No, free-standing is NOT worth the extra weight and pole. I聮m all for free-standing tents聴I use them a lot聴but part of their rationale is ease of use and the ability to set them up in a storm聴and on a showroom floor, for that matter. To stay upright they must have enough poles to form a self-supporting tripod.
REI Quarter Dome T2
Quarter Dome T2For the most part, the lightest tents out there still need stakes for full support (keep in mind, so do freestanding tents, so they don聮t blow off in the wind). That would include a tent such as 聮s Sprite 1 ($150), a so-called 聯tunnel” style tent that has two hoop poles and stakes at the end. By eliminating a third pole, weight is cut to three pounds. 聮 Light Year is almost identical in size, price, and weight.
聮s Quarter Dome T1 ($179) is a self-supporting tent that is competitive with tunnel tents in weight, mainly by using lots of mesh in the canopy (not so good in cold weather). The two-person version, the T2, is $259.
I think you聮re best off getting a two-person tent for the two of you. If you got a T2, you聮d be looking at just under two pounds per person. Same for a tent such as the Aura 2P ($299). Plus, it聮s easier to find one tent site than two. And you have the chance to share warm thoughts with each other during the long nights.
But if a one-person tent is the decision, get a Sprite 1 or Light Year.
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