The Best Semi-Freestanding, Hybrid Tents
What’s better–a trekking pole-supported tent, or a freestanding tent?
What if the answer might be… neither?
In my experience, the best gear out there is often an even mix of the best of both worlds. Freestanding tents can often be heavy, since they feature their own internal support system. Even collapsed, this internal frame can be tricky to pack, with many backpackers opting to strap them to the outside of their packs. Trekking pole-supported tents are lightweight, but can be tedious to set up with a system of guylines and stakes that might make choosing a campsite harder than usual.
When I go backpacking, I almost always reach for a semi-freestanding tent. They have all the benefits of freestanding tents, but are half the weight. In this post, I’m comparing six hybrid tents that I’ve personally used, including my favorite tent… and my least favorite tent.
What Makes Semi-Freestanding Tents So Special?
A semi-freestanding or hybrid tent is a shelter that can mostly stand up on its own without stakes. Typically, this style of tent needs at least two stakes, which are placed in the back corners, for a successful pitch. They’re designed to give you the headroom and ease of freestanding tents, but save you weight by cutting out unnecessary support poles and utilizing stakes. They’re lightweight and double-walled with higher, more vertical walls than freestanding tents. In my opinion, hybrid tents are truly the best of both worlds
The main benefit? The weight savings. Let’s look at the first tent on this list, which also happens to be the lightest tent on this list. Below, you’ll find a quick comparison table for all the tents on this list with weights, price, and best feature listed.
| Tent | Price | Weight | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemo Hornet Elite | $650 | 2lbs, 1oz | Most Ultralight Hybrid Tent |
| Marmot Superalloy | $430 | 2lbs, 11oz | Most Amount of Headroom |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall | $450 | 2lbs, 8oz | Storage Space & Smart Design |
| Sea to Summit Alto TR 2 | $550 | 2lbs, 15.3oz | Tent with the Most Features |
| Mountain Hardware Strato | $480 | 2lbs, 9oz | The Best Hybrid Tent for Two People |
Keep reading the rest of this post and watch my video below to get more detailed descriptions of each tent. As always, I’m sharing my honest opinions about each tent in this list. Because no piece of backpacking gear is perfect, I’m making sure to include my favorite features of each tent, and my least favorite features. Choosing a tent is a matter of knowing your camping style and the features you want to prioritize, and the breakdown below should help you choose the best semi-freestanding tent for you.
The Nemo Hornet Elite
The Lightest Semi-Freestanding Tent
At 2lbs, 1oz (a full ounce lighter than the next tent on this list,) this is the lightest hybrid tent that I’ve found. This was my go-to tent for years. It features a blend of nylon and polyester fabric, which gives it exceptional strength and has very little stretch when it’s wet.
There are a couple downsides to be aware of as well. It has very little headroom, and the shortest crossbar out of any of the other tents on this list at only 8 inches across. It can technically accommodate two people, but only if each person has narrow, 20-inch wide pads. At $650, it’s a full $100 more expensive than the next most expensive tent on this list. All hybrid tents will be pricey, but this is by far the most expensive.
If saving weight is your highest priority though, this is a solid tent that has served me well for many years.
Marmot Superalloy
Best Tent for Headroom
At $430, this tent is significantly less expensive than the Nemo Hornet, but is still a lot of money for a tent. At 2lbs, 11 oz., it is on the heavier side of what would be considered “ultralight,” but is certainly not the heaviest semi-freestanding tents.
The major advantage it has over the Hornet is that this tent offers one of the widest crossbars, giving you near-vertical walls on the outside and a lot of headroom for a more “roomy”-feeling enclosure. Like the Nemo, you still wouldn’t be able to accommodate two wide sleeping pads, but you can squeeze two people into this tent in a pinch.
This tent also has a pretty unique design. All the other tents on this list have poles that hold out the front two corners, with stakes on the back. The Marmot has stakes out front and poles in the back. This “backwards” design would normally impact your headroom, but the longer crossbar helps to eliminate the need for a higher yoke on the front of the tent.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall
Best in Storage & High Quality Design
This is one of my favorite tents of the list. At 2lbs, 8oz, it’s very lightweight. It also has a crossbar that measures 33 inches across the near-vertical walls, making it great for head and shoulder room. You’ll pay for this ultralight design though, to the tune of about $450. But, you’ll find that this tent is way more functional than even some of the more expensive tents on this list.
My favorite feature of this tent is the design’s focus on functional, high-quality storage. This tent has a huge mesh pocket that spans the entire width of this tent. Most tents on this list give you small pockets that might hold a phone if you’re lucky, but in this tent, I’ve been able to put entire puffy jackets in the pockets. I wish that more tent manufacturers focused on functional storage in their designs, because it’s things like this that make a difference in how high-quality and thoughtful the design feels.
It’s definitely a unique, lightweight, and high-quality tent, but as with all the others, you really can’t squeeze in wide sleeping pads. It’s a very comfortable, functional tent for one person, but two people–even with all that storage space–would likely feel a little cramped.
Sea to Summit Alto TR2
The Tent with the Most Features
This tent comes with the most amount of features of any on this list. Its whopping 2lbs, 15.3 oz will give you features like wide crossbars that hold the walls straight and taut, and big peak vents that keep condensation to a minimum. This tent was designed with storage and function in mind as well, with split stuff sacks that convert to pockets on the inside, and has an interesting multi-functional features as well: the pole bag converts into a light bar. While all these features might seem gimmicky, none of the other tents on this list have this many features, and the light bar does a great job of lighting up a tent at night–even with the light from a headlamp or your phone.
All of these extra features will cost you though–at $550, it’s the second most expensive tent on this list, and also the heaviest tent on this list. Even with all that weight, though, you’ll struggle to squeeze in a friend that can help you carry the weight: the floor of this tent still isn’t wide enough to accommodate anything wider than two 20-inch pads.
It’s also worth noting that this is the only tent I’ve had break in the field. One of the poles snapped in a wind storm in the middle of the night as I was using it, but Sea to Summit did repair it free of charge.
Mountain Hardware Strato
The Roomiest Hybrid Tent
If you want a semi-freestanding tent that can actually accommodate two people, the Mountain Hardware Strato is the perfect tent for you. The floor of this tent measures 50” across, from head to foot, with no tapering. It doesn’t have as wide of a crossbar as the other tents on this list, so you’ll take a slight hit to your headroom, but from my experience, it wasn’t that bad and definitely worth having the space for two wide pads.
One complaint that I had about this tent was the rain fly. While I love the white rain fly of this tent, since it diffuses light really well, I never felt like I could get the tension right and keep the fly taut. The fly sags even more when you get it wet. That being said, out of all the tents on this list, it’s the first one I would grab for a trip. And at $480, and 2lbs, 9oz, it’s lighter than other tents on this list and a very reasonable price for a name-brand ultralight tent.
Need help choosing the best sleeping pad for one of these tents? Click below to watch my latest video on the best and worst sleeping pads I’ve used in my years of backpacking.
Which tent would you choose from this list? Tell me in the comments below:
