Kevin Dill
WKR
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2014
- Messages
- 3,158
Consider this a real-world review.
My tipi adventures began over a decade ago with the purchase of a Kifaru 8-Man tipi. That unit made several trips to Alaska until I sold it in 2015. I wasn't sure I'd be using it for a while and didn't want to sit on it. I replaced it with a Sawtooth which I use as my solo shelter. For 2018 I had a friend decide to join me for moose hunting and we decided to buy another 8-Man.
We did some very serious looking at the various manufacturer's shelters. We called and talked with them. We researched online, and we studied feedback reviews. We discussed the features we had to have, and the extras which would be nice. We looked heavily at quality and durability. Finally we considered price (last) as a less important factor. After all this study and collaboration we decided to purchase a Seek Outside 8-Man Tipi.
The shelter was sent to my friend Steve in MO and he did the initial setup and seam sealing. During the summer I was able to help set it up and evaluate it. I was impressed and felt pretty sure we had made the right decision. But nothing tests a piece of gear like an extended trip and that was coming up in September when we would arrive in Alaska.
On the day we flew into camp I went first, followed by Steve. Because of the potential to be stranded (weather, plane issues, etc) the tipi went with me. What I didn't know was that our pilot didn't plan to bring Steve in until much later that day. The bottom line was that I ended up prepping the campsite/footprint area and then setting up the tipi by myself. Ordinarily no problem, but I'd never set this shelter up alone and wasn't sure of any unique particulars. Fortunately Steve had created a laminated cheat sheet setup card and attached it to a piece of paracord. The cord was knotted at 2 points (lengths) which were the correct setback measurements. Due to Steve's logic and my understanding of tipis I was able to get it set up with minimum hassle. I think he was surprised when he arrived to see the new shelter standing tall and tight next to our creek.
We spent 12 days hunting and over that time got to evaluate the tipi very thoroughly. I'll go through the points as they occur to me.
1. 12 days gave us plenty of time to study the stitching on hems, seams and zippers. I'd give it a 9.7 simply because there is no perfection. I could find no cosmetic issues anywhere.
2. The shape and square footage were extremely nice. The tipi always looked great externally. We had way more than enough space for 2 guys, stove, firewood, gear, food, bows, and cookstoves.
3. Little things mean a lot. The hooded/covered zippers were an outstanding advantage in terms of keeping out drips and seeping water during rains. We didn't need or use the external guy-outs but I love having them if ever needed. The sod flap is an excellent upgrade and useful both for excluding weather and securing the bottom edge of the shelter. The longer access zippers make passage in/out much easier.
4. Our tipi is a dark olive color. With the liners installed we had an amazing amount of neutral white light inside. You'd have thought the main shelter was white, given the great light transmission.
5. Stake loops are STOUT. I have had concerns in the past, but these loops are sewn on to stay. I rate them 10.0.
6. The liners (2 halves) did their job with basic perfection. Despite rains, wet ground and high humidity we never experienced any drip or wet gear.
7. We upgraded to a carbon-fiber center-pole and I really liked it. No durability issues as far as I can see. I would likely bring an aluminum pole if camping up high or in places where high winds could hit.
8. Stakes: based on my experiences we brought nothing but MSR Cyclone stakes. They are longer, stronger and hold better than the included Groundhog stakes, which we left at home.
Summary: I really like this shelter! It feels very tightly built and secure. Quality is everywhere. It's definitely professionally built and has no funky aspects. I could find nothing to dislike anywhere. I might advise Seek Outside to somehow identify or mark the side loops which get set back for staking. No big deal but would be nice for faster identification.
We're looking forward to a return next fall. At my suggestion we left 4 key stakes in the ground to mark the exact staking points for front, rear and sides. That way we can simply hook onto those stakes, then pop in the center-pole and add the remaining stakes.
My tipi adventures began over a decade ago with the purchase of a Kifaru 8-Man tipi. That unit made several trips to Alaska until I sold it in 2015. I wasn't sure I'd be using it for a while and didn't want to sit on it. I replaced it with a Sawtooth which I use as my solo shelter. For 2018 I had a friend decide to join me for moose hunting and we decided to buy another 8-Man.
We did some very serious looking at the various manufacturer's shelters. We called and talked with them. We researched online, and we studied feedback reviews. We discussed the features we had to have, and the extras which would be nice. We looked heavily at quality and durability. Finally we considered price (last) as a less important factor. After all this study and collaboration we decided to purchase a Seek Outside 8-Man Tipi.
The shelter was sent to my friend Steve in MO and he did the initial setup and seam sealing. During the summer I was able to help set it up and evaluate it. I was impressed and felt pretty sure we had made the right decision. But nothing tests a piece of gear like an extended trip and that was coming up in September when we would arrive in Alaska.
On the day we flew into camp I went first, followed by Steve. Because of the potential to be stranded (weather, plane issues, etc) the tipi went with me. What I didn't know was that our pilot didn't plan to bring Steve in until much later that day. The bottom line was that I ended up prepping the campsite/footprint area and then setting up the tipi by myself. Ordinarily no problem, but I'd never set this shelter up alone and wasn't sure of any unique particulars. Fortunately Steve had created a laminated cheat sheet setup card and attached it to a piece of paracord. The cord was knotted at 2 points (lengths) which were the correct setback measurements. Due to Steve's logic and my understanding of tipis I was able to get it set up with minimum hassle. I think he was surprised when he arrived to see the new shelter standing tall and tight next to our creek.
We spent 12 days hunting and over that time got to evaluate the tipi very thoroughly. I'll go through the points as they occur to me.
1. 12 days gave us plenty of time to study the stitching on hems, seams and zippers. I'd give it a 9.7 simply because there is no perfection. I could find no cosmetic issues anywhere.
2. The shape and square footage were extremely nice. The tipi always looked great externally. We had way more than enough space for 2 guys, stove, firewood, gear, food, bows, and cookstoves.
3. Little things mean a lot. The hooded/covered zippers were an outstanding advantage in terms of keeping out drips and seeping water during rains. We didn't need or use the external guy-outs but I love having them if ever needed. The sod flap is an excellent upgrade and useful both for excluding weather and securing the bottom edge of the shelter. The longer access zippers make passage in/out much easier.
4. Our tipi is a dark olive color. With the liners installed we had an amazing amount of neutral white light inside. You'd have thought the main shelter was white, given the great light transmission.
5. Stake loops are STOUT. I have had concerns in the past, but these loops are sewn on to stay. I rate them 10.0.
6. The liners (2 halves) did their job with basic perfection. Despite rains, wet ground and high humidity we never experienced any drip or wet gear.
7. We upgraded to a carbon-fiber center-pole and I really liked it. No durability issues as far as I can see. I would likely bring an aluminum pole if camping up high or in places where high winds could hit.
8. Stakes: based on my experiences we brought nothing but MSR Cyclone stakes. They are longer, stronger and hold better than the included Groundhog stakes, which we left at home.
Summary: I really like this shelter! It feels very tightly built and secure. Quality is everywhere. It's definitely professionally built and has no funky aspects. I could find nothing to dislike anywhere. I might advise Seek Outside to somehow identify or mark the side loops which get set back for staking. No big deal but would be nice for faster identification.
We're looking forward to a return next fall. At my suggestion we left 4 key stakes in the ground to mark the exact staking points for front, rear and sides. That way we can simply hook onto those stakes, then pop in the center-pole and add the remaining stakes.
