Seek Outside - 4 Man Tipi review (ongoing)

I'm going to go to grand junction one of these weekends to pick up the 8 man for hunting. Can't wait for that!

 

They work and have been used for minimum what you need in the very cold weather is an osram it is an internal barrier about 4' high that goes around the inside of the tent that makes them a lot warmer. That’s a neat modern teepee design. Too bad it does not have smoke flaps you could have your fire in the middle with out a stove and be a good bit warmer.

 

Yaaa, nope! They are not for the girlish. If you can't handle some dirt and bugs then IMO you should probably stick to the city (just kidding, but seriously). However the RTT did well for keeping most bugs out. I always got moths in mine some how and then the skeeters found their way in. I am curious how well this will keep the skeeters out. From what I have heard is that they get in but stay at very top. If you unzip a bit of the top then they come and go easily.

We don't have much for creepy crawlies here in wyoming. Some spiders and the occasional snake. I am the weirdo that leaves spiders in the house alone and takes other insects outside to release them.

. of the 8 man! I want a 6 or 8 man pretty bad! Say hi to kevin for me . He might recognize babytaco from their forums.

I have decided I'll be hunting this year so I am stoked to have this. Picking up a bow this month to start practicing. .

What? I looked up osram and got lightbulbs and leds .

I don't think I would want a open fire in the tent . It gets crazy hot with just the tiny stove I have. Plus sparks would eat through the thin fabric fast. There is a tent by a brand called Nordic Tipi. Pretty sweet and allows a fire in the tent. If the cost wasn't so high I would like to have one of them.

 

I sold my RTT and ordered the 8man with XL stove, full liner, and screens. Depending on the mosquito/fly situation I may order the nests for both sides. I will test it out with out them though. Excited to get it and try it this summer before hunting. It will be nice to set up camp and not have to fold it up to run Into town or go to another area to mtn bike for the day.

 

Got my 8 man. Do you have any tips or any other pros, cons, or things that have made your camping experience better. Trying to get this one out soon.

 

Mostly picking a good site and planning out sleeping areas. Instead of seeing a stump as an obstacle, pitch the tent over it and use it as a table or chair. I have ditched the stakes they sent and use gutter nails now. Still pretty light and cheap enough that if I bend one up trying to get through rocky ground I don't care. Most of it is just getting used to it and learning what works best for you.

 

Great info here guys! I'm thinking of picking up the 4 man tipi with wood stove. Does anyone know how the fabric holds up in the rain? in cold weather with the stove going is there a lot af condensation?

Lastly, there is a tipi out there that you can burn a fire inside without a stove. Question.... Which keeps the tent warmer, open fire or wood stove?

 

Hey! The fabric handled the rain fine for me. It will "loosen" up a bit and need to have the stakes pulled up and tightened.

I have never had a problem with condensation yet but a lot of people report it. If you haven't experience wood stoves before, the heat is very dry. With the stove fired up, the tent and items in the tent are quickly dried out. You will see the condensation when the stove is not in use ( while you are sleeping and the stove dies).

As far as open vs closed fire, I can not speak from experience. The stove will burn more efficiently but you are limited to the amount you can burn at once. With an open fire you could burn larger pieces and get a longer burn time.

If I had to pick one I would suggest the stove for the use of a chimney. My experience with keeping a fire smokeless has been less than ideal for a tipi. You would have to make sure the ventilation is spot on for an open fire.

 

Thanks for the quick reply BT. This will be my first heated tent purchase. I trying to decide between the SO 4 man tipi w/stove or the Nordic Tipi from Mansfield outdoors. MO says their tipi is designed for open flame. What is a guy to do?

 

Well, i would go with SO based off costs alone. I wanted a Nordic tipi at first but the fact they are china made and significantly more expensive drove me to find SO.

Cost aside, I would consider what you plan on using it for. The Nordic tipis seem to be pretty heavy and bulky. I liked the SO tipi because i can easily use it for backpacking as well as have a large comfy tent for truck camping.

 

I did not know it was made in china. I though I read it was made in the uk. Know that I will not be purchasing the Nordic.

The primary use is for backpacking. I was willing to hump the extra weight if the tent was better made and having an open flame was a benefit. However after reading your posts and answering my questions the SO with stove seems to be the way to go. Thanks for you help.

 

I bought the full liner for mine. Will be hunting out of it in November. So I will see how the condensation liners work/and the stove as well. As for just camping in it I haven't experienced a lot. But it's pretty dry here in Colorado.

 

http://www.tentipi.com/tentipi-today

There is where is explains that they have moved to China as well as why they did it. I'll leave it up to you whether or not you believe them.

Either way I am sure you will get a solid product. If you end up with a Nordic tipi you should plan a trip out here in Wyoming so I can take a peak at it in action

 

can i ask what your reasons for not sticking with the RTT were? I'm torn, now!

 

I had an RTT before everyone started buying them, and it was amazing. With my wife and I it was perfect, then we had a kid. The tipi allows for much more room, and now the dogs can be with us instead of in the vehicle. I also wanted something I could leave set up while mtn biking and run into town if need be and not fold up the RTT every time to do it. Also the ability for heat is nice. I bought the 8 person and I think want the 4 person for back packing because for camping with the family I bought a toy hauler.

 

I'll respond to your question in more depth later @be_unscared . But what hoyal said pretty much sums up what I will say. I dont have kids but I have a dog that loves water, weighs 75lbs, and I like to be around him.

That said, after having. The tipi for a year, ot is not the last shelter you will buy but I haven't found many situations it hasn't been ideal in. I may be selling my 4 man, upgrading to a 6 or 8 man and then picking up a tarp for solo camping.

 

Ok, so like Hoyal said, the RTT is pretty awesome. The decision between the RTT or a Tipi (or really any high end ground tent) should be based on how you camp and what you want the tent for.

The RTT is great but it serves one purpose and that is truck camping. I couldn't justify having a $1000+ tent for something I only occasionally do. My tipi is much more versatile than the RTT in the since that it is roomy enough for truck camping (sleeps two, temporary dry storage for gear, plus dogs), light enough for backpacking (~5lbs without stove), and the no floor design allows me to set the tent up on ice and fish in it. That's 3 shelters in one and I paid less for my set up than both of my RTT's. You can drive your truck on the lake and set up the RTT I guess...but I don't have the balls to do that.

Next, the RTT just didn't fit my camping style. I like to explore areas, not get from point A to point B. This means I go somewhere, set camp, and then play around the local area around my camp. With an RTT that requires packing up or setting up all the time. If you like to drive all day, set camp last minute and never move the truck again...then an RTT is great.

Lastly, the floorless desgin allows me to easily walk into the tent and not worry about taking my shoes off. I also don't have to worry about my dog tracking in mud and getting it all over a floor.

I'll keep it simple and leave it at that. In the end it is a light, roomy, comfortable shelter that serves many purposes. Is it perfect at everything? No, but it does a damn good job of being decent at many things and I can respect that. I haven't read my review in a long time but I am pretty sure I went through the pros and cons of an RTT and why I went with the tipi in more depth. I will be moving to a new shelter sometime in the future. The 4 man is a good size but I think a 6 man would suit me better and can easily size down to a 4 man when needed.

 

What a great write up, as well as excellent pictures. Reminds me of my boy scouting days! We had the old military octagonal tents made out of heavy green canvas! They were heavy! Especially for a scout that was only 80lbs!

 

Are you thinking about upgrading to a 6 man or are you still happy with the space that the 4 man provides?

 

I would like to upgrade to a 6 man. Not really for camping space but for ice fishing . The 4 man is pretty cramped with 2 people and 2 dogs. Put the stove in and things can get a bit interesting but I will probably keep my 4 man through another hunting season.