Review: NEMO Hornet Storm 1P: A lightweight solo tent with near-perfect balance

NEMO, a new outdoor gear manufacturer founded in the United States in 2002, is a cutting-edge manufacturer that has always focused on adventurers, incorporating essential tools and features with unexpected and original ideas. As you'd expect from a manufacturer founded on tents, they continue to release new products and updated versions of existing tents almost every year

Among them, the Hornet Storm is a lightweight model in NEMO's tent lineup designed for ultralight backpacking. The 2019 model has undergone several updates and is highly refined, making it a representative NEMO tent that is lightweight yet can be used safely by a wide range of users, not just ultralight hikers. In this article, we will share our impressions of using the Hornet Storm solo tent

Hornet Storm 1P general features

The Hornet Storm 1P is the lightest solo tent in NEMO . Despite being a freestanding double-wall tent with a fly over the main body, it boasts an ultra-lightweight weight of less than 800g, including the main body, fly, and poles. Not only is it lightweight, but thanks to various innovations, it maintains the essential tent functionality, such as livability and weather resistance. The 2019 model features several updates incorporating NEMO's unique ideas, improving comfort and livability while achieving a better balance between weight and tent performance.

Recommended points

• Very light
• livability
• Wind resistance

Points of interest

• Bottom strength
• Resistance to rain

Main specifications and evaluation

Detailed Review

The parts are the main body, fly, pole, and peg. The storage is divided into three

Storage is divided into three sections: the main body, fly, poles, and pegs

The storage bag for the main body and flies is double-layered, and when extended, it can be stored together with the poles, allowing you to store everything together. This is convenient when you have extra packing capacity

The storage bag for the main body and flies is stretchable, so the pole can be stored together

Y- when unfolded . The forked end is black and the other end is yellow. This color coding matches the color of the pole connectors on the tent body, making it easy to set up intuitively and without mistakes.

There is only one pole, which is color-coded yellow and black, making it very convenient when setting up

Part of the black pole is not straight but slightly curved, which allows the unit to be lifted without tension, improving durability and helping to expand the interior space

The pole is curved in some parts, which contributes to expanding the indoor area and improving durability

Six aluminum pegs are included. The minimum number of pegs required is six. Guidelines are also included for setting up in strong winds, but if you use these, you will need extra pegs

Six pegs are included. Each peg has a string attached to make it easy to remove and find if you lose it

782g , weighing in at its lowest ( 364g 207g fly 211g poles 800g . Each peg weighs 15g , so for the minimum required number of six comes to 90g. Each storage bag weighs 27g main body, 10g poles, and 8g pegs. Even when including the storage bags , the total weight is still just 917g, less than 1000g, making it extremely light.

The simplicity of the setup is almost perfect

Now we will set it up in order

The tent will stand on its own if you connect the poles to the matching colored pole connectors on the main body. While it will stand on its own just by connecting the poles, it is more stable and allows for maximum use of the interior space if you use pegs on the four corners. The corners of the single Y-shaped pole are not fixed, so pegs are essential

The Y-shaped pole is connected to the main body to make it self-standing. The pole connection part of the main body is color-coded, so you can set it up without any hesitation

All that's left to do is hang the main body's hook on the pole and the setup is complete

There are two very distinctive points on the body

The first is at the two corners of one of the Y-shaped poles. These two points are secured in place by two strings, and between the bases of these strings are rigid rod-like parts called corner struts. Thanks to these parts, the grey part can stand upright, stabilizing the interior space

One of the short sides is pulled by two strings, and between them is a rod-shaped part called a corner strut

Another feature is the propeller-like part attached to the pole. This part, called the Flybar Volumizing Pole Clip, works to stably expand the ceiling space when the fly sheet is put on. According to NEMO, it expands by about 10%. It certainly does seem to expand when you put the fly sheet on, but more importantly, this part seems to improve the wind circulation around the ceiling

The flybar volumizing pole clip expands the ceiling space by approximately 10%, improving ventilation

All that's left to do is put the fly sheet on top and you're done. It will be much more stable if you secure the long side on the entrance side and the long side on the opposite side with pegs

Cover with the fly sheet and you're done!

The flysheet and main body can be attached with one touch as shown in the photo, and the other is very easy to attach, as you just need to hook the string onto the peg that secures the main body and apply tension

The main body and fly sheet can be fixed with one touch

Simple and uncluttered living space

The fly can be rolled up on the left half, the entrance side. The main body is made of 10D nylon, which has almost no breathability, so there is almost no breathability in this state. The entrance is very wide, almost half the size of the long side

Only one entrance can be opened or closed

This large entrance is double-layered and can be made into a mesh. If you open it fully, you can get a fairly large vent. However, the vent is only in the mesh part of this entrance

Most of the entrances can be meshed

The interior is spacious, at 2.0 m² (221 cm x 79/108 cm), which is plenty of room for a solo tent. The ceiling is nearly 100 cm, so it doesn't feel cramped. The long side is 221 cm, so there's still plenty of room even if you lay down a regular-sized mat

The room is spacious enough for one person

The ceiling is equipped with a light pocket, and when the headlights are turned on, the opaque fabric diffuses the light, illuminating the entire interior

There is a light pocket on the ceiling

There is a good-sized mesh pocket next to the entrance. It is stretchy, so you can store even slightly bulky items

There is one mesh pocket next to the entrance

The vestibule is large enough for a solo camper (0.7 m²) and provides ample space for storing wet items and shoes, cooking, etc. However, the fly is positioned high, so rain may splash in during rainy weather

The space in the vestibule is large enough for simple cooking or for storing a lot of shoes

Actual impressions after using it

A great balance of weight and comfort as a solo tent

Despite having only one pole, the interior space is very spacious and tall, making it sufficient for a solo tent. This is made possible by various ingenious features, such as the propeller-shaped flybar volume-increasing pole clips and corner struts that keep the corners of the tent upright. With this much living space, you can live very comfortably

Looking out from inside, the large entrance creates a sense of openness, making it hard to believe you're inside a solo tent

The entrance is large, giving it a very open feel

This large entrance/vent hole provides excellent breathability and prevents stuffiness under normal circumstances. Closing the fly may seem like it would be airtight and restrict airflow, but one of the short side flies is slightly shorter, allowing wind to flow in even when the fly is completely closed during rain. There is no direct ventilation system with the outside, so we can't say the ventilation is outstanding, but it does ensure the minimum level of breathability even during rain or strong winds

The fly on this side is a little shorter, so it can attract wind

However, if you close the fly and the mesh at the entrance, the main body is made of breathable nylon, so no wind can get in. In fact, strong winds blew frequently during the test, but we never felt any cold air coming from outside. Depending on the condition of the tent, it is possible to achieve both breathability and wind resistance

It didn't rain during the test, but since the fly is short, it seems like the body of the jacket would be more likely to get wet in the event of rain splashes. The body of the jacket is not waterproof (only the bottom is), so you might be concerned if you were caught in an unexpected downpour

Speaking of strong winds, this time we used only six pegs and did not use guidelines. However, although the strong winds did wake me up, the tent felt very stable and I had no worries

The body and fly are made of 10D nylon, which contributes to a significant weight reduction. Of course, being 10D means that it may lack some durability, but since it's a lightweight tent weighing less than 800g, some sacrifices are unavoidable

However, I think the bottom could have been made of a thicker fabric. The bottom is made of waterproof 15D nylon, but it still feels insufficient. Pitching it directly on the ground was fine on grassland like this time, but depending on the location, you'll need to be extra careful. It's especially important to be careful about scratches on rocks and other objects. A dedicated footprint is also available as an option, so it might be worth considering

Blue is a rare color in nature, so the blue string attached to the pegs actually serves as a useful marker if you lose track of them. Even if you hammer the pegs into hard ground, you can easily pull the string to remove them

The blue string attached to the peg makes it easy to find if you lose it, and also helps you remove it when packing up

As expected, thanks to the thin fabric, storage is very easy. The storage bag and fly in particular are silicone-coated, so they slide easily and you can just stuff them in without having to fold them neatly. However, the corner struts, the rod-shaped parts that expand the living space of the main body, are a bit tricky. They are quite hard, so when I tried to roll it up for storage, they got in the way and made it difficult to roll up properly. Keeping these in mind when storing the main body will lead to a stress-free pack-down

Summary: Recommended for these people

NEMO is a cutting-edge tent manufacturer that releases models that reflect new ideas almost every year. While the Hornet Storm is their lightest model, they don't just focus on weight reduction; they continue to evolve without sacrificing other important functionality, such as livability. Despite being ultra-lightweight, weighing less than 800g, this mountain tent offers ample living space and excellent weather resistance and breathability. The fabric itself is not very durable overall, so it may not be suitable for use as a full-fledged mountain tent in heavy snowfall, but it will serve as a highly capable, all-purpose solo tent that can be used in a variety of fields throughout the year

However, because it is an ultralight tent, it is not as durable or strong. If you keep this in mind, it will be an excellent and reliable companion for UL hikers and fast packers

NEMO (NEMO Equipment) Hornet Storm 1P NM-HNTST-1P

created by Rinker

NEMO Equipment (NEMO)

• Amazon
• Rakuten Market
• Yahoo Shopping

   

Related reading

Review: NEMO TANI 1P - A Japanese-made tent that is always cool and comfortable, yet sturdy and lightweight

Review: NEMO Daggerstorm 2P - A dome-shaped tent with a spacious interior! A mountain tent that boasts outstanding livability and balance

[An Honest Review] NEMO Dragonfly Bike Pack 1P: It's a waste to keep it just for touring! A comfortable and convenient freestanding tent for hiking

Review: NEMO ANDI 1P: A single-wall tent that is lightweight, comfortable, and quick to set up