SO 6 man/ redcliff floor space

[fellerr]

Been doing a lot of reading and looking back at old threads. Decided on a redcliff or 6 man tipi, not sure yet. It’ll mostly be a 2 maybe 3 person setup for future elk/moose hunts. I could make a cimarron work with my brother, but if my dad comes with it won’t work. And I figured the extra space in a bigger tent would be nice…not to worried about the extra couple pounds.

My only question is the floor space. Do you guys ever have trouble finding a spot to set the bigger tipis up? I know this all depends on the area you are hunting, just trying to get a general consensus.

 

[*zap*]

3x more room over 6' in a 6 man than a redcliff and no room over 6' in a cimerron. Being able to stand up is very nice.

 

[fellerr]

Thanks for that info, zap…didn’t realize the 6man had that much extra room over 6 foot.

 

[*zap*]

The SO website lists that info as well as area over 3' for each shelter under specs & warranty. These things are smaller than you would think looking at the specs because you loose space as the walls taper. To me being able to stand is a game changer as is having a stove to dry things out and provide some heat.

SO has a great utube channel with lots of good videos of shelter comparison as does go hunt.....

 

[carsonkeys]

I was in a similar boat last year and settled on a sawtooth. With a stove, it’s a very comfortable 2-man tent and you could absolutely do three men if you didn’t mind sleeping next to each other (touching, next to each other). I’m 6’1 and can stand at the apex. Something to think about.

 

[MoxieOutfitters]

Personally, I would lean to 8 man, and you can pitch like 6 man if need be.

 

[rayporter]

to get an understanding of the size build a mock up around a post or pole. you can use rope or string and quickly get an idea of the slope of the sides and the height.

 

[*zap*]

How do you pitch an 8 as a 6 and why would you do that? Lack of space?

 

[fellerr]

I think I’m going to go with a redcliff. I know the standing room is minimal, but I’m hoping there is at least enough room to hang a line to dry a little bit of clothes on. That was a crazy good luxury in Alaska last year in our wall tent. If it doesn’t seem like that will be able to work I’ll swap for the 6 man and take the burden of the extra weight.

 

[parshal]

I've had an 8, 12 and 16 man SO tipi and a few of their other ones. I once pitched the 8 man using the guyouts as stakeouts in high wind. It takes up less ground space but you have less stakeouts in that configuration. In a pitch with limited space it would be useful.

I sold the tipis and kept the Redcliff. It doesn't have the standing height of the tipi but the walls are also more sloped. Also, all the room above your head is where all the heat goes so there's more space to heat. I used the redcliff this weekend with an XL cot and still have plenty of room to stand but I'm only 5' 8".

 

[fellerr]

I’ve spent a lot of time reading and watching videos. I’m more of a have to see it in person to grasp what it’s like. Redcliff seems to be the most popular online though. Will give it try!

 

[*zap*]

Best thing would be to find someone with a redcliff and set it up/take a look. Adequate headroom is really a game changer.....as is available room over 36". Good luck.

 

[fellerr]

I don’t think I know anyone zap. Anyone that elk or tent hunts around me doesn’t pack in….or pitch a tent for that matter. I’m going with the redcliff though!

Now to find a stove. I’m liking the winnerwell from what I see and read.

 

[parshal]

Now to find a stove. I’m liking the winnerwell from what I see and read.

I just picked up this one for my redcliff. It really is quite close to 4 lbs. It goes together easy and is fairly airtight. The Ti stovepipe it comes with is tall enough for the redcliff. I'm not packing mine too far, though.

 

[Ehiggins]

I have a homemade tipi that is about identical to a 6 man in every dimension but have been eye balling a red cliff for years. Went on a trip recently with my tipi sleeping 2 and a buddy’s red cliff sleeping the other 2. The red cliff is nice because each guy had their own side with plenty of space but the walls didn’t seem as steep as my tipi, appearing leave less “useable space”. I also didn’t realize how much shorter the red cliff was, at 6’2” being able to stand and move about a little bit isn’t possible in the RC. Where as in the tipi there is a ~3’ diameter circle around the pole I can stand easily. For 2/3 guys I don’t think you can go wrong with either. For me, I was surprised but I like the layout/height of the tipi better.


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[*zap*]

SO has the area over 6' and area over 3' in the specs for each shelter....redcliff is 2 square feet over 6'. That is really not much....Having some standing room is really a game changer as is having a stove when you combine those things it makes it more enjoyable. jmo, ymmv.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've owned and used a Sawtooth, (2) 8-man tipis, and currently a Redcliff. Here's my take:

Tipis offered me less usable floor space due to the round or elliptical shape which forces the bedroll, cot, etc more toward the center of the shelter. Tipis do typically offer a bit of extra headroom but that's only useful to me when I'm on my feet in there which is typically a small part of the total time. I need the usable floor space more than I need extra headroom....that's just me of course and I'm not advising anyone to follow suit.

The Redcliff is basically a rectangular shelter (m/l) with door zippers in the center of each long side. The 'short' sides are usually where a cot/sleeping bag fits perfectly, out of the way and allows for complete pass-thru. With basically no round or radiused lines to the footprint, things just fit along the interior sides better. The net effect is a very spacious feeling inside with more usable square footage at what I consider the 'living level' of 2' to 4' high.

My reality is I can make either an 8-man or a Redcliff work fine for me. They have comparable footprints in sq footage, requiring nearly the same space, but the Redcliff is longer. The Redcliff pitch requires no setback measurements like my 8-man did. Just establish the 4 corners as a good rectangle....pop in the pole....and complete the staking.

 

[fellerr]

Love that picture KD!

I ended up getting a used redcliff/ stove combo in the classifieds. It actually just showed up in the mail today!

 

[Sawtoothsteve]

Love that picture KD!

I ended up getting a used redcliff/ stove combo in the classifieds. It actually just showed up in the mail today!

Fellerr,

How did the Redcliff end up serving your needs? I'm making the same decision right now. I like the packability of the redcliff for some of my wilderness elk hunts, but planning to use it in Alaska where I could get tentbound for longer periods and would like to be able to have a backpack cot and chair x 2 hunters in the shelter.....your practical experience would be great to hear.