Nemo Hornet Ultralight 2P Tent

This laterally symmetrical double-wall tent is supported by a single pole system. This DAC Featherlite pole is ‘Y’ shaped with a single hub connector. The pole clips into specialized grommets at the head of the tent in the corners of the tent body. At the foot of the tent, it slips into a more classic eyelet and new for this year, the poles are now colour-coded to ensure a fast and intuitive set-up.

The main tent body attaches to the pole with two varieties of clips; standard lightweight hooks and Nemo’s new Flybar pole clips. These Flybar clips are quick to attach to and hold the tent walls out from the centre, creating 10% more volume and 4 times the headroom. They also distribute tension more evenly across the fly, thus reducing stress and likely failure points.

The upper portion of the tent body is all mesh. White No-See-Um Mesh on the sides offers enhanced privacy, while black mesh running lengthwise along the centre offers uninhibited star-gazing.

The tent body floor is made with a 15D Ripstop Nylon and treated with a water-repellent coating and this year it’s double the height of the previous version which keeps the inside dryer and increases the longevity of the tent. Another new addition to the bathtub style floor is the embedded struts in the foot corners. With the help of the volumizing triangular guy outs, these supportive struts further increase the volume of the living space and stop the walls from sagging inwards. These corner guy outs are critical to the tent shape, but also pull the tent wall away from your sleeping bag, reducing condensation transfer from the tent to you and your gear. 

Another volume enhancing feature is the inner guyouts that pull tent walls out towards the fly in the vestibule. Located right at the door, these can easily be attached or detached as needed.

The living area features two pockets, one at each door, and a Light Pocket which made from a light diffusing fabric that helps turn your headlamp or flashlight into a tent lantern.

Nemo removed fly tensioning at the head in favour of new fly geometry that keeps the fly taught from the point where it’s clipped into the grommets.

All this can be stowed into the Divvy dual-stage stuff sack which features a drawcord at its midline so that the tent can be separated into smaller parcels. This feature is useful when packed space is limited, and you want to split the weight with a partner.

Fly: 10D Sil with PeU Nylon Ripstop with silicone water repellent
Canopy: 10D  Nylon Ripstop with No-See-Um Mesh
Floor:15D Sil with PeU Nylon Ripstop
Pole: 1 Hubbed Aluminum DAC Featherlite® NFL 8.7mm pole

• Dual doors and vestibules
• Divvy dual stage stuff sack
• Flybar pole clips
• Floor corner guy lines
• Body to fly guyouts
• Light Pocket
• DAC Featherlite poles
• Lifetime Warranty

I like so many of the features found on Nemo’s Hornet Ultralight 2P Tent and a few that I have not seen before that really stand out and in addition to this, the packed size and weight are an obvious perk.

The volumizing clips, inner guyout points, and corner struts are a great way to create a larger livable interior space while keeping weight and bulk down. These simple yet innovative solutions 
are unlike others offered by most tent manufacturers who simply use the tent poles and/or exterior guyouts to maximize interior volume.

Despite all the volumizing features, the living space of the Hornet Ultralight is on the small side. While the small packed size of the Hornet Ultralight is the obvious advantage it comes at the expense of the interior space. While not at a deal-breaker, if you are a big person and hope to share the tent with another, just be aware that it’s going to be tight.

The single-pole design of the Hornet Ultralight 2P Tent is a slimmed-down version of other single pole systems and really helps to reduce weight and packed size. The one downfall is that this design means this tent is not freestanding; not a big deal, staking the corners out is a non-issue and can be done with rocks if the ground is impenetrable. 

The guyouts deserve a special mention as they are a standout feature. Each guyout features tensioners which are all made of reflective materials to reduce tripping hazards when the light of day fades. The inner guyouts are easy to clip the inner wall to the outer, and the space created from doing so is a big plus (literally). 

Other features that make this a great tent are the Light Pocket which I found to actually be quite effective for use at night and it casts a nice, even light to illuminate the tent. Also, the Divvy dual-stage stuff sack is also pretty cool, offering two ways to pack the tent.

The one feature of this tent that initially put me off is the short rain fly at the head of the tent. The cut is such that it keeps the fly tight without the need for guyouts and the design increases ventilation… but I’m wary of how it would hold up in a real storm since it does not fully cover the tent body. When I tested the Hornet Ultralight, we experienced light rain, which was fine, we stayed dry. When I got home I put the tub wall under a tap, cupped my hand, and filled it up; no moisture came through despite my best efforts so it proved that the design did indeed work.

A couple of really simple design features that aren’t really “added tech” make this tent extra liveable. The door layout, both on the tent body and the vestibule, is so great. Both are easy to reach from the comfort of your sleeping bag. No awkward fumbling or reaching, and no awkward climb out of the vestibule, just put your feet outside the tent body and you can stand up. My girlfriend thought the tub floor was a little high at the door, but it didn't bother me. 

On the whole, this is a fantastic tent. The packed size and weight make it really appealing to any backpacker, and the long list of features make it a comfortable and cozy place to hang out.