Anyone else lacking confidence in their Tipi?

[Schoolhousegrizz]

I'm headed on my back country bear hunt in about 5 days. I keep bouncing back and forth between my hilleberg and my seek outside 8 man. I love the stove option in the seek. However, last time I was in the back country a pretty good windstorm came through and I didn't sleep a wink. Had to get up and reinforce it with all the guy lines and put rocks on all the stakes. I still thought it was going to blow over all night. Hilleberg, there's no stove but I sleep much better in it when it's a wind storm. I have zero worries about anything affecting that tent.

 

[westernarcher]

Use what you trust. Thats my thought. In the end sleep is most important

 

[Geewhiz]

Get yourself a nice tight pitch and secure all the guy lines well when first setting it up and then let the storm rage. It ain’t going anywhere.

As a side note, I don’t skimp when it comes to stakes. I like to camp on ridge tops and peaks and often times it’s very rocky. I bring steel stakes and plenty of them so I can really make sure they are rock solid. They are heavy but worth their weight in gold when the wind starts to blow.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Slept in some pretty nasty wind storms in a seek cimarron. Thought for sure it was going to blow off, but it never did.

Also slept in my eulous with it pitched in a small indentation on top of a mountain. The wind was insane and it was one of the worst nights in the woods I've ever had. The tarp stayed fine.
My sleeping bag zipper broke that night though and I didn't sleep at all. It was a long night.

Both scenarios the tents stayed, but the flapping was hell and my sleep was less than great.

 

[SonnyDay]

Agree with @Geewhiz

Guy lines should all be taut and stakes should be solid before you get in the tipi. Definitely before you even consider going to sleep.

A nice tight pitch will get rid of flapping nylon in all but the most extreme conditions.

Have fun!

 

[Schoolhousegrizz]

Maybe I need to practice setting that thing up a little better. I've used it quite a bit though. Thanks for the tips guys. I think I'm going to take the hillberg and not worry about it. I'll probably switch camps at least once or twice and the hilleberg is a lot quicker to take down and set up.

 

[ewade07]

Ive been in a tipi tent a couple times where it collapsed due to wind and one other time came back from an evening hunt to the tent collapsed. All of these instances the winds were over 40 MPH. I still use the tipi tent, just know that its always a possibility of it collapsing. I do sleep with ear plugs and an eye mask tho, so that definitely helps!

 

[sndmn11]

Have you tried lifting the walls so they get tighter?

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[DenverCountryBoy]

Upgrade the stakes.

Bring ear plugs and benadryl.

 

[SonnyDay]

Maybe I need to practice setting that thing up a little better. I've used it quite a bit though. Thanks for the tips guys. I think I'm going to take the hillberg and not worry about it. I'll probably switch camps at least once or twice and the hilleberg is a lot quicker to take down and set up.

Makes sense if you are moving camp more often. It takes at least an hour to fully guy-out a tipi... and about the same to undo it all.

We had 60 mph winds this last fall and it was hard to sleep. Definitely recommend earplugs as @ewade07 and @DenverCountryBoy noted. We ended up taking the tipi down during the day while we were out scouting, and by evening the winds had died down.

 

[11boo]

The lightweight stakes blow, when it is blowing. Been through a few windy nights in my seek 8. This particular night did not end well, but I should have picked a better spot on the lee side of the trees and risked the widowmaker blowdown.
The 8” spikes work well when you don’t need to pack in.

 

[jhm2023]

The only time I've seen a tipi or mid style tent collapse or blow over was when it wasn't pitched correctly. Take the time and do it right the first time and it won't be an issue. Don't use small stakes and always rock your stakes regardless of weather expectations. With practice, it can be done correctly and pretty quickly. It's impressive how many people suck at pitching a tent properly or selecting proper places to do so. It is worth mentioning that tipis do require being a bit more selective with tent location. Regardless, if you know that you will be enduring some high winds scenarios (50+ mph), it's not a bad idea to take the hilleberg instead.

 

[SonnyDay]

I should have mentioned that this past elk season with those 60 mph winds... the stove pipe kept blowing off the stove so we couldn't use it anyway!

Would have been better to have a mountaineering tent at that point.

 

[11boo]

I should have mentioned that this past elk season with those 60 mph winds... the stove pipe kept blowing off the stove so we couldn't use it anyway!

Would have been better to have a mountaineering tent at that point.

Exactly what happened to me, twice that night. First time I stuffed it back in. Second time I just opened the tent, threw the pipe and still burning stove in the snow.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I use 10” landscaping spikes. Also, getting a flat rock under the pole is critical. Take time to bury your flaps or set rocks on them. Take some baling wire and pliers in case you need to tie down your stovepipe. I’ve had my 12 man in some pretty rough weather and it’s a big target….

 

[weekender7]

I use 10” landscaping spikes.

steel or plastic?

 

[butcherboy]

Take the Hilleberg. That’s just me though since I’m not a tipi and floorless shelter guy.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

steel or plastic?

Galvanized steel.

 

[MaraviaDave]

Tent Stake, 9 in. GI. Aluminum, Used, orange 6 FOR $8.95

Tent Stake, 9 in. Aluminum, New GI. Excellent Quality,aluminum,orange color,new govt. issue. 6 for $8.95.

armysurpluswarehouse.com

These stakes work great. Relatively lightweight, affordable and very secure. Definitely no reason to stack rocks on top of the stakes!! Pound them in until they’re even with the ground…or, below ground level…the tipi stake out webbing loops will not slip out from underneath the wings on the stakes.

 

[jhm2023]

Check out the plastic dura peg stakes that AK tent and tarp sells with their arctic oven tents. They hold great in all sorts of soils and can take a beating. I don't take them with me when weight is a concern, but always use them otherwise. I routinely pound them into rocky ground with a 4lb hammer and they're still going strong after several years.