Free-standing vs. Non-Free-standing Tents (both opinions wanted)

[Stuart .]

My shelter choices have evolved over the last couple of years after a decade-long layoff from backpacking. I started with a BA Copper Spur UL3 then added a Copper Spur UL1. Both are fine tents, but I had a few niggles with the cross-pole construction that helped to maximize interior headroom but impaired access when the flysheet was attached. I looked around at other FS tents, and saw a big weight penalty over NFS (I do use trekking poles). I now use a DuoMid and Kaitum 3, and am about to buy a Stratospire 2. My only FS shelter is a dedicated winter tent, the Hilleberg Soulo, specifically for its snowloading abilities. Not all NFS tents are tricky to pitch – my Kaitum 3 sets up in less than half the time my BA CS UL3 took, and only requires four stakes (but offers more more points to handle strong winds).

[Jeff Bullard]

@Dean Here are some pictures from our last trip. This is on the Colorado Plateau a pretty good ways above the Grand Canyon.

Utah
Utah
Utah
Utah
Utah
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn43/Dallasjeff/utah1_resize.jpg

In this terrain a FS tent was the better choice IMHO. I'm probably different than most here but I rarely ever stake. Part lack of necessity and part lazy. Maybe once in 15 or 20 nights of camping. Setting up the tent is usually the last thing I do before bed unless storms are rolling in. But only if necessary – a lot of nights I just put the thermarest on the ground and don't set up the tent at all. It seemed to be the 'year of the black widow' on our last trip so most nights were inside the tent.

We're going back to S Utah for 12 days of backpacking Escalante Aug 29th. Can't wait. It will be an unstaked FS tent for me.

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

A freestanding tent with 11 stakes?
http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/Brand/Terra_Nova/Tents/Solar_Photon_1_Tent.html

[Franco Darioli]

Free is one of the most powerful words in advertising.
If you have a $25 item that costs $5 to post, advertise it at $29.95 with FREE postage.
You sell more that way.
Franco

[Tom Lyons]

I never tried a freestanding tent.
Every tent I ever had, even all the way back to my Cub Scout pup tent, was non-freestanding.

I guess I never had a use for one.

[Erik Basil]

I've been using tents since before free-standing backpacking tents were readily available, and I still use an old NFS tent I've had since the 1970's. The development of NFS tents that are light, don't fall down easily and don't SUCK is relatively recent and it's downright funny to read comments from people that clearly just don't know any better.

I think that, if you find a tent you like that's NFS and it meets your needs. Go for it. Of course, in terms of non-tent "shelters", NFS is the way to go for super light stuff you can put up quickly.

In the alternative, if you'd like to be bug free, to have more location options, to have more storm-worthiness and don't mind the weight penalty, then check out the variety of pretty darn light FS tents out there.

You pay for quality with dollars, and you pay for certain conveniences and functionality with grams, ounces and pounds.

I have a buddy who uses a bivy bag and a low tarp and can set it up quickly and effectively darn near anywhere. His rig weighs less than half of what my Copper Spur UL2 does and takes way, way less space up in/on the backpack. His set up doesn't fall over unless someone trips over the guylines and it holds up in wind so far as I've seen. Pretty cool and totally NFS. In August, while I was ensconced in the relatively giant and heavy 3.5lb setup I use for my free-standing UL2, during a 14 hour rainstorm with occasional hail and tent-shuddering winds, I was dry, had room to set out gear for drying in my vestibules, was able to sit up in my tent and had a marathon game of cards with my son who came over to visit from his free-standing tent during the storm. I thought of the UL option, the NFS tent I could have used instead and how much fun that would have been. Could the UL/NFS option have worked? No doubt.

Bahahahaahaha!!!!! I'll carry the extra pound and a half in the High Sierra. 8 stakes will do me fine.

[Paul McLaughlin]

For me, it depends on where you're going. In the Sierra, I often camp on nice smooth flat granite slabs. They make a nice comfortable home for me, and in those situations, a freestanding tent is so much easier that it's worth the extra weight to me. But beware – most tents that are called freestanding require stakes for the fly, and so can only be stakeless if you don't use the fly.

And yes, I could find sites where I could get stakes into the ground nearly everywhere I go – it's just that I like the slabs better. A matter of taste, and selecting gear to suit that taste.

[Aaron]

I think the point that most free standing tents must be staked down is a good one, but it is also important to note a plus for FS tents: when they come unstaked, they generally don't lose all of their structure and fall on your face.

[Stephen M]

I have two free standing tents (1p & 2p) and two non free standing tents (1p & 3p)
The non free standing tents are at roomier and lighter for the weight but then the free standing ones are technically stronger and can handle snow loads better

I tend to use the 1p non free standing most of the year round and the 1p free standing is for when heavy snow is forecast.

The others are for year round use.

[Sam Farrington]

Maybe it would be helpful to call the FS tents 'self supporting,' or 'SS.'

In any case, what weight would make a FS tent competitive with NFS?
For example, would a high volume, roomy FS solo tent with front and back vestibules that weighed under 2 lbs, no more than a TT Moment without the cross pole, be considered BPL worthy? Would there be any point in marketing such a tent? Or have NFS tents become the rule for BPL?

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

I think freestanding should be called a tent that needs the least amount of stakes. Many so called "freestanding" tents need 7 or more stakes while there are others that aren't freestanding that need only 4 or even 2 (tarptent moment).

[Robert Blean]

Note that there are some truly freestanding tents — they are fully erected with no pegs. Of course even with those you need to use pegs to help stabilize them in heavy winds. (I am thinking of some of the Hilleberg tents; we'll ignore the Whillans Box.)

[Ken Thompson]

I like the idea of calling them self supporting

The Unna just needs them to keep things taught. 6 will do the trick if winds are light.

[Jim Colten]

This is yet another discussion that makes the case that there is no single good solution to many (most?) backcountry camping needs.

[Ken Thompson]

So true Jim. The manufacturers got to love that.

[Ross Bleakney]

Yes, there are trade-offs. Typically, a free standing tents is staked down. Rocky surfaces have, well, rocks to use as anchors. The difference is that if one or even several stakes come loose while you are inside it, it isn't the end of the world.

As mentioned, one of the key advantages of a free standing tent (and this outweighs the staking issue in my opinion) is the ability to easily move the tent. With a free standing tent, you can pick up the tent, and twirl it, move it over a bit this way or that to get just the right layout. As a guy who typically uses a non-free standing tent, this is one thing I really miss. To make matters worse, many of the non-free standing tents are designed to face into the wind. This means that there is another reason to want to spin the tent (other than just avoiding a surface feature, such as a root).

Most non-free standing tents use one or two poles for support. I really like this. Not only does this mean that I can use a trekking pole to save weight, but it means the pole will be really strong. Making a curve via a pole adds stress. Making it really long adds even more. On the other hand, using a trekking pole means that I have an extremely strong pole to support my tent. With most free standing tents, if I leaned on the top of the tent (from outside) and put my weight on it, the thing would snap. On the other hand, I do that all the time with my trekking poles. Even if you don't use trekking poles, the same sort of thing applies. The pole(s) for a non-free standing tent can be much lighter and stronger (at the same time) than the poles for a free standing tent.

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