Nordisk Oppland 3 LW Review

Overview

The Oppland 3 LW is a highly versatile and spacious tent, weighing just 2080g. The inner width of 190cm makes it one of the widest 3-person tents on the market, with plenty of space for three, plus room for storage, cooking, and living in the large porch.

It’s a double-wall silnylon tunnel tent built around premium materials — DAC Featherlite NFL poles, Dyneema guy lines, and a paper-thin 10D flysheet — making it a genuine ultralight option for groups who don’t want to suffer for their grams. Note that the Oppland 3 LW has been discontinued; its successor, the Oppland 3 LW (2.0), carries most of the same DNA with a few refinements.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	2,080 g
Capacity	3 person
Construction	Tunnel (3-pole)
Inner Dimensions	225 × 190 × 110 cm
Outer Dimensions	430 × 210 × 120 cm
Packed Size	13 × 48 cm
Flysheet	10D 100% nylon ripstop, 3-layer silicone coating, 30 g/m², HH 2,000 mm
Groundsheet	20D nylon ripstop, PU coating, HH 8,000 mm
Poles	9.3 mm DAC Featherlite NFL, green anodized aluminum (×3)
Guy Lines	2 mm Dyneema
Wind Tested	20 m/s
Doors	1 (updated to 2 in 2.0 version)
Discontinued	Yes
Comparison	See how Oppland 3 LW compares to similar gear

Performance

Space and Livability

This is where the Oppland 3 LW is genuinely hard to beat. At 1.98 kg (without footprint), it is by far the most spacious tent for its weight. The total length of 4.3 m, width of 2.1 m, and height of 1.2 m means you can sit comfortably in the vestibule and cook even in the rain. That 190 cm interior width is remarkable — most 3-person tents are meaningfully narrower, and this one actually fits three adults side by side without negotiation. Users have reported being able to store camping chairs in the vestibule without taking them apart, which gives you a sense of the scale. The inner tent can also be unhooked entirely, creating even more free space when you just need a covered living area.

Weather Resistance

The flysheet’s 2,000 mm hydrostatic head sounds modest, but silnylon works differently from PU-coated fabrics. Nordisk LW models use 10D nylon sealed with a unique 3-layer silicone coating on both sides — combined, this offers low weight and a small pack size, along with strong inherent water repellency. In practice, even in nasty weather conditions, the tent performed well, braving gusts of up to 90 km/h and more than 12 hours of continuous rain without a drop getting inside — though that was after proactive seam treatment.

Seams are the one area requiring attention. Because silicone-coated fabric can’t be taped, Nordisk folds the seams four times — every stitch passes through four layers of flysheet — and uses an expanding cotton-blend thread that seals when wet. Nordisk says this is sufficient, but real-world testers frequently recommend applying a silicone seam sealer before any extended trip in wet conditions. One long-distance user reported leaking at seams on a trip to Swedish Lapland without pre-treatment. The safe play: seal the seams before you go.

Wind and Structure

The aerodynamic tunnel construction provides excellent strength

, and the tent is wind-tested to 20 m/s. That said, tunnel tents have a known limitation:

a tunnel tent isn’t going to cope well with swirling, omnidirectional winds.

You want an end pitched into the prevailing wind for optimal stability. In normal 3-season conditions — where you can orient your pitch — this is a non-issue, but it’s worth factoring in for exposed ridgelines or unpredictable alpine terrain.

Setup

Even after a long day out, pitching the Oppland is straightforward. The three Featherlite aluminium poles glide into the sleeves without snagging, and you can be done inside 10 minutes.

The outer tent pitches first with the inner tent attaching via quick-clip hooks — useful in rain. In a pinch, the tent can be pitched with as few as five pegs.

Ventilation and Condensation

The Oppland 3 has a large vent at each end of the tent and with one door, it offers a variety of possibilities for optimal ventilation and a great indoor climate.

Multiple users report low condensation when both vents are open and the rear end faces into the wind. In warm, humid conditions condensation does accumulate on the inside of the fly — standard behavior for any double-wall tent — but the gap between inner and outer is generous enough that it rarely transfers to sleeping gear if you’re not pressing against the fabric.

Durability

After use across all four seasons — from summer heat waves to winter storms — the tent still looks and performs like new, with nothing frayed, ripped, or sagged.

The 10D flysheet is thin by any measure; it doesn’t feel bombproof in hand, but the ripstop weave carries an 8 kg tearing strength and the silicone coating adds flexibility. Treat it carefully around sharp surfaces and it will last.

The one recurring issue across long-term users is zippers — YKK hardware, but zippers don’t last forever in harsh conditions.

Clean them regularly and carry a spare slider.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Extraordinary space-to-weight ratio — genuinely roomy for three adults at just over 2 kg
• 190 cm inner width is best-in-class for a 3-person tunnel tent
• Premium hardware throughout: DAC Featherlite NFL poles, Dyneema guy lines, reflective guy-line threads for nighttime visibility
• Large vestibule handles wet-weather cooking and gear storage without compromising sleeping space
• Inner tent can be removed to maximize covered living area
• Wind-tested to 20 m/s; proven in real-world gusts to 90 km/h
• Fast, logical pitch; outer-first design works well in rain
• Excellent long-term durability reported by multiple extended-use testers

Cons

• Discontinued — finding new stock requires hunting clearance channels
• Premium price (was ~€900 at retail); not a casual purchase
• Only one door — a significant ergonomic limitation for three sleepers; the 2.0 version corrects this
• Seams are not factory-taped; proactive seam sealing strongly recommended for extended wet-weather use
• 4.3 m footprint demands a long, flat pitch site — not ideal for tight campsites or technical terrain
• Tunnel geometry penalizes sideways or swirling wind — requires deliberate orientation
• A footprint is recommended, and it’s sold separately (adds ~0.75 kg if carried)
• Three-season only; all Nordisk trekking tents are designed as 3-season, with winter use possible only in milder conditions.

Who Should Buy This

This tent is tailor-made for a duo or trio of backpackers who are serious about shared-carry weight but refuse to live in a coffin-sized shelter. Two people splitting 2 kg between them — roughly 1 kg each — get a legitimate living space rather than just a sleeping space. It also suits fastpacking teams, cycle tourers, and bikepacking partners who want a basecamp feel in a small pack. It is not the right call for solo backpackers, for anyone expecting omni-directional winter storms, or for anyone unwilling to apply seam sealer before a wet-weather trip.

Verdict

The Nordisk Oppland 3 LW carved out a legitimate niche as one of the most space-efficient 3-person tents ever made. At 2,080 g with a 190 cm-wide interior and a full-length vestibule, it offers a combination of livability and weight that very few competitors have matched. Its discontinuation is a genuine loss for the category — but if you can find remaining stock at a clearance price, it’s worth serious consideration. Just seal the seams before you go anywhere wet, and accept that the single-door design is a real inconvenience when three people are trying to get in and out. Rating: 8/10.