Screens or no screen on tipi tent?

[rayporter]

i had a tipi style built once and had them sew velcro around the door. it was easy to velcro the screen up if i wanted it.

 

[mcseal2]

We got the screens on ours and use the liners all the time. I'd agree it works fine without either, but they can be nice. We are not backpacking with ours, we use lighter shelters for that. It's used when camp is hauled by something other than our backs. When we went to Alaska our set-up was 15lbs with all lines, stakes, liners, everything but the stove. That weight included 20 long Kifaru SST and 20 imitation MSR cyclone stakes that totaled 73oz. The stakes were for the tipi and our cooking and meat tarps, we didn't use all them on the tipi.

The screens don't stop all bugs, but they help. I think the skirt on the Seek tipi helps too. They can be nice when leaving the doors open to get air to cool the tipi or dry condensation. I think with the nets closed you get way less bugs when the doors are open.

We have been using a Mr Buddy heater to warm the tipi for a few minutes in the evening and morning when truck camping. If we are spending long enough in the tipi awake the wood stove is awesome, but on a lot of our trips we aren't inside unless we are sleeping. The propane burner is quick for taking the chill off to go to bed, and to dress in the mornings. It's really easy to turn on from inside the sleeping bag, it's just more efficient for us. The downside is condensation but the liners make that a non-issue.

Anyway that's the advantages I see using them. I am usually only hunting with one other guy, so we use other shelters backpacking.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

Used the screens in a Redcliff the other day to good effect. This time of year in Southcentral AK the mosquitos are vicious. During archery season for moose (August 10-17) it would be a must as the mosquitos are super thick from mid May to end of August/early September depending on how hot it stays. A little bit of elevation and bump your timeline to September and later and I don’t think the screens would be needed at all. I did notice that all the bugs that did get into the tent migrated towards the peak and I didn’t wake up once to a drive by buzzing from Alaska’s number one predator.