Backcountry Tipi buying help

[Steve Chappell]

Kevin here in MI we too have been hit with those super cold days (-8 Friday on my way to work) for many weeks in a row now (I missed 2 of those weeks while overseas thankfully). Today it is in the 20s so my wife and I, along with our dog, took a long walk on the frozen river...the 20s makes it feel like Spring is just around the corner.  As excited as I would be to use my new tent/tipi this weather would keep mine in the packing it came in too.  

Brian at WL&F is sending me some Cuban fabric samples including color options. Any suggestions on color?  I am leaning toward Multicam.  Any down side to a camo pattern?

[Matt Quick]

Steve, a down side to the camo pattern or any dark colored material is it doesn't reflect light as well. Personally I like white. A small lantern or even a flashlight will light up the whole tent making it easier to read, find things and to just see in general. I purchased an 8 man Kifaru last year and was quite bummed they don't offer white as a color choice anymore. Only the brown. The liner is white in the Kifaru so that has helped out a lot.

[Kevin Dill]

Yep...Matt is right on the money.

I have a white 8-man and decided to keep it forever. The lighter colors are more translucent and amenable to living in, if weather locks you down. My new Sawtooth is brown but Silnylon is still thin enough (and offers good light passage) that it's not bad. As Matt mentioned, the white liner adds a good degree of brightness within, akin to painted walls in your home. I've never been a fan of dull, dark colors in tents. I'll take a bright one every time. Can't say what makes other guys happy, but hopefully you know what's important to you. I also think visibility from the air is a good thing. It discourages other hunters from dropping in if they can easily see a big bright tipi. It also could aid in rescue location in the event of a disaster.

For anyone interested: Snow Peak makes a great little light called the Hozuki. Mine is the mini-sized one. Runs on 3 x AAA and makes a very superb overhead light in a tipi. About $50, but I'd spend it again in a heartbeat.

[Steve Chappell]

Matt & Kevin....great advice I did not give thought to...thank you! I am waiting on color samples so we'll see what my options are.  

That a great little lite too.  I found it on sale now for $29.92 at this link

 http://www.backcountrygear.com/snow-peak-mini-hozuki-led-lantern.html?gclid=CNPmi4nTjMQCFYNDaQodWQYA7g#.VPXo1D8tGM9

[Aggieland]

Steve any updates on the Cuban samples?  I have to make a decision on what tent setup we are going with for our hunt.  Very interested in the Cuban but afraid of what it will cost.

[Kevin Dill]

Good insight here:


 http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?27703-Cuben-shelters-or-what

[AkDan]

I'm gonna have to re read some pages of info...I'm sure there's a bunch of it I missed!

Kevin, first thing I saw with that tent picture in the link is no stove.  Which makes keeps it from being a 4 season gig!  

Steve, are you going guided for your brownie?   Or do you have a N.O.K here?

[Kevin Hansen]

Originally posted by AkDan:
I'm gonna have to re read some pages of info...I'm sure there's a bunch of it I missed!

Kevin, first thing I saw with that tent picture in the link is no stove.  Which makes keeps it from being a 4 season gig!  

Steve, are you going guided for your brownie?   Or do you have a N.O.K here?

N.O.K??? Please enlighten me, Dan.

[Steve O]

Next of Kin. Non Residents cannot hunt brown/grizzly bear, Dall sheep, or mountain goat without a licensed guide in AK unless you are with a first degree relative who is an AK resident.

And when did we switch from a moose hunt?!?

[Kevin Hansen]

Thanks, Steve. I knew it must refer to family members, but I couldn't come up with the right term for the acronym.

[AkDan]

Thanks Steve.  

yes next of kin, brother sister mother farther daughter son.  

Or are you going guided?

[Steve Chappell]

Sorry for my late response...not been online much.  

Aggieland...My Cuban Fiber tipi build is still on.  My samples of Cuban Fiber are in the mail I am told.  Brain has been requesting sampled from various suppliers and has a batch he is comfortable with that he wants me to select from.  I knew this CF build was going to be a long process but I am hoping I have it for the Compton Ren in MI this June....hoping.  I would rather wait longer and get a tipi I am really happy with.

Kevin that thread on Rokslide  was a really good read...thanks for sharing it!  I spend a fair amount of time on that site as there is a lot of good info.

At this point, I am having a stove jack put in the one I am having built. I bought an SO XL TI stove in December and at this stage I plan to use it but will admit there are some others  out there (one Kevin shared) I have an eye on so I may put the SO up for sale to get one of the others.  My SO stove is still brand new.  After reading the rokside thread I am going to consult with Brian on weather the impact on a CF from heat and ashes would be any worse than sil.  One thing I am confident of is Brian will not do anything he does not feel will stand up.  

AkDan...I am going guided with Yote Robertson....I was supposed to hunt the Moose John with him in 2014 but my hunt was cancelled 2 weeks out due to Ernie Holland crashing his plane.  The plan was to do that same hunt in 2015 but sadly the Moose John area Jay Massey made famous is now in the hands of another guide so it is lost to the traditional archery world.  What a tragedy! Ironically, I was told the guide who now has that area was suspected of putting water in he gas tank of Ernie’s plane that caused him to crash yeas ago…I am told in an effort to get that area.  

As a side note, I injured my left knee this summer and have had some serious issues so they did an MRI which showed problems.  I went to a specialist then got into Physical Therapy as I did not want to do anything to mess up my trip to see my daughter off to her study abroad in Australia…and our trip to New Zealand too. We did some serious hiking in NZ and it really caused pain in my knee to the point I knew I could not handle the rough terrain in AK. The pain has just gotten worse over time. The soonest I could get back into to see my Specialist after getting back is April 1st so I will know a lot more after the 1st. I fear surgery may be in my future which would put my 2015 AK hunt is in question.  Due to the long wait to get back in, I tried laser light therapy through my peronal DO and I get almost complete relief but unfortunately it lasts for only a day or two.  I wish I knew about this laser therapy a long time ago when I first injured my knee…it is nothing short of amazing.

[Orion]

Hmmmmm.  I didn't know that Ernie had a crash.  Is he OK?  I hunted the Moose John with him about a dozen years ago.  Both my partner and I killed nice bulls. Had also hunted it 10 years before that with Jay Massey.  Excellent hunt.

I had a knee replacement several years ago.  Was hunt ready within three months of the surgery.  If you have to do it, and if you get it done quickly, you could be ready to go by September.  Good luck.

[Steve Chappell]

Cuban Fiber sample arrived today.  Brian @ Wyoming Lost & Found sent me several weight options from 1oz up to 2oz in white/opaque. I was not aware there were so many weight options.  I am going to play around with them and see how well they take various kinds of abuse.  He is going to send me color options once he gets them.  

Orion, I was told Ernie was OK but shook up good which I am guessing was the motivation to let the Moose John area go. Keep in mind this was back in August of 2014.  As the Master Guide he was mandated to visit every so many days (I think 10) guides like Yote who were guiding through him.  You are very fortunate to have done that hunt and even more so to have done it with Jay!! I am still sick over not being able to do that hunt!

[Steve Chappell]

Today I pulled the plug on my 2015 Alaska bowhunt and communicated I am pulling the plug on the Cuban Fiber tipi build with Wyoming Lost & Found. I will be having knee surgery on 4/13, which I am pretty sure I'd be in good shape to hunt by September, pending no complications.  However, the real issue that has brought both of these to a screeching end is my wife was released from her job last week, along with thousands of others. She had 30 years in with this big corporation.  This is one thing I cannot overcome so adjust I am doing and in our belt tightening the expensive hunt and tipi, I have literally waited for year to see come to reality, became casualties.  Hopefully 2016 is the year I make it to Alaska.

I know several people were looking forward to seeing and hearing how my Cuban Fiber tipi performed. Sorry but I will not be able to see this one through at this point in time.  Maybe in the future. Maybe someone else will take the leap I did and share their results.

[Orion]

Bummer.  Good luck on the surgery.

[Bryan Bondurant]

going back and reading old tipi threads today looking for a new tipi, after checking, it seems Wyoming lost and found is no longer posting on Facebook and they no longer have a website?

[Biathlonman]

He was well known for being a poor businessman, often under delivering on promises that he made.  Many stories out there of folks he had less then satisfactory dealings with.

[Bryan Bondurant]

Originally posted by Biathlonman:
He was well known for being a poor businessman, often under delivering on promises that he made.  Many stories out there of folks he had less then satisfactory dealings with.

Thanks, sadly some people have good ideas, even talent, but end up not cutting the mustard,

[kevsuperg]

Wow, Old thread