Teepee vs Wall tent

[bangfxr]

The wall tents we're writing about are so much easier and lighter to put up versus those smelly stinking GP mediums and GP larges which require a platoon of people to set up and stake. They dont have near the number of poles. All of my upright poles are modified GP med door poles that I have cut to the right height and cut them in half and attached a steel pipe on the bottom half and shaved down part of the upper half to fit into the pipe. The ridge pole is cut in half and inletted a channel for the bars to fit into, 2 pieces of 11/2"x1/4x20" flat steel bars with holes drilled through and bolts and nuts used and makes set up, tear down and packing easier

 

[Lonegun1894]

Bangfxr, tahnk you for the more detailed construction explanation. That does sound much easier. Y'all were starting to scare me a bit. Back then, we were basically forced to have and set up those GP tents, but as soon as training was over, those of us who spent a lot of time in the field aquired other shelter options. I still think I will stick with my tipi for at least a few years to really give it a chance to get used to it and learn to do things right as far as handling it, but understand why some of you prefer the wall tents. I bet y'all have squared off rooms in your houses too, dont ya? :stir:

 

[Kanu]

I've had an 18' tipi and a 16' x 16' Army tent with the very heavy canvas .

The tipi is definitely harder to heat with an open fire , you can use an ozan and a stove but then you are basically making a wall tent out of it.

I set up both by myself . The wall tent must have weight around 180 lbs , you basically rolled it out of the truck box and then roll it to your set up spot.

Overall, for the type of camping I did the wall tent was better . The tipi was far better looking and in warmer weather say no colder than 40 F at night then it is ok but colder than that then the wall tent with a stove wins easily.

 

[daven1834]

I have a 20' TP a 10X13 wall tent and a 12X12 leanto. My choise by far is the TP. I have been in it at -12 and in 90 MPH winds. It has been there for me. I'm to old to set it up. The 10 x 13 tent did not do well in 50 mph wind but it was good at -15. The leanto well it is a leanto. Set up right and you will do well. Not set up right and well you get the picture.

 

[matt denison]

I have some strong opinions on this topic. I have had a teepee and currently own four types of tents. I've been doing this for many, many years.

My teepee experience is mostly negative. Here's why.

1. I got sick of struggling to get through the door. You have to duck down AND step over the bottom all the while holding the door flap out of the way with at least one hand. Try that with a gun in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

2. There is a HOLE IN THE ROOF!!! Great idea. Build a shelter that doesn't come together at the top. Oh, yeah, the purist teepee dweller will say "you have to know how to control the smoke flaps and rain/snow can't get in it" Get real.

3. You spend 99% of the time in a teepee crawling around on hands and knees. If you want to stand up you have to do it in the center and guess what? That is where the smoke is. (choke cough gag)

4. A nice cozy fire? My foot! That fire will spit hot coals ruining your wool blankets, smoke you out, go out in the middle of the night, and only heat a space within 3-4 feet of it.

When I was younger I HAD to have a teepee and when I fiinally got one I couldn't wait to use it. Ah, but first go out into the woods and cut about 20 lodgepoles 28 ft. long and spend two weekends skinning and preparing them. Oh, but wait. You need something special built to haul them. And then to store them.

One of the first times I took it to an event it was a 9 day rendezvous two states away. It rained nearly the whole time. I sat inside a canvas cone while most others were sitting under their rain flies with a fire, table and chairs, playing cards or Farkle, cooking dinner, and visiting with friends and neighbors. That experience alone cured me of the teepee fever. I now go visit someone else who uses their teepee and enjoy the ambience, then go back to my wall tent with a fire in the stove and room to stand up and pull on my drawers. I can sit under the fly in the worst weather and enjoy being out doors and seeing the world. I can push through the door standing fully erect with both hands full no problem. My fire is outside where it belongs.

 

[cynthialee]

The prissy citified part of me would much rather stay in a wall tent over a teepee. Preferably a military wall tent with a stove/heater in it....

I can imagine the average citified girl would also much prefer a wall tent over a teepee. Being able to stand up inside the shelter instead of hunching over or crawling around is a big bonus.

Just throwing that out there.

 

[mazo kid]

Lots of opinions here...I have had both an 18 ft. tipi and a 10 X 12 wall tent and currently have another wall tent @ 12 X 14 ft with 4 ft sidewalls. We dearly loved the tipi and as some have said, it is better able to stand high winds. I feel that with your number of grown men, you would find the wall tent more versatile. I special ordered the 12 X 14 tent from Panther Primitives to have a 7 ft. high ridge and 4 ft. side walls. Standard is 9 ft. ridge and 5 ft walls. If you went that route, you would have mucho room for bodies AND gear. The amount of extra room over the smaller tent was unbelievable!
Oh, and with our fly, we have had as many as 18 people under it while having a "tornado party". Tornado didn't come around, but we have had a few close encounters! Now it seems as though it is an annual affair.

 

[Bear Rider]

AS you get older, you'll really appreciate the advantages of a wall tent over a tipi. Once your knees and back stiffen up, there will be only two positions in which you can be comfortable in a tipi -- laying down, and standing over the fire pit. Simply entering and exiting a tipi becomes a major project.

 

The Indians used tipis because they had to. There's nothing practical about them. I guess if someone needs one for reenacting, or if someone thinks they're "romantic", that's another story.

 

[cynthialee]

I was gonna say there is nothing romantic about crawling around on your knees...but I thought better of it.
:grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

AS you get older, you'll really appreciate the advantages of a wall tent over a tipi. Once your knees and back stiffen up, there will be only two positions in which you can be comfortable in a tipi -- laying down, and standing over the fire pit. Simply entering and exiting a tipi becomes a major project.

Agree. My lodge was a one-pole hunters style. It had a tipi style door. After unloading the truck, with numerous trips into the lodge my back was a wreck and took away much of the enjoyment of the event for the next 2 to 5 days. I sold the lodge and have given up primitive camping at ronny's anymore. I will do some one day walk ins but my 73 year old back is finished with the traditional stuff.