Oh, I see. You are quoting with the crossing pole. It is not needed in 3 season use.

In terms of wind noise Tarptents are much better in my experience compared to big box store tents. The structure of a partially free standing tents allow manufacturers to be somewhat lazy with stake placement. To get a taut pitch you need a metric ton of stakes. With a Tarptent the stakes provide the structure so they are well thought out to give you a taut pitch. You can spot a Tarptent in a campground a mile away because they (IMO) pitch so much better than other tents.