Guide

Lightest freestanding 2-person tents

Freestanding means no stakes required — you can pitch on a shelter platform, a slab, a gravel bar or a hut floor, and you can pick the tent up to move it. That costs weight against semi-freestanding and trekking-pole designs, and these are the tents that pay the least for it.

How this list is ordered

Only tents marked freestanding (not semi-freestanding). Ordered by minimum trail weight, lightest first.

26 tents qualify. Top of the list on that measure is the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL — 14.5 sq ft per person at 42 oz, ~$600.

#	Tent	Type	Sleeps	Sq ft each	Weight	Peak	Approx. price
1	Big Agnes Copper Spur UL	Ultralight	2	14.5 standard	42 oz	40 in	~$600
2	Durston X-Dome 2	Backpacking	2	16.0 standard	44 oz	43 in	~$519
3	Nemo Dragonfly OSMO	Ultralight	2	14.5 standard	45 oz	40 in	~$550
4	MSR Advance Pro 2	4-season	2	12.0 tight	46 oz	44 in	~$800
5	Slingfin Portal 2	Backpacking	2	13.7 tight	46 oz	44 in	~$610
6	MSR Hubba Hubba LT	Backpacking	2	16.0 standard	3 lb	40 in	~$550
7	Nemo Dagger OSMO	Backpacking	2	15.3 standard	3 lb 5 oz	43 in	~$600
8	Sea to Summit Telos Evo	Backpacking	2	14.0 standard	3 lb 8 oz	41.3 in	~$530
9	MSR Hubba Hubba HD	Backpacking	2	16.0 standard	3 lb 9 oz	40 in	~$600
10	MSR Access	4-season	2	14.5 standard	3 lb 10 oz	42 in	~$800
11	Big Agnes C Bar	Backpacking	2	14.0 standard	3 lb 11 oz	41 in	~$300
12	Nemo Kunai	4-season	2	13.0 tight	3 lb 14 oz	44 in	~$600
13	Naturehike Mongar 2	Backpacking	2	13.9 tight	4 lb	39 in	~$119
14	Kelty Grand Mesa 2	Backpacking	2	15.0 standard	4 lb 1 oz	43 in	~$150
15	Kelty Late Start 2	Backpacking	2	15.3 standard	4 lb 5 oz	40 in	~$160
16	Big Agnes Salt Creek	Backpacking	2	14.0 standard	4 lb 7 oz	44 in	~$400
17	Nemo Aurora	Backpacking	2	16.2 standard	4 lb 11 oz	44 in	~$300
18	Big Agnes Blacktail	Backpacking	2	16.5 standard	5 lb	42 in	~$300
19	REI Co-op Half Dome 2+	Backpacking	2	17.9 roomy	5 lb 1 oz	42 in	~$369
20	MSR Elixir	Backpacking	2	15.0 standard	5 lb 2 oz	41 in	~$340
21	Sea to Summit Ikos Evo	Backpacking	2	15.6 standard	5 lb 6 oz	41.3 in	~$350
22	Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel	Backpacking	2	16.5 standard	5 lb 9 oz	42 in	~$350
23	Hilleberg Allak	4-season	2	15.1 standard	6 lb 3 oz	41.3 in	~$1,385
24	Nemo Chogori	4-season	2	20.1 roomy	7 lb 1 oz	39 in	~$800
25	MSR Remote	4-season	2	16.5 standard	7 lb 4 oz	44 in	~$860
26	Mountain Hardwear Trango 2	4-season	2	20.0 roomy	8 lb 10 oz	38 in	~$1,050

Prices are approximate snapshots from the last catalog update. Floor area per person, weight per person and pad fit are our arithmetic on published figures — the formulas are on tent specs, explained.