I recently purchased both the Hilleberg Staika and Nammatj 3 GT. The long decision process was covered in this other thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...icycle-touring
I have yet to do an actual tour with these tents, but from my initial impressions, the tunnel concept is actually starting to win me over. Here are my thoughts:
I noticed quickly that the Nammatj 3 GT had a lot more usable space than the freestanding Staika. So what does the Staika give me that the Nammatj doesn't? They are both made of the heavy grade Kerlon 1800 materials. Well, primarily it seems to be the freestanding aspect. So let's look at that more closely.
Yes, freestanding is nice for cases where you don't have easy staking - e.g. concrete pads or sandy soil. However these conditions are usually fairly infrequent, and there are ways to deal with them (e.g. snow/sand anchors, snow/sand pegs, titanium rock pins, or even just tying off to rocks or whatever is around, or burying the stakes etc). So for that occasional convenience, you are carrying more weight for the space available. You get less space inside the tent, and less vestibule space too.
Another benefit of the Staika is its static load ability - i.e. it can take snow better. I guess if you're going into those conditions, then this might make sense. But most bicycle tourists are not going into really bad snow conditions, and we aren't camping on glaciers. The Nammatj is used by expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic - that should speak for itself. Those aren't modified, either - it's the same tent we get to buy. So I wouldn't say there's a very wide range of rough weather conditions that the Staika can handle, but the Nammatj can't. There's going to be a wide range of weathers that either can handle, and then maybe a thin band of some unusual conditions where the Staika would do better, and then there's the weather where you really don't want to be outside in any tent (i.e. tornado).
The other benefits of the freestanding tent are that you can shake it out more easily (i.e. turn it upside down) and use it as a bug net inside a motel room, and of course having two doors gives the Staika much better venting options for warm weather.
What I found myself noticing most, though, was the space inside the tents, and the huge GT vestibule on the Nammatj. To be honest, this really hit me in a big way. The noseeum mesh backing on the GT vestibule door, and the Nammatj's vents, will keep mosquitoes out of that area. This means you could retreat inside the GT vestibule to cook and eat (roll back the footprint if cooking, and the mesh door should provide enough ventilation, obviously be careful etc etc). I don't see a lot of people talk about the mesh door and vents on the Nammatj, but I have had some really bad experiences in camp with mosquitoes and midges. I would really like to have a middle ground between either being outside in the thick of it, or inside the inner tent. The GT vestibule gives me that. And it's huge. It's a really nice space - you can get all the bags for two people, plus both their front wheels inside there and still have room to cook and sit (I mention front wheels because I saw someone mention this on a German forum - it's a nice idea for a little extra security for making sure nobody can ride off with your bike).
The thing is, you are going to experience the space and weight of the tent every single day and night. Space and weight are features that favor the tunnel tent. The features that favor the freestanding tents are going to be experienced occasionally. So I think that this is a good reason to change my bias toward the tunnels. Why carry extra weight and smaller space just for an occasional benefit? Surely better to carry less weight, or a larger tent (for the same weight), which will be appreciated every single day.
Yes, people talk about how tunnel tents are loud in the wind. But how often will that really be a problem? Most times, when bicycle touring, I've been able to find somewhere relatively sheltered. It's not usually the case that I'm camping on a mountain ridge.
So what I'm left with is the impression that for your average bicycle tour, it's worth rethinking the "freestanding is better" mantra. Petra Hilleberg suggested I try out the Nammatj 3 GT because she felt it was a good option for bicycle tourists, and I thought I would be humoring her. I really thought I would prefer the Staika. But it's not happening that way! Don't get me wrong - the Staika is still a brilliant tent, and we'll certainly use it - I'm just relaying some thoughts that have occurred to me during this process. You said in your original post that you wanted freestanding - in my opinion this will exclude some really excellent potential choices. If I were you I would go for bigger space and low weight, while also thinking about what else matters (for me, the 1800 fabric, better vents and mesh backing on the Nammatj makes me prefer it over the lighter Nallo).
The only niggle about the Nammatj is the sloping foot - I don't touch it normally, even in my fluffy sleeping bag, but it is close. I can see that it will inevitably touch occasionally. But you know what, no tent is perfect. I'll see how it goes, but I think the Nammatj has good enough venting that it'll be ok. I can always just drape the rain jacket over the foot if it's getting wet from condensation. And if the weather is really hot (and no risk of rain) then you can always take the kit for pitching the inner by itself, for ultimate ventilation (but still be protected from bugs).
Oh, and one more thing: The Nammatj seems a bit more straightforward to erect than the Staika. Not that the Staika is exactly difficult, but the Nammatj is almost trivial, and just a bit faster (in my limited experience as a newbie).
I'm thinking about a Nammatj 2 GT for doing solo touring, since the 3 GT just seems way too extravagant for me by myself. I also have my eye on the Kaitum 2 for solo use, due to its vertical end walls and double doors (with mesh = nice thru draft). But the Kaitum 2 doesn't have the mesh backed vents, and the GT version just seems too darn long to me. I seem to keep coming back to the Nammatj GT. I also think the overall concept of the Nammatj 2 GT has been well proven, given how many people seem to love the Nallo 2 GT (the lighter weight version). The Nammatj just has better vents than the Nallo, and mesh, and stouter poles and material and zips. So you carry a couple more pounds (~800g), that's what, less than a liter of water. And I'm 30 lbs overweight anyway, so...
Anyway, hope that helps some... expand your search to the tunnels and look for space and weight, I think that will make you happier than knowing you can pitch it on a concrete pad somewhere.
Just my 2 cents...
Neil