4 Man Tipi vs Cimarron

[wooduckman]

A quick intro- I am born and raised in Colorado and have been big game hunting most of my life. I am used to regular/wall tent hunting, but am new to backpack hunting. I have been doing a ton of research on shelters and had decided on a SO Cimarron. I went to order it yesterday and went I got it all in the cart (stove jack, pole, etc) I realized it wasn't much cheaper than the SO 4 Man Tipi. Now I kind of feel like I'm back at square one and am trying to weight the pros and cons of these two shelters. The Cimarron weighs and costs a bit less, but the 4 man tipi is taller and appears to be a bit more storm worthy.

I figure you guys on here have much more experience and knowledge on this topic than I do, so wanted to reach out and get everyone's thoughts! Is the extra ~$150 the 4 Man Tipi costs worth it? The majority of use will be here in Colorado, but I do have a moose hunt planned in Alaska in 2017 where I'd use the shelter.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Felix40]

I have VERY little experience with these matters but I am 3/4 done making a tipi based loosely on the SO 4 man. Take this for what its worth which may not be much. You can put 3 guys in the tipi but I wouldnt want to make a habit of it. I think it would be very difficult to near impossible with a stove to make it work. My guess is that you aren't getting 3 guys in a cimmaron no matter how cozy you get. Ive heard of guys who are over 6 feet tall not liking the cimmaron because its too small. I dont know if thats a valid complaint or not. The walls are steeper so you have less useable space plus its smaller to begin with. I don't know if thats important to you or not. One thing that I absolutely love about the tipi is being able to stand up. Really two guys can stand up in it at the same time. It would be tall enough to put a couple chairs inside and sit and hang out if you ever take it car camping too. For me the decision was easy because the tipi only cost $20 extra in materials to make. Hard to say if its worth an extra $150 though because Im so cheap. I dont see any downside to the tipi except maybe weight but its still lighter than the one man coffin style tent I had been using.

 

[colonel00]

I respectively disagree with Felix40. Here is a Cimarron with a 2-person nest on one side and a stove and bivy for 1 person on the other. I can't speak to how it compares to a 4-man tipi though.

Room to sit out of the rain too

 

[Mike7]

Read the thread on the Tut to see the pro's and con's of Tipis vs. pyramids. For useable space, it is not even close the amount of useable space in a pyramid compared to a tipi for the same footprint. The pyramid has more space, and this can be increased further during the >90% of the time that you are able to elevate one or more sides of the pyramid for improved ventilation.

 

[Bobbyboe]

I went through the same debate earlier this spring. I layed out the outline of both shelters in the living room, then used a tape measure to guage the height. I was concerned about the weight, but the wife talked me into the 4 man.

After receiving it and using it one time I'm glad I got the 4 man. I'm not huge, 5 ft 9 in, but it sure is nice to be able to stand straight up in the shelter. That alone will be nice if I'm stuck in the tent during bad weather. The couple ounces for me don't make a difference for space and comfort.

 

[reaper]

i have the 4 man,seeing pictures of the cimarron doesnt make me regret my choice,the 4 man is nice,6'10 of height.Using the sides guy-outs give you a ton of space,i did 2 man with stove+ my dog(brown Lab)and a lot of winter gear with no problem.If you go over the seekoutside forum,take a look on my thread...a lot of pictures of the 4 man.Only thing i hate and will always hate about seekoutside is the stove jack location.
Forums • View topic - BT2+stove(pictures,video) and 4 man photos

 

[MontanaMarine]

I had a SO 4-Man. At 6'3" I could just stand up in it. I ended up going up to a 6-man.

But the standing room is probably the biggest gain in the 4-man tipi over the Cimarron.

Cimarron looks awesome though, a little lighter, and a simple pitch.


I noticed good deal on a 4-man with screens and carbon fiber pole here, no waiting:

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/rokslide-classifieds/47309-fs-seek-outside-4-tipi.html

 

[rice]

I respectively disagree with Felix40. Here is a Cimarron with a 2-person nest on one side and a stove and bivy for 1 person on the other. I can't speak to how it compares to a 4-man tipi though.

Room to sit out of the rain too

Is that a tg bivy in the top pic? Thanks!

 

[colonel00]

Is that a tg bivy in the top pic? Thanks!

It's a Borah bug bivy.

 

[wooduckman]

Thanks for the information/feedback guys. While I really like the idea of the Cimarron, my gut is telling me to go with the 4 Man Tipi due to the taller height and tipi structures. The good news is I can always sell it and go for the Cimarron if I don't end up liking it!

Thanks again!

 

[Felix40]

I saw that 4 man in the classifieds too. I would be all over that if I were in your shoes. Seems like guys are happy no matter which one they chose so I bet you cant go wrong with either.

Inside the 4 man with 3 normal size sleeping bags I would say there is just as much empty space as in the cimmaron with only two bags.

 

[luke moffat]

I have owned a few tipi style and pryamid style shelters since I started using them in 2009. GoLite SL-2, SL-3, SL-4, SL-5, and SL-8, their Lair 1 as well. Also have used the Seek outside BCS and Cimmaron, Kifaru paratipi, megatarp, Sawtooth, 12 man tipi and the Nemo Pentalite and a couple from Bearpaw designs and Mount Laurel Designs as well as been in some others from others my friends have owned and I slept in.

Most of the time for 2-3 person shelters I greatly prefer the useable space of a pryamid shelter pitched a couple inches off the ground rather than the round shape of a tipi. Yes tipis are better at shedding the wind, but 90%+ of the time this isn't an issue and if it is I make dang sure I pitch whatever I have whether its a tarp, tipi, pyramid shelter or a bomber 4 season hilleberg that I pitch it with some cover from topography or alders/brush to help ease the wind load on the shelter.

The space/weight is much better and the useable space is higher than a tipi. For me tipis really start coming into their own when you get to the 6 man or better yet the 8 man size. In order for a pryamid shelter to be this large your flat panel sides would be so large and easy to windload its not a good idea for my uses. Tipis take longer to setup as well and usually require more stakes (which is good in windy areas) which further makes them heavier than their pyramid counterparts.

I pitch my Cimarron 3-4" off the ground and can easily stand up next to the pole if that is an issue. I do the same thing with my my Kifaru Sawtooth as well. Pitching them tight to the ground makes them too stuffy IME. Honestly I don't think you could go wrong with either shelter but if wanting to do 3 plus a stove on a regular bases I would get a 6 man tipi. If mostly going 2 guys and a stove or 3 guys and no stove then the Cimarron works well for me in for such uses.

Just my experience after using a variety of these shelters over the past 8 years or so, hope that helps.

 

[Felix40]

I guess there is a lot to be said about having that much experience. BTW the video you put on YouTube A while back of your sawtooth in all that wind on Kodiak Island was a huge motivation for me to look into some type of shelter other than a tent

 

[wooduckman]

Thanks again for the awesome feedback. I did end up buying the 4 Man Tipi off of the classifieds as it was only $40 more than a new Cimarron with accessories would cost (I've been watching the classifieds for awhile and have had no luck finding the Cimarron). I'm excited to get it and try it out! I'm guessing after a couple trips I'll find what I like and don't like about it and re-evaluate and decide if I want to go in a different direction.

Thanks again for the help and I look forward to sticking around here for awhile!

 

[reaper]

Thanks again for the awesome feedback. I did end up buying the 4 Man Tipi off of the classifieds as it was only $40 more than a new Cimarron with accessories would cost (I've been watching the classifieds for awhile and have had no luck finding the Cimarron). I'm excited to get it and try it out! I'm guessing after a couple trips I'll find what I like and don't like about it and re-evaluate and decide if I want to go in a different direction.

Thanks again for the help and I look forward to sticking around here for awhile!

You will like it,to do a perfect pitch,i suggest you this link,look at the video and read the Tipi Setup (4 -16 person) section.

Links - How To and Instructions - Seek Outside

 

[mahonsr]

Curious what your thoughts are on the 4 man after all this time?

 

[Spotnstok]

Curious what your thoughts are on the 4 man after all this time?

Bump for the same question.