WTB tent with stove, need help!

[Kevin Dill]

Bruce's video is a pretty good replication of what I endured in 2015. I was at 4500+ feet and alone in the Sawtooth. That type wind pounded my area off and on over a 5 day period...and for some reason it was almost always worse at night. The Sawtooth survived but I had a 10-15 pound rock on every single stake and that includes all the guy-outs. The 2-part secret to tipi storm endurance is that every stake must stay 100% secure and the center pole must be adjusted as tight as reasonably possible. Taut fabric resists wind and deformation better than loose or flapping panels. The bigger your tipi the more important this becomes when the wind blows. That's one reason why at least half of my stakes are MSR Cyclone models which hold at least 250% better than the 6" straight units.

 

[tbone131]

Thanks for all the feedback guys! Keep it coming! So far I’m thinking the Sawtooth or 6 man tipi with a large kifaru box stove

 

[AlaskaEd]

IMHO, the medium stove is what you need with the Sawtooth. The medium makes plenty of heat (almost too much sometimes) and its small enough to maneuver around in the front of the tent. I've never used the large though, so maybe someone that has can comment about it.

 

[Kevin Dill]

The large stove is massive overkill in a Sawtooth or 6-Man. I use a medium Wifi stove and...in the Sawtooth...it is still too much stove 95% of the time. I'm not exaggerating. I have never needed all the output a medium Wifi stove can provide, even in an 8-Man shelter. So what's the downside to too much stove? You'll find yourself building more minimalist fires and struggling to keep things damped down to a low burn. It's harder to keep it managed that way, and keeping a good bed of glowing coals is also tougher. Next year I'll be sharing an 8-Man with a friend on my moose hunt and our stove will likely be a medium TiGoat Wifi unit. I know from experience it will be more than enough stove for that shelter down to very cold conditions.

EDIT: Do keep in mind there is no automatic similarity in stove sizes between manufacturers. I would go on internal volume to tell me something about wood capacity and potential heat output. One company's medium might be equivalent to another's large (stove). Do your research before buying.

 

[tbone131]

The large stove is massive overkill in a Sawtooth or 6-Man. I use a medium Wifi stove and...in the Sawtooth...it is still too much stove 95% of the time. I'm not exaggerating. I have never needed all the output a medium Wifi stove can provide, even in an 8-Man shelter. So what's the downside to too much stove? You'll find yourself building more minimalist fires and struggling to keep things damped down to a low burn. It's harder to keep it managed that way, and keeping a good bed of glowing coals is also tougher. Next year I'll be sharing an 8-Man with a friend on my moose hunt and our stove will likely be a medium TiGoat Wifi unit. I know from experience it will be more than enough stove for that shelter down to very cold conditions.

EDIT: Do keep in mind there is no automatic similarity in stove sizes between manufacturers. I would go on internal volume to tell me something about wood capacity and potential heat output. One company's medium might be equivalent to another's large (stove). Do your research before buying.

Kevin,
I appreciate your insight on this subject. I have an idea of what I want to do but the knowledge of you and others will help me make an informed decision. Again, thank you for all the information.

 

[sneaky]

I've been going back and forth between the wifi and the Lite Outdoors stoves. Ti Goat is local to me pretty much, so that might help make my decision for me. I don't think either one would be a bad choice.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin Dill]

Couple other things about stoves. Be aware of stove height with legs. A stove with very short legs means you'll be loading it near ground level. It matters when you're burning it steadily and must tend it often. A taller stove is a handier unit generally. Flattop stoves are simply more useful for cooking and that's only logical. The bottom of the pan makes better or full contact with the stove top which means heat is directly conducted and not just radiated to the pan. And small as it may be, that flat stove top is very handy as a level surface when the stove isn't in use. I'm constantly setting a cup of coffee there, or maybe some small items I'm using. A flue damper is an extremely good thing to have for fire control, but it can also smoke you out if used incorrectly.

 

[12ring]

I currently am running a Cimarron and a 18" LO stove. I'm 5'9" and can standup inside if it is pitched w/ extended g-lines at the stakes (which helps w/ ventilation/condensation), if staked down tight then I cannot. The stove gets it plenty hot, but plan on continually feeding it to keep up the temp (good enough for waking up and going to bed warm and cozy). Condensation is an issue- for all single wall silnylon (or chose your UL material) tents. With a stove you can go 2 guys with gear, anymore and it would get tight quick- especially if you had to ride out a storm for a couple days.

 

[tbone131]

K I think I am close. Which should I get. The Kifaru Sawtooth or SO 6 man tipi? I can’t decide!

 

[KJH]

SO tipis have never let me down.

 

[mfllood3800]

The redcliffe is a 3- 6 person tipi, but actually would do 4. More like 3 perfectly. And it is $70 cheaper and lighter than the 6 man. I thought it would be just you and a partner? The 6 man is over kill for that, but the extra room is always nice.

Of the 2 you listed I would get the 6 man.
But I would also suggest the Redcliffe for 3 people and even 4 in the case of less gear.

Which ever way you go, you will be happy

 

[Darren Best]

I had the Kifaru 8 man, I currently have a Sawtooth and I had the Go-Lite SL-5.

Liners, absolutely get them, period, it's not an option in wet places in single wall shelters. Once you experience a inside rainstorm, you will never go without them again.

I have the Lite Outdoors 18 inch stove, it is awesome, perfect for the Sawtooth and I second what Kevin says about getting stoves too big for the shelter, you will be constantly venting the tent to shed excess heat and yes, you have to do the hot stove pipe dance getting in and out of the Sawtooth.

The Sawtooth is good for two people, no more, I know some people get three in them, but it's tight. Two and gear stuffs it full and would not be a pleasant experience for an extended stay with someone that sets off gear bombs inside of tents.

You can stand up in the Sawtooth, I am six foot one, wife is six foot two, but it's tight and with the stove in there and pipe, you have to be really careful when getting around it.

Tipis having two doors is awesome, you can park the stove on one side and use the other door, avoiding the issue of having to dance around it. You can throw gear in the void between where you sleep and the edge of the tipi. Tipis are heavier though for their size, the 8 man I had was getting close to 10 pounds with liners. Another downside of the tipi is the footprint, it's huge. My 8 man ate up more real estate than my 12x14 wall tent does. Another negative on the tipis is cost, by the time I had the tipi, liners, netting and stove, it was nearly $2000.

Sawtooth with a liner is just shy of $1100, then add in another $300 ish for a stove.

Oh and the Go-Lite, my wife was ready to murder me in my sleep because she got tired of having to crawl in and out of it.


Things to consider:

How many people
Budget
Weight limit

 

[tbone131]

The redcliffe is a 3- 6 person tipi, but actually would do 4. More like 3 perfectly. And it is $70 cheaper and lighter than the 6 man. I thought it would be just you and a partner? The 6 man is over kill for that, but the extra room is always nice.

Of the 2 you listed I would get the 6 man.
But I would also suggest the Redcliffe for 3 people and even 4 in the case of less gear.

Which ever way you go, you will be happy

It would be me and a partner most of the time. But....I have two boys and they are getting of the age of wanting to go out with dad. Sooooo I am thinking getting something bigger for the long term might make more sense. But once cry once right?

 

[whitingja]

I have the SO SXL stove, and its about perfect for the Sawtooth.

 

[couesbitten]

I don't own one, but I know that the Sawtooth is a fantastic shelter, that being said, considering what you've said multiple times (about your boys coming of age), if you don't get the 6-man now, you will in the future.

 

[Kevin Dill]

If you're going to run a stove, plus bring 2 sons, plus have enough space for everyone...I would not recommend the Sawtooth. Tight quarters and a bit risky with a hot stove + pipe.

If possible I would go all the way to an 8-Man and have enough room for years to come, plus the extra comfort and safety. A 6-Man will do it of course, but I've been in all these shelters and the 8-Man is a champion backcountry shelter for extended hunts with 2-4 people in it.

 

[Mike7]

Here is something else to consider. If you use your shelter mostly between April 15 and October 15, you will be using it mostly without a liner and stove. In that case a pyramid tent will be far easier to vent than a tipi, thereby preventing condensation. Also, pyramid tents are faster to pitch, and easier to pitch on uneven ground...and they have more useable space per weight carried. A Redcliff or Luna 6 pyramid would be palace for you and your boys, and be able to be used all year long. You can use bug nets or liners in a pyramid or tipi.

As far as stoves go, one has to balance what Kevin is talking about vs. the inefficiency of burning/preparing smaller pieces of wood. If you are bringing a saw, it is really nice to be able to burn larger/longer chunks of wood. I run a TiGoat stovepipe on all my stoves, and usually can damper a larger stove down pretty well without getting smoked out by playing with the stove's intake damper and the TiGoat stovepipe exhaust damper.