Wall tent or Tipi with Liners????

[Superdoo]

Has anybody used a wall tent and a tipi with liners to help weigh in on this decision?
I'm wrestling with these two options.
-A wall tent would be awesome. It has way more space and the canvas will be more quiet in the ND winds. But it's going to be heavy and require transporting a lot of pieces and assembling them. It will also hold heat better considering rifle season is freaking cold here.

- A tipi is light and fast. It takes up no room when compared to a wall tent. But it doesn't have as much usable space and won't hold heat. It will also flap in the wind more.

If I go the wall tent route it will be a 14 x 16. If I go the tipi route it will be a 12 or 16 man. These are obviously not for back packing.

Will the liners on the tipi help make it feel warmer or are they only going to help with condensation?

I lean toward the tipi as my hunts are usually for 3 nights, so I feel like a wall tent is a lot of extra work for a short time.

Have I over-analyzed this to the point where I've lost the ability to see a clear winner?

 

[Blue Dudley]

The liners don't really hold any heat in. If the fire goes out, it'll get cold. In my opinion they're necessary for the condensation, that way you don't have to worry about it.

 

[30338]

I'm pretty brand neutral on American made canvas tents. My 14x16 with a Cylinder brand stove kept us quite warm in 10 degree temps a year ago in elk camp. In warmer temps, 20-40 at night it is very easy to be comfortable. I set up mine by myself though having two sure makes it easy. For overall comfort in super cold temps when truck camping, I'd go canvas.

I have a SO Redcliff and it is nice, but I reserve it for lower wind areas on backpack trips. Just my opinion. Beckel, Montana Canvas, Davis, and several other American made tents out there. Good luck.

 

[Elk2008]

I’d roll wall tent

 

[sndmn11]

I've struggled with this having a wall tent and a redcliff that I just got rid of, and now I have a courthouse with liners headed my way to go along with a DCF Cimarron.

The former two had pros and cons, but I think we will be much better served with the latter two.

 

[Flyjunky]

That's a tough one. We have both a tipi and a 14'x21' wall tent and I like them both for different reasons.

Besides what's already been said, I really like the option of cooking and being able to stand up and walk around inside the wall tent. In terms of being comfortable, there is no comparison. If we stoke the fire well and shut the damper down it will stay warm enough in the wall tent to get out of the bags in the morning and not freeze.

If none of those things are important and you rank set up time high, then you have your answer.

* by cooking I mean meals, not jetboil stuff.

 

[Lgraham]

If weight isn’t a consideration go with the wall tent. Although they take more time to setup I feel as though it’s worth it. They hold heat much better in my opinion and are roomier than a Tipi. Tipi’s excel in instances where you’re trying to save weight/space, and want heat/lots of room vs. a traditional backpacking tent. If you can get a truck to your camp I’d go wall tent all the way.

 

[Beendare]

Road camping- Its a no brainer....get a wall tent with the internal frame.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

Might also look at an arctic oven. Not light, but super warm.

 

[Bubblehide]

Montana Canvas makes wall tents form their Relite material and a blend of both Relite and canvas. So you can save weight with one of these options, or go with Arctic Oven. I have an all Relite tent about 16x18 or so ( have set it up myself, often). When it gets really cold, I tarp it to help hold the heat in and it works pretty well. I do the same with my canvas tents. Throwing a tarp or fly works better on holding the heat in a canvas tent, but it works well enough on Relite.

You can either buy a wall tent that utilizes the vertical center poles, or use the traditional horizontal center pole A frame to cut some bulk. You might look at the spike type wall tents (Montana canvas's comes with a fly)

For pure comfort, I'd go with a wall tent. But your correct, they take some time and effort to set up, and I always go with full size cots in a wall tent. If I am going to be camped in one spot for a week or more, I want the comfort of a wall tent. For a few days, I prefer the speed and ease of a tipi. In short, I can not see not having both. However, if I were to go with only one, I would go with a Montana Canvas Spike tent, for 2 reasons. 1). the weight savings of their Relite material, and 2). they come with a fly that is made for the tent. However, they only make them in 2 sizes, 10x10 and 12x12. But for a one tent does it all, IMNSHO, these are the best option currently available, that I am aware of.

 

[KG406]

For what you are describing I would hands down go with a canvas wall tent. I use way too many tents depending on the situation including a traditional canvas with internal frame, relite spike, canvas spike, tipi, dome, etc and you just can't beat a canvas tent with internal frame for a comfortable bomb proof base camp. I don't like the relite one I have because of condensation, but would consider a montana canvas relite blend if trying to cut down on weight a bit. I like the internal frame more than the external on my spike tent, more stable in high winds and heavy snows and more options for hanging stuff to dry inside. And once you get good at setting them up it doesn't take long at all. Pounding stakes takes the most time, which goes for any of the other tent options if you will be dealing with high winds

 

[Legend]

It's kind of like a boat. You need one for every type of scenario.

 

[couesbitten]

I'm kind of curious about this from a logical standpoint. I previously had a large wall tent (14 x 20) that I used for elk camp every year. Had it set up with a wood stove and it was amazing. Warm, comfortable, lots of room, but heavy as hell and difficult to set up without another person. Sold it some years ago and haven't really regretted it. My hunting style and seasons have changed a bit, so I don't miss it. Having said all of that, is canvas really warmer than sil-nylon? If you took the same woodstove that you use in a wall tent and put it in a large tipi, wouldn't it be just as warm inside. The specs of the stove are the same, it'll burn for the same amount of time, so I suspect that you be just as comfortable and happy with a tipi as you would a wall tent if you used a similar wood burning stove. The only downside to a tipi is the loss of usable floor space due to the shape. If a tipi had a 1 foot tall side wall, that issue would be eliminated.

 

[Tim in Wa.]

Has anybody used a wall tent and a tipi with liners to help weigh in on this decision?
I'm wrestling with these two options.
-A wall tent would be awesome. It has way more space and the canvas will be more quiet in the ND winds. But it's going to be heavy and require transporting a lot of pieces and assembling them. It will also hold heat better considering rifle season is freaking cold here.

- A tipi is light and fast. It takes up no room when compared to a wall tent. But it doesn't have as much usable space and won't hold heat. It will also flap in the wind more.

If I go the wall tent route it will be a 14 x 16. If I go the tipi route it will be a 12 or 16 man. These are obviously not for back packing.

Will the liners on the tipi help make it feel warmer or are they only going to help with condensation?

I lean toward the tipi as my hunts are usually for 3 nights, so I feel like a wall tent is a lot of extra work for a short time.

Have I over-analyzed this to the point where I've lost the ability to see a clear winner?

Take a look at the SeekOutside court House

 

[Beendare]

. I previously had a large wall tent (14 x 20) that I used for elk camp every year. Had it set up with a wood stove and it was amazing. Warm, comfortable, lots of room, but heavy as hell and difficult to set up without another person.

The problem is the 20’....and your frame.

I could set up my old 12x16 wall tent solo in 20 min. key was the interanl aluminum frame. I assemble the roof rafters, pull the fabric over, lift one side and put in the legs....then do the other side. easy to guy it out from there.
Now those aluminum frames are expensive now....as much as the tent....but they are awesome.

 

[MTN BUM]

Take a look at the SeekOutside court House

This thing has my attention at the moment also. Anyone have experience with them in wind/weather?

 

[Rifleman86]

How many in your party? Will you be moving occasionally or plan on sticking to one spot?

For the record I’ve only used tipis, but for what I do and how I hunt they make sense... I went through the same debate myself and ended up with a SO 8 man after a lot of deliberation.

Lighweight, mobile, and can be set up alone in a limited amount of time with minimal effort. Large enough to be a comfortable base camp for one to two with cots. Small and lightweight enough to be backpacked in with 3-4.

If you were spending 7-10 days with 4-5 guys and camp would be stationary? Wall tent without question. But that doesn’t sound like what you are doing.

How many guys in your party? To be that’s probably the biggest determining factor. The Cabelas Alaknak series (they are discontinued right now unfortunately) and the Kodiak Canvas 10x14 might also be good options that offer some of the benefits of a wall tent with space but are easier to set up, and lighter weight in the case of the Alaknak.

 

[hunt1up]

Here is my opinion coming from a Midwesterner that often drives and sometimes flies for hunts. I bought a 16x20 Davis wall tent with stove and all the trimmings about 6 seasons back. It was certainly awesome but has since been sold. My beef with wall tents is the amount of space they take up, both at home and on the road. I found myself pulling a little trailer on hunts just to bring the tent. Then, since I had a trailer, I naturally would take more crap with me. Some people enjoy big camps and the amount of effort it takes to set one up. Full size stoves, big cots, big tents, etc. Being a travelling hunter like myself, it often becomes a distraction and a time killer to go through the hassle. Plus I have to store all of that gear.

My main hunting partner and I purchased a SO 6-man 4 seasons ago and now have a 12 man too. The 12 man has become the go-to workhorse shelter for 3-4 men. We'd used the tipis in WY storms, South Central AK for moose with plenty of rain, and AZ archery elk. I can fit either tipi under the back seat of my truck or throw it in a checked bag. With a stove it'll will get blazing hot in that thing in about 5 minutes. Yes there is less space to move about but if you get a large enough model it really can be plenty spacious. Once in awhile you'll get an opportunistic mouse that make an appearance but once the tipi get's "lived in" and the ground get's beaten down the rodents and bugs seem to be a minimal problem. Plus, wall tents don't have a floor anyway. I use a Helinox cot with leg kit to keep me up off the ground as well.

I recently picked up the Slumberjack 4-man, mostly because I was curious. That will likely become our "gear" tent to compliment the other tipis. Or if we have a large group it can easily sleep 2 guys with gear.

I guess I'd go wall tent if you don't mind the bulk or the space they require. For me the tipi is just too convenient and just about as functional.

 

[Davis4507]

No question. A wall tent!

 

[stoneramhunter]

i have a wall tent but its not canvas. I use to horse pack in with a canvas wall tent but after years of packing out a much heavier wall saturated with water. i . switched to a synthetic pyramid wall tent 12x12 from cabellas with a full floor , stove jack and poles significantly lighter than canvas. doesn't absorb water. I have had this tent for 25 yrs and its been great. i seam seal it every 4 0r 5 years. more room than tipi easier to pack than canvas imo. white material bright inside and when heated nice and toasty. As well easy to fold up to a small package about maybe 2 by 3 around 27lbs i think