Nemo Dagger 3P $949

Used by: Matthew ‘give me space’ Cattin
Used for: Five months

After years of squeezing into a two-person tent, I decided there had to be more to life. I wanted a tent roomy enough for comfortable car camping trips, but light enough to carry in my pack.

After months of deliberating, Nemo’s three-person Dagger ticked those boxes and more. With a packed weight of 1950g, it’s more than a kilogram lighter than my previous two-person tent – though not as durable and limited to three-season use.

Pitching is dead simple. The DAC Featherlite poles extend as one and connect to the tent’s corner anchors via ball and socket joints. The colour coordinated fly takes out any guesswork, and even with one person, it’s up in minutes. Pre-bent poles and a wide cross-pole provide ample headroom in the interior, two 1.1m2 vestibules provide space for packs and the 4m2 floor area offers plenty of space for two or three at a squeeze.

The inner is largely mesh, which makes for excellent ventilation and stargazing opportunities, and small pockets hold multiple stuff sacks and night time essentials. And then there is the thoughtful extras; two nifty ceiling pockets made from light-diffusing fabric are perfect for head torch ambience, and reflective guys reduce trip hazards.

So far as durability goes, the 3000mm floor does feel a little light, so I’ve bought a footprint for peace of mind, which also enables pitching with just the poles and fly, for summer ultralight missions.

Verdict: The perfect compromise of weight and space.