Let's make a tipi

WoodBow

WoodBow

WKR
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
1,919
I have been wanting one for a while now and the time has come. I want to iron out all of the details before i get started. As thing progress, i will update this thread. Id like to get info from yall who have done it first.

Did you use silnylon, pu nylon, ripstop?
Waterproof zipper? Zipper flap?
Hypalon or cordura reinforcement for center pole?
Buy a stove jack or make one? Price?
Stake loop material? I have made two hammock tarps that i used grosgrain loops on bit was thinking about gutted paracord.
Did you attach the loops so they hang past material edge or up a bit so you get a better ground seal?
Rolled hem on the bottom edge or grosgrain edgin?
Ripstop or cordura tie out reinforcements?

To help me wrap my mind around the project i made a to scale model out of a cereal box. As best as i could gauge from kifaru photos, their tipis are built at a 45 degree angle. That does seem like the best compromise to shed both wind and rain.

I want it to sleep 3 or 4 people. I designed it to maximize the width of 62" fabric. I designed it for 60" fabric to allow for the waste along the edges. The center is 6 feet. I am not concerned about being able to stand up inside. The diameter of the base is 12 feet. I calculated it at 13 yards of fabric. I will order extra though.
[/URL[URL=http://s1096.photobucket.com/user/kyleallen1/media/Mobile%20Uploads/3172016171522_zpsw8dnjf6h.jpg.html]
 
Sorry for the duplicate pic and the extra coding. Doing this on your phone is a real pain.
 
Well, I haven't made one, but I'll subscribe to this thread since a tipi/hybrid will be one of my eventual projects.

I have a SO 8-man and that has a sod skirt where the tieouts are about 6" up on from the bottom edge. Everything is a rolled hem (or at least not grosgrain). It looks like they just use cordura for the tieout reinforcement and grosgrain for the tieouts. I used x-pac and grosgrain for the tarp that I just made and I will probably do the same for the tent. For the center, I'm not sure what they used, but I'll probably just x-pac since I have a fair amount of it leftover. Bear Paw Designs makes sew-in stove jacks for not very much and I am planning on ordering one.

SketchUp is handy to measure out sizing if you know how to use it, or can teach yourself. Some people have used cat cuts for the bottoms to make tightening easier, but I don't know if it's worth the extra hassle.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the info. Good stuff. I made cat cuts on my tarps and was not a fan due to the loss of ground seal. I wish i was better at sketch up but i haven't taken the time to get familiar with it. However, i enjoy good ole paper, ruler, and compass. Making that model was very satisfying.
 
I've been mulling over sil-nylon vs std ripstop.
Concerned abut condensation & breathability.
I'm thinking a DWR treatment every couple years would give the water repellant I want but still remain breathable.
What say you guys?
Hunt'nFish
 
That is kind of my line of thought. I made a hammock out of dwr ripstop and when it got filled with rain it was still bone dry on the bottom. It was just setup in the yard.

Anybody ever used a product called never wet? It came out a few years ago. It is a hydrophobic treatment that i think vould have some application in our world. Especially if it chases away water while maintaining breathability.
http://www.neverwet.com/
 
Last edited:
I think never wet will add a lot of weight to the material. Honestly, a DWR ripstop might work fine as long as the water wasn't allowed to pool. However, DWR ripstop will eventually leak through. A lot has to do with the actual pressure of the water pushing on the fabric.

I'd also skip the waterproof zipper as it will just add weight. A flap might be a good idea though but you will need some velcro or some way to hold it down in a breeze.

On my SO Cimarron, the stake loops are a few inches up the side as well leaving a bit of a skirt. There are also loops on the inside and outside. I have my own tensioners attached to the outside loops as I would rarely actually stake with the attached loops since there is now adjustments. The inside loops might come in handy if you needed to add more anchors while riding out a storm.

One other thing, on the inside, sew in some little loops on the seems half way up and two decently spaced up near the top. If you do this on every seam, you will then be able to string up cordage to have places to dry clothes or hang stuff. The loops halfway up can be quite handy to hold a bivy off your face or secure a liner if you find you want to make one later.
 
I want to build one too this year. I've had an 8 man for a long time and want to make some changes to the new one. I would lean toward being conservative on the structure and go with the safer, heavier, more expensive material, if someone was asking.

One question/suggestion that I have is, what would happen if a stove was put closer to the perimeter edge, such that the stovepipe only came up from the stove about a foot or two before exiting out the side, and slightly angled, say, so that it wouldn't have to be so long?
I guess if the wind was driving straight into that side then fire would be on the tipi?
 
Wood I put some never wet on a pair of crappy old dangers. Water ran off them just like in the commercial. It really did seem to not breathe at all though. Also it wore off in a matter of a coup hours working around yard. They do have different treatments, metal fabric etc. I don't even know which one I used.
 
Yes i feel pretty sure that the little sparks would make quick work of the tipi. We call those poppies. Poppies dont play. One minute you are sitting around the campfire and the next you habe a hole burned in expensive synthetic pants. Respect the poppies.
 
And I was just about to order some silnylon to make a tarp. Guess I will have to stay in the tipi now.

#poppiesdontplay
 
It's a bit of an inside joke with our hunting group. We are at constant war with poppies. Glad others can see the humor in it.
 
Got the sewing machine, just got some material for a tarp to carry, really interested in building a shelter. Have a Tarptent already so figure if im building one i want something bigger for multiple guys and a tipi sounds like fun, gonna be watching this thread.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

nnmarcher
MYOG 9x9 tarp
Replies
5
Views
608
nnmarcher
nnmarcher
B
Sewing loops onto a sleeping bag?
Replies
8
Views
522
nnmarcher
nnmarcher
ozyclint
Ever had the chimney cut through the stove jack?
Replies
2
Views
236
Dos Perros
Dos Perros
Catag94
Tripod use inside Tipi tent
Replies
5
Views
579
Ehiggins
Ehiggins
K
Anybody make their own headlamp?
Replies
15
Views
634
doc holiday13
D

Latest posts

Featured Video

Latest Articles

Back
Top