Anybody own a Kifaru Tipi and Stove?

[JJB2]

I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a 4 person tipi and stove.  Anyone own a tipi?  Looking for feedback on how they function in the rain and snow (with no floor), are they worth the coin, etc.?

[Steve H.]

I have a couple buds that have, I think the 6 person model.  One guy brought his to AK and we moose hunted out of it last year, talk about sweet comfort.  It withstood pretty strong winds.  100% HAVE to have the liner as it will trap condensation between it and the outer tipi.  I liked it so much I will for sure be asking one or both of thee guys to hunt with me this year, lol.

[JJB2]

Thanks Steve, so the inside wall got pretty wet with condensation inside with the heat from the stove and the cold outside air?  I was debating on whether or not the liner would be necessary.  What size stove did you guys use?

[Montanawidower]

I own the eight man.  I've got 5 full seasons in mine and its going strong.  I love it.  I have mostly elk hunted out of mine, but I've had it in Alaska, and on numerous float trips.  

I think the four man would be too small personally, unless you are planning solo hunts.
Tipis really have limited space compared to wall tents based on the footprint.


IMO, One of the biggest advantages is being able to stand up in it.  I don't think you could do that comfortably in a four man.  Heck, the eight man fits 2 maybe three guys comfortable with cots and gear. We joke every year they must be counting dwarves when they rate these things.  

The stove is collapsable and thus not sealed.  It will eat wood as fast as you can add it.  Seems its an inferno or out.  

But, given its weight, its nice to have some fire, rather than none.  I'm thinking of investing in a a sealed titanium stove.  We mainly fly, llama, or raft into our camps.  The weight will be comparable, and bulk usually isn't an issue.  

Hope that helps.  PM me if you have more questions.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

here is mine in the Eagle caps wilderness in 2003   I like it very much

[Mike Vines]

I bought an 8 man Seekoutside tipi this past fall, and here is a picture of the first time I set it up.  Yes I agree the liner is a MUST HAVE. I didn't install the liner, once it dried out, the liner got put it.  I would say 3 guys and gear TOPS.

   

[Zane]

Absolutely are excellent in wind, snow & rain. Make sure it's seam sealed well though.
One bit of advice I would offer is to buy one twice the size you think you will need. I have a 12 man and it will accommodate 6 hunters comfortably, 8 tight. I can't imagine 12 in it although they would fit. It's great with four hunters and all the gear.
As someone else said, the stove is either roaring or out.
I really like the simplicity and ease of the kifaru tipi and don't think you can go wrong with it.
Zane
Ps: no liner either unless you live where it's humid which ain't where I live.

[beendare]

Worth looking at the Seekoutside stuff- much better pricing and good quality.

 GoLite makes the ShangriLa series and Titanium Goat makes a nice Tipi. I had the ShangriLa 5 [2# 6oz I think it was] and  a small stove [1# 4oz]I made for it. It has the cool factor but the condensation was just terrible.

You really have to pitch these tipis tight otherwise it will feel like its raining on you with the fabric flexing. You can pitch them a few inches off the ground to help with condensation but then they are real breezy and you can get varmints/snakes. The liners are nice but then the weight goes up diminishing the ultra light advantage. The floorspace is deceivingly large in diagrams due to Catenary design- much unusable space around the perimeter. I'll stay with my HS tarptent for backpacking, YMMV

[JJB2]

Zane, I'm going to be moving to CO, right outside Fort Collins, July '13.  Do you have any condensation issues in the winter with the cold air outside and the stove going inside?  My buddy and I hunted the Weminuche the fall before last in late Oct and froze our butts off most nights and the tents filled with condensation from just our body heat.  I'm looking forward to warm winter nights and mornings in this tipi.  

Based on what you guys are telling me, sounds like a 6 man at min for my buddy and I.

Thanks all for the feedback.  Very helpful.

[TURKEYFOOTGIRL]

I got a 6 man and its good for me and gear comfortably or two people a little less spacious ecspecially with stove.  The time it really shines through is when its ten below and the stove is goin and im toasty.  Even by yourself i reccomend a 6 person minimum.

[stickhorse]

Love mine, agree with others get the liner. Sheep hunt 2008. performed great
 

[Steve O]

I had a 4 man.  Sold it and bought an 8 man and a Supertarp/Annex.  You can't stand up in a 4man unless you are Brunner sized...

Liner is definitely worth the cost and weight.

[beendare]

Originally posted by JJB2:
  Do you have any condensation issues in the winter with the cold air outside and the stove going inside?  My buddy and I hunted the Weminuche the fall before last in late Oct and froze our butts off most nights and the tents filled with condensation from just our body heat.  I'm looking forward to warm winter nights and mornings in this tipi.  

This may help answer your question.
I used my shangrila 5 8 miles into the Weiminuche wilderness with one buddy on a pack in hunt in 76 two years ago. Camped at 10,800 hunting to 12,000 [archery elk season last 2 weeks] Tipi was pitched tight to the ground.  Temps would drop to freezing almost every night. The condensation would freeze on tent wall and be just running down the wall [and on us] in the AM when we fired up the stove. 'This ain't no wall tent" my buddy said every morning. It probably would have been better without the stove. Roomy enough for 2 with gear but no way you get 3 big guys in that especially with the stove since you need a little clearance.

 They are easy to setup and move- our strategy on a backcountry elk hunt and are very strong even with 30D fabric of the SL's. You have to pay attention if you are using a down bag or put clothes along the perimeter.

[perry f.]

I have a three man from Wyoming Lost and Found. My dad and I spent two weeks in it  elk hunting. Used a small tarp to cover some of our gear. Rained every day but two, we stayed dry for the most part. A stove would have been nice. Mine is made out of tarp material and reasonably priced. Check them out, very good people to deal with. A guy I work with has a Kifaru. He said its nice, but not sure it's worth what he paid for it.

[Orion]

I have a 6-person, which is big enough for two people, tight for three.  Condensation is an issue in humid climates.  The stove will drive out the condensation, but as already mentioned, the stoves are small and don't stay lit long if you don't keep feeding them.  In short, the stove won't stop the condensation that will occur overnight from your body heat, unless you wake up every half hour to stoke it.  BTW, I have a medium stove. I tie my doors partially open so the moisture can escape during the evening, daytime, too, for that matter.

In warm weather, placing a nylon tarp on the ground to cover as much space inside the tent as possible will reduce the condensation on the tent walls because it seriously slows the moisture that might be pulled from the ground. Condensation in Western states/mountains in September usually isn't too bad, and I don't use a ground cloth there to save pack space and weight.

I don't have a liner.  It takes up as much space and weighs as much as the tent.  Sort of defeats the purpose of an ultralight tent/stove.  On the other hand, if you don't have to pack it in, or pack only a short distance, a liner might be a good idea.

[David Yukon]

What will you use it for? if you don't back pack hunt, I think there is better stuff out there... but if you are packing the tent in on you back with the rest of your gear, then they are hard to beat!

I have a SnowTrekker Exp Short Wall wall tent, that is great for up to 4 people with a wood stove that run for up to 5hrs, and the tent and frame weight in at 27# and the stove, is about 16#. Definitely not something you can pack on your back for really long... but for truck, boat, canoe assisted hunt, it is the best!

[Zane]

Zane, I'm going to be moving to CO, right outside Fort Collins, July '13. Do you have any condensation issues in the winter with the cold air outside and the stove going inside? My buddy and I hunted the Weminuche the fall before last in late Oct and froze our butts off most nights and the tents filled with condensation from just our body heat. I'm looking forward to warm winter nights and mornings in this tipi.

My experience( in very cold weather near uncomphagre pk) was the condensation was present, but wasn't a problem as long as you didn't lean against the side of the tipi. I wouldn't have wanted the extra weight for as small of a problem as it was. Most Colorado/NM weather is such that there are big storms followed quickly by very cold nights & warmish days.
Now, if you are not packing in, maybe a liner is worth the weight
Best to you in Fort Collins. That's my retirement destination. Btw, Kifaru is worth every penny...made in America and you can actually talk to the person that sewed your tipi, who designed it, who marketed it and who shipped it. If you have a complaint, theyll fix it. Pretty rare in todays world.

[tecum-tha]

Got the 8 and the 16 man. 8 man for drop camps and 16 man by myself as basecamp. You need the liner unless you camp in very dry climates. Even in a wet elk season in CO the liner helps greatly.
It takes a while to get the hang of how to fire up the stoves so that the tipi heats up quick. The 16 man took 10 min at first to get warm. After 4 weeks in elk camp it took a merely 2 min to heat up the place. It wasn't even worth it getting back into the sleeping bag anymore...
The fabric is ultrastrong and that what makes the tent so expensive.
One year it snowed every other day and was generally a very wet season. I stayed the whole season in comfort. I usually have about a weeks supply of firewood in the tent. The concept is to use the stove in the morning, for cooking and in the evening in order to get to bed dry. It is great to dry wet clothes as well. It is not thought to be a continiously running stove. Use a good sleeping bag with artificial fibers, they even stay warm when wet and dry quick. If the weather turns foul, I can sit it out.....

[Ron LaClair]

Check out the Cylinder stoves. I have the small Scout in my 8X10 wall tent and love it.
 http://www.outfitterwarehouse.com/heavy-stove-cylinder-stoves-c-22_23_24.html?gclid=CIXomYOwu60CFQQCQAodxDX3BQ

[John Havard]

I own the 16-man with a Four-Dog titanium stove, have used it now for about 7 seasons, and there's nothing that can touch it for comfort.  You absolutely need the liner.

If you're not flying in or hiking in and can handle the bulk and weight of a wall tent + steel wood stove that combo is hard to beat too.  

My 16-man is over 22' in diameter.  With the titanium stove, titanium stove pipe, pegs, liner (guts, feathers, and all) it weighs 37#.  Not bad for a warm, dry shelter that can stand horrendous winds and keep you warm and dry in very cold weather.