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Author Topic: Tipi and Tarps  (Read 7263 times)

Offline Colville

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2017, 08:43:14 AM »
Im sure the op has done this but it wasnt stated.  Asking tipi or tarp is like asking, claw hammer or ball peen... Without describing your project.  There is a better answer, depending on, altitude, season, number of men, distance packed in, precip potential etc. Form follows function.

Offline spin05

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2017, 01:16:45 AM »
check jimmys tarps on facebook or ebay

Online Karl Blanchard

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #17 on: December 28, 2017, 09:06:33 PM »
I've been running floorless for several years now and the only time I would ever consider a 3 of 4 season tent would be if I was in snake country.  I have everything from a 12oz tarp, to a 20oz 2 man hybrid style shelter with stove jack, to a large tipi with kifaru Smith stove.  Total weight of big tipi and stove is 6lb.  If the slope is steep just dig out a bed.  No different than a traditional tent, pitch sight should be properly prepped.  A few extra minutes can make a world of difference.

All my shelters were sewn by our very own @JonathanS .  His craftsmanship is as good as any you will find.  They have been put through the ringer and have withstood the torture.  Only issue I've had is the hole from a trekking pole from my 5 year old when he "helped" me set it up one day :chuckle:
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Offline Skyvalhunter

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #18 on: January 17, 2018, 05:03:46 AM »
Hopefully you gave him a time out. :chuckle:
The only man who never makes a mistake, is the man who never does anything!!
The further one goes into the wilderness, the greater the attraction of its lonely freedom.

Online Karl Blanchard

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #19 on: January 17, 2018, 06:51:31 AM »
Hopefully you gave him a time out. :chuckle:
  haha! I didn't have the heart. He tries so hard to be dad's big helper :chuckle:
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Offline trophyhunt

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #20 on: January 17, 2018, 07:06:01 AM »
If you don't have a stove to dry the ground out, and you have no floor, how do you keep your bag dry? Especially in bad weather?  Seems like a lightweight 1 0r 2 man tent with a floor would be much better to keep you out the elements?
“In common with”..... not so much!!

Offline Okanagan

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #21 on: January 17, 2018, 08:39:29 AM »
As said, value of a tipi depends on the use and even more on the preferences of the user.  I've backpacked and backpack hunted for 60 years, including a job leading two week wilderness trips, and have never backpacked a tent.

I prefer to burrow into natural nests that I find under a down tree etc. and use a flat tarp to augment shelter that is already there.  A person must sleep well or he will not hunt well, so carry what you need to sleep comfortably.  For some of us, that ain't much.

I own several tents for compact camping out of a vehicle, but for almost all of our backpack hunting we have used flat tarps.  Flat tarps are infinitely versatile to fit any size or shape of ground, and are not limited by the need to find a pre-determined footprint.  Above timberline is the only time I prefer a tent and even then with a tarp I have slept in goat beds on ledges, clumps of waist high brush, against or between boulders, etc.  The few times we have carried a tent or pre-shaped tarp have been to try them and without exception my sons and I prefer the versatility of a flat tarp. 

I bought my 6 man tipi after two consecutive tough trips with heavy deep snow near timberline hunting the late season in Western WA.  I was just going along with son and grandson to keep camp and though we slept warm enough with overlapping flat tarps, a tipi with stove would have been roomier and more comfortable.  Have only used the tipi for vehicle camps so far, from -25F to rainy Septembers.  Have really enjoyed the tipi.  Pitch it high for more room and especially room at the edge.  For more room and less carry weight, discard the center pole and either hang it from a high limb or make an exterior tipi frame/tripod from at least 3 poles and hang the tipi from them. 

Flat tarp uses have included buggy summer paddling trips, on a contour trail as the only semi-flat surface on steep ground, as a wall across the open side of a rock overhang, up against a tree to keep from sliding/rolling down on steep ground.

Use a ground sheet.  A large leaf bag cut down the sides opens to a good ground sheet for one man.

If I have water under me, I picked the wrong place to sleep.  Look at where water will flow and don't sleep there.  Find slightly raised ground with natural drainage.  On top of a clump of heather is good.

Bugs are no problem in most hunting seasons, and a mosquito net from REI will rig under any tarp when needed.

If we limit ourselves to the pre-sewn shapes, supports and tie-outs, and limit ourselves to the manufacturer’s expected use of an item, we severely limit our gear options in the infinite outdoors.



« Last Edit: January 17, 2018, 09:59:23 AM by Okanagan »

Online Karl Blanchard

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #22 on: January 17, 2018, 08:49:26 AM »
If you don't have a stove to dry the ground out, and you have no floor, how do you keep your bag dry? Especially in bad weather?  Seems like a lightweight 1 0r 2 man tent with a floor would be much better to keep you out the elements?
  regardless of ground moisture I always run a small sheet of Tyvek underneath my sleeping pad. Otherwise you're asking to pop your pad. My medium sized tipi will sleep two guys very comfortably has the ability to run a stove and I can stand up in it and move around and it weighs less then pretty much all of the ultra light to man three or four season tents out there that realistically only sleep one person. 
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Online Karl Blanchard

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2018, 08:52:55 AM »
As said, value of a tipi depends on the use and even more on the preferences of the user.  I've backpacked and backpack hunted for 60 years, including a job leading two week wilderness trips, and have never backpacked a tent.

I prefer to burrow into natural nests that I find under a down tree etc. and use a flat tarp to augment shelter that is already there.  A person must sleep well or he will not hunt well, so carry what you need to sleep comfortably.  For some of us, that ain't much.

I own several tents for compact camping out of a vehicle, but for almost all of our backpack hunting we have used flat tarps.  Flat tarps are infinitely versatile to fit any size or shape of ground, and are not limited by the need to find a pre-determined footprint.  Above timberline is the only time I prefer a tent and even then with a tarp I have slept in goat beds on ledges, clumps of waist high brush, against or between boulders, etc.  The few times we have carried a tent or pre-shaped tarp have been to try them and without exception my sons and I prefer the versatility of a flat tarp. 

I bought my 6 man tipi after two consecutive tough trips with heavy deep snow near timberline hunting the late season in Western WA.  I was just going along with son and grandson to keep camp and though we slept warm enough with overlapping flat tarps, a tipi with stove would have been roomier and more comfortable.  Have only used the tipi for vehicle camps, from -25F to rainy Septembers.  Have really enjoyed the tipi.  Pitch it high for more room and especially room at the edge.  For more room and less carry weight, discard the center pole and either hang it from a high limb or make an exterior tipi frame/tripod from at least 3 poles and hang the tipi from them. 

Flat tarp uses have included buggy summer paddling trips, on a contour trail as the only semi-flat surface on steep ground, as a wall across the open side of a rock overhang, up against a tree to keep from sliding/rolling down on steep ground.

Use a ground sheet.  A large leaf bag cut down the sides opens to a good ground sheet for one man.

If you have water under you, you picked the wrong place to sleep.  Look at where water will flow and don't sleep there.  Find slightly raised ground with natural drainage.  On top of a clump of heather is good.  Bugs are no problem in most hunting seasons, but a mosquito net from REI will rig under any tarp when needed.

If we limit ourselves to the pre-sewn shapes, supports and tie-outs, and limit ourselves to the manufacturer’s expected use of an item, we severely limit our gear options in the infinite outdoors.
   :yeah: great post! I too have come to love the tarp setup for early to mid season. 
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Offline Okanagan

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Re: Tipi and Tarps
« Reply #24 on: January 17, 2018, 10:13:05 AM »
As said, value of a tipi depends on the use and even more on the preferences of the user.  I've backpacked and backpack hunted for 60 years, including a job leading two week wilderness trips, and have never backpacked a tent.

I prefer to burrow into natural nests that I find under a down tree etc. and use a flat tarp to augment shelter that is already there.  A person must sleep well or he will not hunt well, so carry what you need to sleep comfortably.  For some of us, that ain't much.

I own several tents for compact camping out of a vehicle, but for almost all of our backpack hunting we have used flat tarps.  Flat tarps are infinitely versatile to fit any size or shape of ground, and are not limited by the need to find a pre-determined footprint.  Above timberline is the only time I prefer a tent and even then with a tarp I have slept in goat beds on ledges, clumps of waist high brush, against or between boulders, etc.  The few times we have carried a tent or pre-shaped tarp have been to try them and without exception my sons and I prefer the versatility of a flat tarp. 

I bought my 6 man tipi after two consecutive tough trips with heavy deep snow near timberline hunting the late season in Western WA.  I was just going along with son and grandson to keep camp and though we slept warm enough with overlapping flat tarps, a tipi with stove would have been roomier and more comfortable.  Have only used the tipi for vehicle camps, from -25F to rainy Septembers.  Have really enjoyed the tipi.  Pitch it high for more room and especially room at the edge.  For more room and less carry weight, discard the center pole and either hang it from a high limb or make an exterior tipi frame/tripod from at least 3 poles and hang the tipi from them. 

Flat tarp uses have included buggy summer paddling trips, on a contour trail as the only semi-flat surface on steep ground, as a wall across the open side of a rock overhang, up against a tree to keep from sliding/rolling down on steep ground.

Use a ground sheet.  A large leaf bag cut down the sides opens to a good ground sheet for one man.

If you have water under you, you picked the wrong place to sleep.  Look at where water will flow and don't sleep there.  Find slightly raised ground with natural drainage.  On top of a clump of heather is good.  Bugs are no problem in most hunting seasons, but a mosquito net from REI will rig under any tarp when needed.

If we limit ourselves to the pre-sewn shapes, supports and tie-outs, and limit ourselves to the manufacturer’s expected use of an item, we severely limit our gear options in the infinite outdoors.
   :yeah: great post! I too have come to love the tarp setup for early to mid season.

Karl, thank you! 

Re the ground sheet:  ditto that it protects the pad from puncture and sleeping bag as well, and protects it from dampness and dirt also.  As you well know (but FWIW) keep the edges of any ground sheet/floor from extending out past the edge of overhanging tarp/fly, which would catch run off water and channel it under the tarp.

Re pads:  after using a couple of brands of self inflating backpack pads, I have gone back to closed cell foam.  Closed cell is not as comfortable in terms of depth and softness, but it is impervious to puncture, has more insulation for its weight, and never goes flat.  OK, I'm a dinosaur.  ;)  Love BIG THICK self inflating pads for camping from a vehicle to haul them!  In that situation, cots are great as well. 


 


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