DaveS
Lil-Rokslider
I have an 8-man tipi and most of the time I'm glad its an 8-man and not a 12-man. If I had the money I would have both but it would be hard for me to get rid of my 8-man and replace it with a 12-man. The 8-man works great for 2 guys with full sized cots, tipi liner, gear, and heater (propane heater not wood stove). It works great with 3-4 guys sleeping on ground with all our gear, a stove and a pile of wood.
I've used my 8-man backpacking where each guy took a part of of the system. Dividing an 8-man between 3-4 guys is very doable. A 12-man weighs too much for backpacking in my view since you can't divide it easily between 5-6 guys (there are not enough pieces). The canopy alone weighs over 6 lbs and it cannot be sub-divided.
There have been times when it was hard to find a space large enough to pitch the 8-man let alone a 12-man. And this was truck camping. Overall I think the 8-man is more versatile than a 12-man. I would love to have a 12-man for truck camping but as of yet it hasn't moved to the top of my priority list.
