Review: Nemo Equipment Dragonfly 2 Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent

Nemo Equipment touts their Dragonfly Ultralight 2-person backpacking tent as the ideal tent for lightweight liveability, and that is a legit claim. I’m 6’2,” and it provides plenty of room to sit up comfortably.

The Dragonfly is a freestanding tent which means that it uses poles and doesn’t need stakes to keep it upright. Although, I’d suggest using tent stakes unless you pitch your tent on a boulder. The poles are pre-bent for increased volume inside the tent. The floor space is 29 square feet which provide enough room for two people with long/wide sleeping mattresses. If you get caught in a massive storm with surging waves in Central Baja as I did, the single-seam tub construction provides excellent waterproof protection from floodwaters. Plus, the fly repels torrential downpours.  

The Dragonfly has a unique vestibule which provides extra room under the rainfly to store your backpack, shoes, or other items that you do not want inside your tent. It also has two doors which is a must-have if there are two people in your tent. With two doors, you don't have to crawl over your partner to get out in the morning and each person has easy access to their gear.

With color-coded anodized poles and matching webbing setting up the Dragonfly is a breeze leaving you more time to explore! 

Inside, the tent, the Dragonfly Ultralight tent has multiple storage areas to organize your things. Next to the zippered doors are mesh pockets for your essentials. In both of the top corners are two pockets with light-diffusing fabric that help cast a glow across the entire tent without blinding you or your partner. At the top of the tent is a rooftop pocket that I use for my beanie, gloves, an extra layer. All of the pockets are designed for a purpose to help organize your tent. 

For the weight weenies, the Nemo Equipment Dragonfly tent is light. It weighs in at 3 pounds 2 ounces which is fantastic for a freestanding tent. Also, the DragonFly only takes up 4.18 liters in your pack, which allows you to use a smaller pack. I typically use a 38-40L backpack for long weekends. 

After multiple trips, I haven’t found a negative other than the price being $10 more than its nearest competitor. That’s a small price to pay for a well-designed quality tent. If you are using it by yourself, I would suggest the 2-person tent. The weight penalty of 6 ounces is minimal, and the extra space is worth it. Would I recommend the Nemo Equipment Dragonfly Ultralight tent? You know it!