12 man Tipi

[ThorM465]

What are my quality options other than SO? I'm looking for a quality 12 man Tipi I can use to take my family camping and for a 5 man backpacking Elk hunt in MT/WY. I'm looking for something that can fit 5 or 6 cots and a stove and is lightweight enough to be packable. Does anyone know if Kifaru has discontinued their 12 man Tipis or if they've only stopped selling them temporarily? What is everyone using?

 

[bmart2622]

Man even a 12 man would be tight for 6 on cots with a stove

 

[rayporter]

he is right ^^^
you are asking a lot of a shelter to do all that.
build a string structure around a pole to the measurements of the tipi to understand the layout.

 

[couesbitten]

Agree with rayporter and bmart, I don't think you're going to be happy with 5 men sleeping on the ground, let alone on cots. You need to step up to the 16 man if you intend to use cots. Keep in mind they'll have to be backpacking type cots so that you can be closer to the ground and thus, able to move closer to the perimeter of the tent. I also don't think that you'll have much room in the tipi for gear, stove etc. with all of those cots.

 

[bmart2622]

Another idea just because the huge footprints of bigger shelters is 2 smaller ones. If you are family camping during the summer with your family and not using the stove you could get by with the 12 man and maybe even the 8 man. An 8 man is about perfect for 3 guys on cots with stove gear and wood. One thing we also do is bring a tarp and string that up so we can store gear under that and free up room in the shelter.

 

[couesbitten]

One more thing to consider is that with larger footprint tipis, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find a suitable location to place the tipi. I've occasionally had challenges finding a suitable level location for a 10 ft diameter tipi.

 

[ThorM465]

I hear y’all loud and clear on the size. I like the idea of setting up a tarp to store the gear outside of the tent. What if we left the cots at home. Could we not get by with a 12 man?

Regardless what are the better options for buying 12 man and 16 man tipis?

 

[BCSojourner]

I had the 12-man SO tipi. Switched about a year ago to Beau Baty's 13x13 Continental tent design that is made by Snowtrekker, and we're not looking back. Canvas weighs about 22 lbs but there are lots of advantages over the 12-man tipi (e.g., breathability, 13x13 footprint vs 20 ft diameter, stays taut in moisture and temperature changes, stays cool in warm temps, etc.). Although about 9 lbs heavier, I'm pretty sure that this has more usable space than the 12-man tipi. It is designed for packing on llamas, goats, or of course horses/mules (we pack on llamas and have been trying out different setups since 1998).

We could put 4 on full-size cots pretty comfortable in the 12-man tipi and still have room for gear, stove, etc. (gear was stowed under cots). You could probably put 5 on pads (we did 7 on one trip) but it would be like a yard sale with gear. Still, it had its place for several years and I sold it to a friend who has 4 little boys-they love it as a family tent. Fair warning-if you pitch it in the sun, it becomes a sauna, even with the full liner. Attached is a link for wall tent sizing in case you go that direction.

What Size Wall Tent Should I Get? Size Comparison & Layout Diagrams

Wall tent size guide with tables and layout diagrams comparing tents from 8x10 to 16x20. Layout diagrams show tents with cots, tables, stoves & hunting gear

www.backcountrychronicles.com

 

[bmart2622]

Even 6 on pads with a stove would be tight

 

[Runningwater]

With a stove 4-5 is pretty comfortable with a 12 man tipi. Maybe pair it with a 3-4 man tent or tipi for more people or cots. I think SO is the only one I'm aware of currently making a 12, and it's the one I'd go with regardless. If not needing ultralight then there are lots of other options as mentioned above or a wall tent or a cabelas alaknak. We've had really good luck with an 8 man SO in the backcountry in CO and AK. Good luck!

 

[EVO6]

With our 16 man Kifaru on a 14 day hunt. With gear, and tack. 4 guys were comfortable spaced out in there. Might be cramped in a 12 man with 5 cots and gear.

 

[John Havard]

I own both a 12-man and 16-man SO tipi. 5or six cots with stove will not work in a 12-man. Four cots with stove and gear is fine in a 16-man. You have to remember that the actual usable space in a cone-shaped tipi becomes nearly unusable the closer you are to the perimeter.