Kifaru tepees

[snakewood3]

I'm thinkin' about the 8 person with liner and bug nets. Not for extreme cold weather use. My concerns are bug / critter intrusion and condensation in warm and wet weather use. Any input would be great...Thanks

[sagebrush]

ttt

[Mark Maves]

I am looking at them too.  I stopped into our local WIGGY'S shop and he recommended Titanium Goat teepees.  I would like to get more information also, so any feedback would be very much appreciated.  Thanks,  Mark

[John Havard]

I own the 16-man with liner and arctic stove.  I used it last year during my annual moose hunt in Alaska.  It's the second Kifaru tipi I have owned.  They are not great for high wind conditions (like out on the Peninsula or on mountain tops), but they will take the wind and still stand.  Condensation can be a real problem but is also fairly easy to overcome.  First of all, if camped on moist ground you'll need to put a floor of some sort on top of the ground.  Otherwise the tipi turns into a solar still that sucks moisture out of the ground which turns to heavy condensation during the cooler night time.  Good ventilation and the liner and firing up the wood stove and covering the ground under the tipi solves this condensation problem.

The largest Kifaru tipis are basically wall tents that can be broken down into small, light-weight packages and flown into remote areas.  My 16-man tipi plus stove and liner and lots of extra stakes weighs 30 pounds all in.  Not a back-packable number, but very light nonetheless for a 24'X 22' heated living space.  

With the wood stove roaring you can easily heat the huge 16-man to 70 degrees inside when it's quite cold (15-20 degrees) outside.  

I also own an MSR Stormking mountaineering tent, a Marmot Lair 8 mountaineering tent, and a Bibler Bombshelter mountaineering tent.  Along with the Kifaru tipi, all of these tents have their uses and applications.  

In my mind the smaller tipis with wood stoves are almost novelties instead of useful items.  I think the 8-man with stove is the place to start considering the tipis.  It or the 12-man can be broken down into two packages and easily shared between two hikers for a relatively light-weight heated shelter.  If it's going to be warm outside then I'd stick with a conventional tent.

One final word about keeping bugs and critters out.  I had Kifaru sew a 1' bug screen along the bottom of my tipi.  It helps keep mosquitos out of the tipi in still-wind conditions and is worth the little bit of extra money charged.  

Lots of good info on the Kifaru website.  For much greater discussion details and some perfectly frank pros and cons I strongly recommend going there and studying it.

Hope this all helps.  John

[Otter]

I have a Kifaru 8 man and a Cabelas Alaknak II.  By myself, I can setup the Kifaru in about 10 min.  The Alaknak w/vestibule will take me 45 min or longer.  I've never had a critter problem, but condensation is an issue.  I have found that un zipping the doors at the top and holding them open with a stick takes care of the problem.  

John, what are you using for ground cover?

Last fall, I could have used it as a blind.  I was sitting back in the tent, studying the inside of my eyelids, when I had a turkey just stroll on in.  If I would have spooked him, he would have knocked over everything.

Nice tents.

[John Havard]

Hey Otter, for ground covering I use either multiple light-weight nylon tarps or a heavy-gauge plastic similar to the inexpensive floor coverings you can buy in the paint department at some place like Home Depot.

[Tony Phillips]

Are these tents lined with Gold? $1800 for a 16 man tent and $600 for a T/D stove.

[Shakes.602]

  WOW!!       Thats Waaaaaay Out Of My League! I will stick to a Small Dome and Call it Even.  

[Otter]

There is no doubt you are paying for "packability."  I can fit an 8 man, with netting, plus pole, stove, and stovepipe in regular backpack.

When I hunt I like more then a spike camp and less then a full base camp.  This fits nicely.  Without the stove, I can put pole langers on the center post and keep my bows off the ground.

Mine has gold zippers with a platinum center post.    :D

[Mark Maves]

Thanks John for the information. I own a Hilleberg tent and swear by it. I was just wondering how the teepees hold up to the elements.  The tarps that they make look like they would be great for emergency/spike camps. I appreciate your feedback.  mark

[homerdave]

i have used a tigoat vertex as my main tent while guiding the last two years, and on a goat hunt in kodiak.
living in the tipi 3-4 weeks at a stretch i can't say enough good about it.  nothing beats waking to <30 degrees, lighting the stove and getting dressed in 55 degrees in 15 minutes!!
if staked properly gusts to 50+ knots are no problem.
any single wall tent has condensation issues, but the trade-off is worth it to me.
my other tents are a hilleberg nallo ll and a north face...all good tents.

[Mark Maves]

Thanks homerdave, going fishing this weekend?  I am going to take a long look at the tigoats and maybe split it with my hunting partner. I also have the nallo II and it has served me very well.

[homerdave]

yep, i'll be out there...the Blackfish.
the nallo ll set up as fly only is what i used sheep hunting.

[HalfRack]

You can make your own if you or the wife is handy with the sewing machine, I have detailed plans I can email back in a PDF file for anyone who wants it, the total cost for materials was around $200 when I made mine.

-Mike

[Roughcountry]

Good lookin outfit Mike, I sent you a PM.

[Brad Davis]

Hey Mike, could you email me those specs that you have. Good looking set-up!

[HalfRack]

My plans are at work, will try to get them out tomorrow morn. If I have a PDF all made up, is there any way to post it on Tradgang somewhere?

-Mike

[Little John]

Mike, PM sent

[Ken999]

I've got an 8-man and a Supertarp with the Annex.

 http://www.kifaru.net/tipi8man.htm

 http://www.kifaru.net/supertarp.htm

 http://www.kifaru.net/ptrp_annex.htm

The tipi's will have a bit of condesation in them during times of high humidity. Mostly when the stove is not being used. It has been my experience that once the stoves fired up and door vent's are opened a bit, things dry up nicely. A small towel or extra tee-shirt can be used to wipe the walls down, then hung over the clothes line to dry. I've never used a ground cloth.

Kifaru also offers a liner for nearly all their shelters. The liners solve the condensation/drip problem at the 'cost' of a couple of extra pounds.

I've had my 8 for 4-5 years and have not had the urge to buy the liner yet. All of my use has been in the Northeast, mostly in the Adirondacks. I've had some 5 day trips where I set it up in the rain/snow and took it down in the rain/snow...wet the whole time...the tipi was great and the stove allowed us to start every day dry and warm.

They tipi's are pricey but they are American made, which to me, helps to justify some of the cost. They are also one of the few heated shelters that be backpacked. That covers any other 'justification' that might be necessary for myself....now the wife on the other hand...  :D  

As far as sizing goes...2-3 people and gear are a good fit for the 8 man...four and gear is do-able. I'm 6-0 and can move around pretty easy in the tipi.

A buddy of mine has the 12 man and that it is quite a backcountry home considering it can easily be carried by one person...stove, liner and all. I can walk all the way around the center pole with my head touching the tipi wall and cannot touch the center pole with an extended arm. Lot's of room for 4 people and gear.

[HalfRack]

Anyone that sent me their email address got the plans, PMing doesn't allow us to attach PDF's so it has to be done email. I have plans for a small stove on there too, but I like the TI Goat better. Good luck all.

-Mike