FreeLite 1

My MSR Freelite 1 working well second year; always with groundsheet. Mostly running with it, but last summer used it on bike tour. Double walled - no condensation.

I'm using the MSR Freelite 1 in the UK, and it's fine. I saw on YouTube that you can pitch the rainfly first, but I didn't try it. I used that guy's method to pitch only the outer on a warm spring night.

Looking at the poles will tell you quite a bit about sturdiness. The Freelite 1 uses DAC NFL 8.7mm poles with a forked design. So one end of the tent has essentially 2 archs of 8.7mm while the other end has a single arch of 8.7mm. That would be comparable in sturdiness to other tents that also use a forked arch of 8.7mm, such as Big Agnes Fly Creek and Tiger Wall, and Nemo Hornet. Tents that use essentially dual arches of 8.7mm at both ends are going to be sturdier, like X-Dome 1+ but also BA Copper Spur, MSR Hubba, and many others. Easton Carbon 3.9 is very similar to DAC 8.7 mm in sturdiness. Then both brands of tent pole makers make numerous stiffer options but with higher weights that would likely put the tent over your 1 kg goal.

I definitely struggled to get a proper pitch. It's easier with a trekking pole or adjustable carbon pole (the SMD pole is absolutely not the right choice it's too flimsy). I've had to reattach the front guyline, it tore off and the zippers seem pretty flimsy but that's par for the course with tents like this.  The bathtub invariably lies flat at the back of the tent so I imagine you could get some water in there if it really poured but maybe that's to do with pitch.  It's shape gives you some extra room but in practice it's fairly negligible because the back and side walls are sloped more than a typical mid. I thought it would be good for camping with a dog but the back wall is so sloped that there isn't really a lot of space for my medium sized dog (she pushes the back wall up with her back even curled in a ball). I don't think it's bad but by the time you include all the stakes it needs, and add up all the downsides I tend to just take my freelite (it only weighs a bit more and is way more comfortable/drier) or a dyneema mid.

I started using an MSR freelite one in my mix and I am quite fond of it. It's semi freestanding. It's gotten me through some severe storms and insects with ease.

I have the MSR Freelite which is a lighter and thinner tent than yours and have had no issues at all. I’m certainly not reckless with the tent but no one would ever accuse me of babying my gear.