NEMO Dragonfly OSMO Bikepack 1P vs Sea to Summit Alto TR1
Two shelters, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The Dragonfly OSMO Bikepack 1P takes pole length and pitching on hard ground; the Alto TR1 takes weight, floor space and headroom. On a bike the pole set usually decides it before the rest do.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.
Where they differ
5 of the 7 things we can measure come out differently.
Folded pole length
82mm shorter on the Dragonfly OSMO Bikepack 1PThe length of the pole set broken down, which is what decides whether it goes across your bars. Almost no maker publishes it, which is why this comparison is hard to find anywhere else. The verdict beside each is for drop bars.
Minimum weight
114g lighter on the Alto TR1Trail weight where the maker publishes one — fly, inner and poles, without the stuff sacks or the footprint. Worth reading against the pole length rather than instead of it: a Bikepack edition is usually a few grams heavier for shorter poles.
Pitching
Dragonfly OSMO Bikepack 1P needs less from the groundFreestanding matters on a bike trip more than on a hike: gravel bars, wooden platforms and hardpack are where you end up when you are following a road, and none of them take a stake.
Floor area
0.30m² more floor in the Alto TR1Inner length by inner width as published. On a bike trip the floor also has to take whatever you brought inside off the bike, so a few centimetres is not nothing.
Peak height
8cm more headroom in the Alto TR1Whether you can sit up, which decides how a rained-out afternoon goes.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| NEMO Dragonfly OSMO Bikepack 1P | Sea to Summit Alto TR1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Folded pole length | 368mm — tight on drop bars | 450mm — too long for drop bars |
| Pole figure source | Maker's own pole figure | Packed bag length, used as a proxy |
| Minimum weight | 1050g | 936g |
| Pitching | Freestanding | semi |
| Floor area | 224 × 89cm — 1.99m² | 215 × 107cm — 2.29m² |
| Peak height | 100cm | 108cm |
| Price | $400 | $380 |