Traditional Tipi Makers 2017

[Bryan Bondurant]

Originally posted by slowbowjoe:



Make no mistake, I appreciate the qualities of yurts, and bell tents, but I will say this (as I have for decades): No dwelling has the same feeling of beauty and magic as the tipi. It's calling you.

I agree 100%, I had a Walrus tent shaped like a igloo that I loved and used for years, not the same thing. For a stick shooter, there is something almost religious about t a tipi.

I have laid my head a many a place, log cabins, adobe houses, trapper cabins in Alaska, bamboo huts on the Mekong river, every manor of tent you can dream up from Army pups to modern high tech mountaineering masterpieces, but lately about all I have been thinking is, forget about everything new, fancy, even modern, and get back to the basics, the dreams I had as a kid. I got my first longbow at around 7-8 years old and have a wanted a tipi since before that.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I was in a thunderstorm once in my Tipi at rendezvous along 70 other Tipi's and 150 other canvas tents including many Conical's. The winds hit 70mph as a Tornado missed us by a couple miles, the hail was terrible and so was the rain. I pounded my stakes a little tighter wrapped down my flaps after hearing the reports and climbed in and rode it out.

The hail pounding off my poles was crazy loud, I could barely hear other tents coming apart debris flying around and people hollering. Hail was even blowing in under my liner but watching my poles bending and bouncing back and forth like there supposed to was pretty cool. When all said and done and we all climbed out 70 Tipis looked just like they did when it all started and well the rest were a mess of shredded canvas broken poles and some very unhappy people.

All I had to do was pound a few stakes tighter again get my fire going to get coffee and food ready for all the folks that could use it. Native Indians new exactly what they were using and why easy to transport easy to heat and beautiful in all landscapes!!!!

 

Tracy

[slowbowjoe]

K.S., just wondering... wouldn't smoother poles be a little better? I'd be concerned with those poles wearing thru the canvas, and dripping more in the rain.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I just cut those new poles, a whole set and put the frame up seeing how the looked. Two of my grandkids came over for the weekend and talked me into putting the rest up, they love my Tipi and it's hard to get them out of it.      

Anyway I ended up taking those picks that weekend and for some reason Photobucket isn't letting me pull up very many picks on my albums so that's all I had to choose from. My canvas is the medium weight and can handle it I'm never worried. It's been through a lot in the many years I've had it and never had a problem.      

Tracy

[Bryan Bondurant]

Im just getting back this, got sidetracked out in Death Valley a couple years where I just used a tent and netting to keep the spiders off. Now in New Mexico back in the market for a tipi.

Has anyone bought tipi / teepee lately? I have been looking at Comanche style which are a bit shorter and kinda squatier 4 pole start up. At the moment Im looking at getting canvas and hand sewing one, like I need a new project but just not seeing a tipi out there Im getting excited about. Wall tents are another thing, lots of master wall tent makers and do not get me wrong, I love a good wall tent and may go back to them but want to give the tipi a good run for its money.

Has anyone on TG ever sewed their own canvas tipi?

[Roughcountry]

It's on my bucket list to sew one up using my dads 64 year old tipi as a pattern. It was made by a very good friend on the Res here and is very well made. The book in a earlier post is a wealth of info if you plan on sewing your own. I plan on using sunforger canvas. I've sewn up a couple tents, just need a big lay out area for the tipi.

[Huntschool]

Laubin's book is a must read if you are going to try and build one.

We were in the business for a good number of years as "Terrapin Ridge Lean to and Tipi Co." and my wife sewed everything herself.  Just so you know there is about 60 yards of fabric in a 16' cover. Just the cover.  We used about 300 yards a week for tents and lodges. I cant even tell you how much thread we used as we bought it in commercial large spool cartons. Thats a bunch of fabric and thread and it takes a good bit of space and a good heavy duty canvas machine to do the sewing.  You need even more space to lay it out to cut the edges for hemming.  Think gym floor here. We used a 10.3 oz water repellent fabric and had no problems with it.  It was not this new "fire retardant" type stuff.  Be sure the fabric weave is Army Duct as that is double twisted and woven into the warp and the weft of the goods. Keep bug spray off the fabric.... it will lose its water repellency right now.  The seams need to be done correctly from bottom to top so that they do not act as a water, snow or ice trap/dam

A three pole lodge like Cheyanne or Sioux is the way to go as once you stake the center wrap rope down in the center of the lodge it will not walk on you.  A four pole rack will walk.  Think about it... the Crow and Blackfoot lodges are 4 pole but where did they use them... in forested areas, not the plains like the Sioux and Chayanne where wind is a constant.   

Also, as was mentioned above, your poles need to be "smoothed out" even if you can get some already debarked.  There is a good two days work just to smooth good poles when you can find them.  And, by the way, if you want your lodge to look "cool" you need to have 1/3 the length the height of the lodge sticking out the top.  So order pole of the correct length.  Oh, yea, that could mean you need a carrier for your PU truck and might require a front support also.

Also remember that a lodge does not set up with a circular foot print.  Its rather oval and the door should always be set facing East if you want some of the spiritual relationship to it.

Just an old guy with lots and lots of experience with making and using tipis talking.

[Bryan Bondurant]

RC and HS,,,,,, Thanks and great info. I still have a couple Tipi books and need to get them out. This might sound a bit crazy but Im thinking about hand stitching a tipi. I had a big sewing machine in the past and repaired a few pretty large sails, hand stitched a bunch of leather. Sure it would be some bloody fingers and lots of extra work but would be something to appreciate.

I like to dream big and have a pretty good success rate on such things, Im just at the debate in my head stage but my plan right now if possible is to make it to Michigan this June and sleep in a tipi with my friends that are still around and the memories of those who are not.

I figure it might take a month to make by hand taking my time. Indians didn't have any machines and I have no plans in February,,,, so have a few weeks to think about it.

[rainman]

Look into Finnish style Lavvuu.  Very similar to Tipi but not as tall so does not need to be staked down, and poles don't need to be as long.

[Bryan Bondurant]

Rainman,,,, Thanks, will check into it.

[Roughcountry]

Huntschool, that's some great tips. Bryan, your tougher than me. I'm gonna use a industrial sewing machine.

[Charlie Lamb]

  Robin

[Bryan Bondurant]

Huntschool, that's some great tips. Bryan, your tougher than me. I'm gonna use a industrial sewing machine.

Well see, I might just wuss out and buy something but its fun to dream big. Unless I get a crazy good deal on a wall tent and there are some in spring from different outfitters,,,, Im going for the TiPi,,,,

[slowbowjoe]

Sunforger canvas is good stuff.