Wall tent vs. Tipi

[NDHunter]

So for a camp with 3-4 guys, do many of you use a tipi instead of a wall tent? The more I look at the tipi's, the more I seem to like them. I'm thinking about doing a backcountry elk hunt next year with 3 other guys using llamas to pack in and we'd save a huge amount of weight with an 8 man tipi vs. a wall tent. Also would like to go to Alaska sometime in the future and a tipi seems to make way more sense for that too. Just curious for some feedback. Thanks.

 

[afteamroper]

I know my hunting buddy and I had the same question about a year ago. We decided to go with a Tipi as we use animals as well to pack in. With a Tipi you don't have tie up an animal just to pack in your shelter. The only disadvantage is the stand up room, but to me that only comes into play during extended periods of foul weather. But if you can pack in some light weight chairs and cots and sit and sleep in more comfort than it is worth it to me.

 

[michaelc10]

I have both an 8 man and 12 x 14 wall tent , both have there advantages. Theres nothing that compares to a wall tent for comfort on a hunt. Lots of room plenty of space for gear and sitting around the stove. The stoves used are usually a thicker steel and will hold heat longer and have a more efficient burn. The snow load will hold up much better in a wall tent in my opinion. My wall tent seems cooler on warm days than the tipi. I have a white tipi and it can get scorching hot inside. But there is a distinct advantage in the weight class with the tipi. at only a little over 8 pounds .its great on the back versus moving around a big heavy canvas tent , especially taking it down when wet. I can say there both great setups just depending on what your doing with it . Your not going to want to pack in a wall tent without horses , but the 8 man is totally packable with a stove with a couple guys.I love both setups, i dont know if i can ever give up my wall tent

 

[Cindy]

I personally believe that they both have a place.

How will you use it?

Do you want to be mobile?
With a TIPI tent, you can pack an 8 man tent, liner, wood burning stove, all on your back.
This is great when you plan on being mobile. Hunting one drainage today, another two days later, always moving camp.
Or, if you don't have pack animals or cant take the pack animals along, as in trips across many states, or outside of the state.

If you can drive right to your camp, or have a string of pack animals, the wall tent is more durable.
Even a Kifaru rhino tough TIPI is not as tough and durable as 12 oz canvas.

A lot of folks think that with a pack animal, you can take whatever gear you want.
Its just not true.
Almost all experienced horsemen know that even with mules, you go as light as you can.

You still end up buying backpackers stoves, and fire grills, rather than trying to haul cast iron dutch ovens and camp chef stoves.
And so on and so on. Most of the horsemen I know have wall tents but only take them on trips when they are required. They still pack small, light tents during summer because the lighter, more compact, and more efficient you are, the less pack animals required to haul it.

So for that reason, the TIPI is an excellent option.
The downside, TIPI tents are typically much more expensive. And the stoves only use smaller wood.
The upside to wall tents are they are usually cheaper, and they are more livable.

 

[pyroducksx3]

You won't get 3-4 guys in a 8 man tipi 3 maybe 4 in a 12 man for that matter.
I have a kifaru 12 man which I plan on using for hunts away from the road wetter I pack in a little bit or go in on a 4 wheeler. I also plan on using it on hunts where I plan on moving around. I also have a 16x20 wall tent that I use when placing a set camp and hunting with 2-5 guys. It get crowded with 5 for me and perfect for 3. Like others have said nothing is better than a wall tent. If I had to choose one it would be the wall tent hands down

 

[Backpack Hunter]

For useable space and comfort a wall tent is super hard to beat. Having said that in my experience you should have no problems with 3-4 in a 8 man tipi.

 

[MontanaMarine]

A tipi and lightweight stove would save a ton of weight on the llamas. You might want to think about a 12-man tipi though.

We have a 12x14 wall tent, and a 12-man Seek Outside tipi. The wall tent seems to have more useable space.

The tipi is only 16 lbs, canopy, pole, and stakes. The wall tent is more like 150 lbs with canvas, frame, and stakes. Then the stove for either option.

Tipi strengths are light weight, quick to pitch, takes wind well. Wall tent strengths are useable room, breathes better, holds heat a bit better.

4-man and 12-man tipi,








12 x 14 wall tent,

 

[NDHunter]

Thanks for the input guys. To Cindy's questions, I would like to be able to be fairly mobile when I need to be. I'm not always going to pack in somewhere but when I do, I'll have to have something lightweight. And while I'm sure a wall tent would definitely be very nice in certain situations, I would think I could also get by with a tipi just fine.

 

[NDHunter]

How long does it take to put up a wall tent? How about a tipi?

 

[MontanaMarine]

The wife and I put up the wall tent in about 45 minutes to an hour, and it feels like tiring work. The tipi is maybe 10 minutes, light work.

 

[5MilesBack]

How long does it take to put up a wall tent? How about a tipi?

It takes me 15-20 minutes to put up my 14x16 wall tent by myself. Take a look at the video Davis Tent has on their website of a 10 year old girl putting up one of their tents by herself.

The only advantage I see to the tipi's is weight if you're packing in. Setting up next to the truck......I would pick the wall tent 100% of the time.

 

[ridgefire]

We have a wall tent that we mountain bike in 4 miles and it sucks, especially when the tent is wet. We keep our stove and all other stuff stashed back in there but have had to pack the tent out every year because of it being damp from snow or rain. We have been looking into a big tipi to save weight but kinda worried about condensation in the tipi compared to a wall tent.

 

[Cindy]

NDHUNTER,

I searched "titanium goat tipi tent" and this was the first video that showed up.

The guy sets this TIPI and liner up in about 8 minutes.
Then he takes another 8 minutes to set up a titanium stove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtEed4d2xb4

So, depending on what you are setting up, tent with liner, without liner, stove, ect.
It could take a couple minutes to 20 minutes.


Ridgefire,

As far as condensation goes, the TIPI tents usually have light weight liner options to help with that. But, if you are burning a stove, I find no need for a liner. The heat from the stove keeps the condensation away.

Its a weight thing. You go with the option that meets your weight needs.

I like the guy who has two tipis and a wall tent.

The way we did it was one friend bought a canvas tent, one bought a tipi tent, one bought a light free standing tent and we take whatever suits the trip.

The stove is a big consideration.
A heavy wall tent that won't be moved far means a big, heavy stove that can hold big, long, longs. Big heat, long burn times. The light stoves and light tents usually mean shorter smaller diameter logs.

Its a trade off.