I suspect the answers are going to be:
— They're all pretty similar in the barely-over-two-pound weight category.
— Why am I not considering a non-freestanding design? (Okay, that's a question back at me, not really an answer.)
— Why am I not considering some sort of floorless or partial-floor design? (Ditto.)
So anyway, expanding the criteria beyond the subject header:
— Not concerned about four-season use. (Have a Rab Summit Extreme for that.)
— Not concerned about true two-person roominess. (Have gotten along just dandy with my touring partner in the diminutive aforementioned Rab Summit Extreme.)
— Do want freestanding. (But don't mind if the corners have to be staked out, as seems like some of the newer minimalist freestanding designs use the poles to provide structural support, although some corners might require stakes — yet then again, stakes are required anyway to keep these tents from blowing away.)
— Am concerned that some of the door designs (BA Fly Creek?) might let in lots of rain during entry/exit.
— Not interested in various tarp designs and other floorless designs etc, as well as requiring the use of a ski pole, etc.
Leading contenders seem to be (in no particular order):
Easton Mountain Products Kilo
Brooks-Range Foray
Mountain Hardware SuperMega UL 2
Terra Nova Solar Photon 2
Stephenson Warmlite 2C
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2
(Platinum version though seems to save very few ounces at the potential drawback of all-mesh walls that could let in some water from sideways rain blowing under the fly?)
Weights are very hard to compare, since what is actually included in a quoted weight varies so much — seems like the most sensible basis is just body + fly + poles, as guy lines, stakes, and stuff sacks can be mixed-and-matched from various other sources.
They all seem pretty similar though, especially since I want to achieve some significant weight savings from my BD Firstlight (at about 2 lb 14 oz for body + poles + seamsealed, excluding stakes, stuff sacks, and estimated weight of currently attached guy lines).
