Floorless Tipi vs. Tent

[Young Buck]

This might be common knowledge - but worth mentioning...
Cut your Tyvek to size and then run it through the washing machine a time or two. Makes it soft and pliable and way quieter but doesn't seem to affect durability and waterproofness.

Great tip! Thanks!

 

[GlockZ]

for what it's worth, i've gotten into the habit of bringing about 1/2 dozen mouse traps with me, and setting them up around camp. those little bastard field mice can be annoying while one tries to sleep.

 

[cur dog]

I'm curious as to what folks think of the light weight stoves? I'm leaning heavily toward the Seek Outside 6 man with half nest and titanium stove. However, the pipe that goes with the stove looks pretty flimsy and thin. I'm wondering if I'd be better off sacrificing some weight for a heavier stove. The stove won't likely be used while backpacking, so weight isn't really a huge factor. Would a larger pipe that nests together be better than the flimsy looking roll up titanium pipe. Also does anyone know if the stove jack that Seek outside uses will accommodate a pipe bigger than theirs? I don't see that info on their site. Any insight and thoughts are appreciated.

 

[LuketheDog]

I bought a SO Cimmaron and the large stove last year. I used it during the fall on my two elk hunts. The tent packs down in its own stuck sack. Its probably 12x10x4. That includes the tent and stakes. I have the carbon fiber tent pole that separates into three pieces that are 18" long. Stove fits in a bag thats 16x12x3". Tent and pole only weighs 3.5lbs. With the stove it weighs 5lbs 2oz. Easily manageable for one guy, easier still if split between two guys.

The comments earlier about stoves are spot on. Stoves are for comfort, sleeping bags are for staying warm. The stove will last 2 hrs at best. I do a lot of winter camping and lots of people use larger heavier stoves and they ask the same question. There is no such thing as a stove that lasts all night for camping.

We used a sheet of tyvek for a ground cloth and it works great and weighs nothing. We did have mice occasionally, but that was easily remedied. Keep a clean camp and don't reuse popular campsites. Mice will get in no matter what kind of tent you have so use the normal prevention. Store anything you want to keep away from critters. We never had a problem with mice or bugs and certainly not with either of them climbing on your face. We did have bugs in the tent and they stay near the top. I would not use one in a high mosquito area, but regular flies etc are no issue. Others mention not using a floorless shelter someplace where scorpions etc live.

I bought the Cimarron/stove setup last season and I run mine the same way as this^

 

[LuketheDog]

I'm curious as to what folks think of the light weight stoves? I'm leaning heavily toward the Seek Outside 6 man with half nest and titanium stove. However, the pipe that goes with the stove looks pretty flimsy and thin. I'm wondering if I'd be better off sacrificing some weight for a heavier stove. The stove won't likely be used while backpacking, so weight isn't really a huge factor. Would a larger pipe that nests together be better than the flimsy looking roll up titanium pipe. Also does anyone know if the stove jack that Seek outside uses will accommodate a pipe bigger than theirs? I don't see that info on their site. Any insight and thoughts are appreciated.

The pipe is just fine, just learn to set it up the right way...

 

[Redman]

Where you will really appreciate the stove is in the morning all of your stuff will be dry and your boots won't be a block of ice. I can remember having to flex my boots by hand to get them pliable enough to put on in the mornings. You can dry them out at night by the stove and get right in them in the morning.

 

[Festus]

The pipe is just fine, just learn to set it up the right way...

Yes, we have had no problems with the pipe on our TiGoat cylinder stove. Works as stated.

 

[RockChucker30]

I'm curious as to what folks think of the light weight stoves? I'm leaning heavily toward the Seek Outside 6 man with half nest and titanium stove. However, the pipe that goes with the stove looks pretty flimsy and thin. I'm wondering if I'd be better off sacrificing some weight for a heavier stove. The stove won't likely be used while backpacking, so weight isn't really a huge factor. Would a larger pipe that nests together be better than the flimsy looking roll up titanium pipe. Also does anyone know if the stove jack that Seek outside uses will accommodate a pipe bigger than theirs? I don't see that info on their site. Any insight and thoughts are appreciated.

We use grade 2 Ti for the stoves and pipe, melting temp of over 3000 degrees. You won't get a wood fire that hot. The pipes work very well and have for a long time.

The jacks will accept bigger pipes. 4" at least on all of them, up to a 5" on the largest shelters if you're careful trimming the hole out.

 

[cur dog]

The pipe is just fine, just learn to set it up the right way...

That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Thanks

 

[Treeshark]

I was toying with the idea of going floorless until a Colorado hunt last year. It rained hard one night and the entire area had a half inch of standing water for a while. We did think about this before pitching as well, it just rained that hard. It also illustrated the importance of the “tub bottom” feature of the tent, which I will also make sure all future tents have a good one of.

 

[Epfd217]

I was toying with the idea of going floorless until a Colorado hunt last year. It rained hard one night and the entire area had a half inch of standing water for a while. We did think about this before pitching as well, it just rained that hard. It also illustrated the importance of the “tub bottom” feature of the tent, which I will also make sure all future tents have a good one of.

This again is a non-issue if you don't set up your tent where water pools. I've been camping for decades and never had my tent sitting in a pool of water. A buddy had a similar thing happen and was surrounded by water. It was poor site choice for sure and the ground was dished out. Some people insist on digging a trench. I say pitch the tent where water doesn't pool and there is no issue. We sat through 12hrs of rain last year and never had a drop inside the tent. Condensation was a greater problem than water running under the tent.

I don't offer my experience as a be-all end-all type of argument. I say it because I made all the same arguments as the naysayers just two years ago. I tried the floorless method and I will never go back. I've camped floorless with mice, bugs, rain, snow (both falling snow and during the winter) and everything the people who use these tents said would happen did happen. All the negative nellies who provide rebuttals based on their fears (like I did) were proven wrong. Its a near perfect system.
A floored tent has its place, but I will use the floorless at least 75% of the time now, if not more.

 

[307]

Mice are everywhere and can do a lot of damage to food and gear. Just laying in bed, and then hearing them scurrying around the tent is not too much fun. I've had them chew on horse saddle billet and cinch straps that had some salt/sweat in them and ruin some expensive gear, that's made worse when you're in the backcountry. You couldn't give me a tent without a way to seal them buggers out.

If the mice can do that much damage, do you really think that you're going to "seal them out" with a thin layer of nylon?