Freestanding vs Non-Freestanding Tents | Outdoor Life

One of many first selections it’s important to make when deciding on a backpacking tent is freestanding vs non-freestanding. Freestanding, means you don’t have to stake out the tent so as so that you can shelter inside. Non-freestanding tents use trekking poles or static poles to lift the tent, however additionally they depend on the strain from staking to remain upright.

There are execs and cons to each varieties, and we took prime tents from every class into the sector this spring on our annual backpacking gear check. Two of our favorites are the Zpacks FreeZip and Search Exterior Daylight. This premium semi-freestanding shelter and USA-made trekking pole tent spotlight one of the best qualities of every class.  

Staking

Alpine and desert environments the place uncovered rock and arduous floor abound are notoriously tough to stake into. It’s a aid on the finish of an extended day to have the ability to arrange your shelter with out worrying about discovering a patch of stake-holding floor. If most of the time you’re establishing camp on too-soft or too-hard surfaces, the peace of thoughts of a freestanding, and even semi-freestanding, tent can’t be overstated (semi-freestanding means that you could erect the tent with out stakes, however you’ll lose actual property inside). 

Should you’re utilizing a non-freestanding tent on arduous floor, it’s important to get extra artistic. You may tie your guyline to a rock or leverage your stake towards a rock. Macgyvering your setup does take time, and it may be irritating when your mountain climbing accomplice is already cooking dinner outdoors their freestanding tent.

Nevertheless, should you’re often tenting on filth, sand, or in any other case stake-friendly terrain, a trekking pole tent is a good way to avoid wasting weight and house.

Weight

Freestanding tents are heavier than trekking pole tents as a result of it’s important to carry tent poles, as an alternative of counting on the trekking poles you’re already carrying. Some non-freestanding tents provide an choice to purchase poles should you don’t all the time carry trekking poles. Based mostly on the common weights of freestanding tents vs non-freestanding tents in our backpacking gear check, going with a non-freestanding tent will prevent about half a pound.

Construction

There are a pair execs to the structured design of a freestanding or semi-freestanding tent. You may arrange the tent, after which resolve on a location primarily based on the way it’ll match. Or if you might want to transfer spots, it’s a lot simpler. There’s additionally the potential for shaking out your tent on the finish of the evening. Dumping particles out of the within of a non-freestanding tent is more durable with out poles holding the tent open.

Inside House

Throughout testing we discovered that the two-person trekking pole tents had a powerful quantity of inside house because of the A-frame design. Some semi-freestanding tents alternatively tapered to a single excessive level. Inside house varies enormously by particular person tent design, nevertheless it’s value evaluating the size.

Value

Non-freestanding tents often price lower than freestanding tents since you aren’t paying for poles. Assuming you have already got trekking poles, it’s a good way to economize. 

Sturdiness and Climate Resistance

The sturdiness and climate resistance of your shelter relies upon extra on particular person tent design than the construction class. In heavy winds a freestanding construction might need a common benefit as a result of a non-freestanding construction has extra fail factors. Whereas very sturdy, if a guyline snaps or turns into unstaked on a trekking pole tent, the entire thing may come down extra simply.

Whereas it’s commonest to see double-wall freestanding tents and single-wall non-freestanding tents, that’s not all the time the case. Double-wall tents have the added weight and setup time of a rain fly, but in addition provide one other layer of climate safety. Single-wall tents require extra air flow to keep away from condensation in your shelter as a result of there’s just one layer of climate resistant material. 

Freestanding vs Non-Freestanding Tents Subject Take a look at

Right here’s a have a look at two of our favourite ultralight tents from Outside Life’s 2024 backpacking gear check to offer you an thought of how freestanding and non-freestanding tents carry out within the area.

Freestanding Tent: Zpacks FreeZip 2P

• Dyneema Composite Material
• Weight: 2 lbs. 2 oz.
• 44 x 86 x 43 inches 
• Two doorways
• Two yr guarantee
• Worth: $900

One of many stand-out freestanding tents from Outside Life’s 2024 backpacking gear check is the Zpacks FreeZip 2P. It received one of the best improve award in our check of ultralight tents as a result of it’s bombproof in heavy winds, and weighs solely 2 kilos.

The only-wall and semi-freestanding design make it straightforward and fast to arrange and take down. This shelter is safe, homey, and maximizes a small footprint with out the stress of discovering stake-able floor. The only-wall design does invite the potential for condensation in humid or moist climate and the ultralight supplies come at an extremely excessive worth.

Non-Freestanding Tent: Seek Outside Sunlight

• Ripstop silnylon
• Weight: 2 lbs. 15 oz.
• 99 x 60 x 50 inches
• Two doorways
• Restricted lifetime guarantee 
• Worth: $450 

There’s a studying curve to developing non-freestanding tents, however the Daylight’s easy setup and revolutionary door design made it stand out to us. When you get it pitched correctly, it’s impressively sturdy. Throughout our testing it outperformed a freestanding tent on a windy ridgeline the place staking was a chore. Should you’re new to trekking pole tents, this one is simple to get the hold of. And it’s made within the USA. It simply weighs greater than most trekking pole tents, and the optionally available poles aren’t as efficient as trekking poles.

Try our area assessment of those freestanding and non-freestanding tents in our video: Top Ultralight Tents

Closing Ideas

Backpackers will all the time debate the deserves of freestanding vs non-freestanding tents, however the actuality is that they’re each succesful classes of shelters. Should you’re the kind of hiker who needs to cowl as many miles as potential and spontaneously arrange camp on the subsequent flat-ish spot you see in a snap, then a freestanding tent makes essentially the most sense for you. On the flipside, if each ounce counts and also you’re keen to be pickier together with your websites to avoid wasting half a pound, then go along with a non-freestanding design.