adding more ultralight mesh to the inner sides of the tent and using a lighter denier of fabric.
This is an even lighter version of the Hornet, but it is more expensive. Is it worth the extra price?
If you are looking at going ultralight then I would say yes. The Nemo Hornet Elite is my dream tent. The Nemo Hornet Elite uses lighter denier fabrics and more mesh on the inner section of the tent to make it lighter overall.
The Nemo Hornet Elite would be the Best Tent for the Pacific Crest Trail.
Nemo Hornet 1P vs Nemo Hornet 2P
Having used the Nemo Hornet 1-person and Nemo Hornet 2-person tents I can say without a doubt the 2-person tents are better for the following reasons:
- The Nemo Hornet 2P tent only weighs a little more than the 1 person
- The Nemo Hornet 2P is a larger tent.
- Has 2 vestibules.
How to Setup a Nemo Hornet Tent
The Nemo Hornet Tents are easy to put up and can be completed in less than 2 minutes.
- Clip all the pole sections together
- Attach to the corners of the head section of the tent and the middle of the foot section
- Clip the inner section of the tent to the poles using the attached clips
- Peg down the corners of the tent
- Place the fly over the inner of the tent
- Peg out the vestibule area.
How waterproof is the Nemo Hornet Tents
The floor of the Nemo Hornet 2P is made from lightweight denier fabric. The floor is waterproof but in very wet conditions a small amount of moisture can penetrate through the fabric. The amount is very small and normal on lightweight tents. Overall, this is nothing you should worry about.
The outer fabrics are waterproof and do not leak. Condensation can build up inside the tent during heavy rain when there is little or no wind to cross ventilate. It can cause drips inside the tent. This annoying feature happens on every tent when put through similar tests.
The Nemo Hornet footprint is somewhat useless and a waste of money. It is not the correct size and is awkward to use. It is excess weight and does not perform as well as it should.
A much better and cheaper option is to use Tyvek (used in building insulation) or polypro (used as painter’s plastic) which can be purchased at building suppliers. Just cut it to the required size. They are tough, waterproof, and ultralight.
Cost vs Value
The Nemo Hornet 2-Person Tent is not the cheapest tent but the compromise between cost, weight, durability, and value seems to point to this tent being good value. If looked after the tent will last you a very long time.
Most people will buy the Nemo Hornet Tent and use it much less than myself. If you are after a lightweight, well made then for thru-hiking or backpacking then this tent ticks all the boxes.
The Nemo Hornet is a great tent for bikepacking or bicycle touring. The green color helps it blend in while stealth camping which is a regular thing for most people bikepacking and bicycle touring.
How good is the Nemo Hornet Ventilation?
There are not many issues with condensation due to the great ventilation of the tent. This same ventilation means the tent was not as insulated in very cold weather.
The Nemo Hornet is a great tent for the tropics or hot deserts due to the ample mesh on the inner tent. I can attest to camping in tropical Costa Rica and other Central American countries while bicycle touring. This tent is well ventilated and able to withstand a tropical downpour.
Conclusion
The Nemo Hornet 2P is one of The Best Lightweight Tents for Thru Hiking and ultralight hiking. It has served me well Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail and Te Araroa Trail. I have also used it for Bicycle Touring from Mexico to Ecuador. The Nemo Hornet is one of the Best Tents for lightweight Bikepacking and Bicycle Touring.
I have used the Nemo Hornet 1-person version and Nemo Hornet 2-person versions. I must admit I prefer the 2 person version when solo.
The only issue is the inside mesh near the pole connection loop is prone to ripping over a long period of time. Still, it is one of the best lightweight hiking tents on the market.
