Originally Posted by
indyfabz
That is what I always understood it to mean; it will stand without steaks, but you won't get the maxim available space if you don't use at least some of the steaks. I can erect by BA Fly Creek without having to use steaks, but their is less room at the narrow end because steaks are required to maximize the floor space of the corners and to stretch it out to full length. REI describes this tent as semi-free standing. I have also seen it called that it several other descriptions and reviews.
Big Agnes doesn’t describe them as semi-freestanding. Looking at what some people call semi-freestanding tents,
Semi-freestanding tents are also freestanding but require several tent stakes to set up — mainly to stake out vestibules — while fully freestanding tents can be completely set up without any stakes at all.
If vestibules are included that would cover nearly every tent made. Like you said, it could be used without the stakes just like any framed tent. Hoop tents, for example, are what I would call “semi-freestanding”. They have rigid bits but can’t really stand on their own.