Whose 8-Man Tipi?

[GraveyardNRSE]

Very well said Kevin. You have great experience with both companies and know way more about them than I do. I’ve been on the fence about getting a sawtooth or hille for months. Reading your experiences with the sawtooth won me over. SO does have neat features. Did you say you had a sod flap installed on yours?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Very well said Kevin. You have great experience with both companies and know way more about them than I do. I’ve been on the fence about getting a sawtooth or hille for months. Reading your experiences with the sawtooth won me over. SO does have neat features. Did you say you had a sod flap installed on yours?

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the authority in any way. I'm just an avid user and advocate of tipi shelters. I also advocate for both companies which have built products I like and use.

My Sawtooth now has a sod flap and I use it every time. Wish I didn't have to spend the extra money to get it added by another company, but Kifaru wouldn't do it. I like the liners which work great, but they only address the back 2/3 of the Sawtooth. The front 1/3 has no liners to protect stowed gear or firewood from condensation wetness. It's not a gigantic issue but I can see a rather easy way Kifaru could have added protection up front. What things would make me sell my Sawtooth? Bankruptcy...amputations...Alzheimer's...etc.

 

[Nick Muche]

Does the SO have a liner that covers the entire inside of the 8 man Tipi like Kifaru offers? I am only seeing 1/2 liners on their website, and I think based on my experience in tarps and tipis without liners, that could be an issue in terms of condensation.

Kevin, thanks for the information you've posted, but I have a question for you. What benefits do you see with having a the sod skirt?

 

[Nick Muche]

I see now, forgive me... 1/2 liner does not correlate to 1/2 the height, just 1/2 the tipi, so buy two for full coverage.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Kevin, thanks for the information you've posted, but I have a question for you. What benefits do you see with having a the sod skirt?

It started when I went (with Sawtooth) into the 40 Mile region for a high-ground caribou solo. Really bad storm lasting over 5 consecutive days with winds approaching 70 mph (per my Kestrel unit). I had the Saw nailed down with stakes and guy-outs. When the wind got really wild I carried big stones and put them on every last stake. When the wind got outrageous it was able to blow the bottom edges in and then the inside got breezy. Condensation flying...it was chaotic. I couldn't do anything to exclude the wind or pin down the lower fabric edges. I fought it off-and-on for 5 days. One day I was in the Sawtooth when a big blonde grizzly came into camp. Wind so loud I was unaware until I heard the bear vocalizing just outside. With the fabric edge raised by wind that bear could have stuck its big snout and head right in there with zero problem. Luckily he didn't. This is that bear:

Anyway...adding the sod skirt allows me to pin everything down with stones or moss. No wind ever intrudes. I suppose it adds a bit of protection from small critters getting in. With the sod flap inverted to the outside, snow and rain is directed away from the tipi edge. That pretty much sums up what I get from it.

 

[Matt W.]

Storm flap over the zipper on the SO can also come in pretty handy. I don't know if the Kifaru tipi's ever have issues with leaking through the zipper but my buddies 8 person Ti Goat did and it was a real PITA. I've never had an issue with my 12 person SO leaking.

I spent a week in a Kifaru 6 man Tipi and the leaking zipper bugged me. That storm flap will be a key part of my decision process as I debate an 8 or 12 man base camp style setup....

 

[luke moffat]

12 man all the way for a base camp style. If used as a cook/hangout tent you can seat 8+ adults in there plus have enough space for a table with a propane cook stove on it and such and still have the wood stove cranking. If used as a sole shelter its still piles of room for 4-5 guys or so.

 

[mooster]

It started when I went (with Sawtooth) into the 40 Mile region for a high-ground caribou solo. Really bad storm lasting over 5 consecutive days with winds approaching 70 mph (per my Kestrel unit). I had the Saw nailed down with stakes and guy-outs. When the wind got really wild I carried big stones and put them on every last stake. When the wind got outrageous it was able to blow the bottom edges in and then the inside got breezy. Condensation flying...it was chaotic. I couldn't do anything to exclude the wind or pin down the lower fabric edges. I fought it off-and-on for 5 days. One day I was in the Sawtooth when a big blonde grizzly came into camp. Wind so loud I was unaware until I heard the bear vocalizing just outside. With the fabric edge raised by wind that bear could have stuck its big snout and head right in there with zero problem. Luckily he didn't. This is that bear:

Anyway...adding the sod skirt allows me to pin everything down with stones or moss. No wind ever intrudes. I suppose it adds a bit of protection from small critters getting in. With the sod flap inverted to the outside, snow and rain is directed away from the tipi edge. That pretty much sums up what I get from it.

Did you add the sod skirt yourself? What material and dimension did you use?

 

[keller]

does anyone run the half nest with the half liner in an 8 man? if so how many people can sleep on low cots in the nest? guys running the 12 man do you find yourself having problems finding a spot big enough to set it up? thanks john

 

[Tuscaoka]

I’m had shelters from both. Happy w both

I think another factor affecting the price difference is where the materials are sourced. I believe Kifaru shelters are Barry compliant. That’s a big deal imo.

if this info is wrong I apologize

 

[mooster]

does anyone run the half nest with the half liner in an 8 man? if so how many people can sleep on low cots in the nest? guys running the 12 man do you find yourself having problems finding a spot big enough to set it up? thanks john

I have kifaru 12 with liner. You have to be aware to stake the tipi tight otherwise the liner sags and invades the interior space. As for real estate, the advantage of the floorless is you can set up over a small obstacle or uneven ground. With a stove setup, 4 cots would be max I’d want inside.

 

[Railroad Joe]

Had a kifaru 6man and sold it to get the SO 8man. I have no complaints about the SO 8man but I am now looking at getting the tentipi Safir 9 tipi tent from Mansfield Outdoors. Not really a backpacking tent but a great base camp tent. It’s expensive but I really like the features of this tent.

Did you ever get that tent tipi from Mansfield?