pros and cons tipi tents

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Never used one myself, but perhaps others with more experience can tell more about the pros and cons ?

[Franco Darioli]

Are you specifically after a tipi (cone shaped) or a single pole supported shelter such as a square/rectangular/hexagonal pyramid ?

For the non tipi version, you can do a mock up very easely and for a few dollars just using painter's drop sheet and wide masking tape.
see Matthew's link/suggestion below.
That will give you a much better idea of what size or shape can work for you.

[Matthew Perry]

I moved to hammocks many moons ago, but there are times I need to go to ground, such as above tree line, in the high desert here in Oregon, on the Oregon coast/beach, etc. In those instances I use a pyramid or hex-type tent. Awesome room inside, very easy to pitch, single pole, floorless,able to handle below tree line snow loads, etc. The down sides are they are sometimes finicky to pitch (hex shape like a Shangri-La 3), floorless (bugs), must be pitched higher to get ventilation, condensation, have to get up and shovel out the sides in snow or they dramatically cut down on interior room. All these issues can be eliminated/mitigated with a little work and forethought. For example, I added 18 inches of bug netting to my old Golite Hex 3 and pitch it a bit higher than normal for some good ventilation. All in all, I will never go back to any other type shelter if I cannot be in my hammock and tarp combo. Of course, YMMV, so HYOH. LOL.

Here is a great make your own article written by Jerry Adams, that will allow you to make one to try out for a bit cheaper than buying new:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/myog_silnylon_floorless_2-person_tent.html#.UzSozYUXLzZ

Matt

[Paul McLaughlin]

I would differentiate tips from pyramid-style shelters. Pyramids in my book are square or rectangular while tipis have many more sides, like 8 or more – they approach round(or elliptical in some cases). That basic difference makes a big difference in one way and a smaller difference in another – the tipis tend to be slightly more wind-worthy because no flat panels sheds wind better; but they are much more finicky to pitch because getting a close to circular shape staked out right is harder than getting a square or rectangle right.
A hex is in between in both senses.

[Ethan A.]

Tipis are taller than most pyramid shelters and of course rounder. The extra height offers more room and better snow shedding, but the additional height can also mean higher weight from extra fabric used. Look at the taller tipi offerings from Ti Goat and others and you'll notice they come in heavier than pyramids with similar foot prints. A rounder shape means better wind shedding, but again you have to balance that against extra height catching wind. Tipis have kept humans sheltered and safe for millennia, so they do have quite a track record.

Agree with Paul that 4 sided shelters are quicker/easier to pitch than tipis/hex shelters. However there's a very easy solution posted on youtube by a Japanese backpacker – a small, light plastic disk with the stake angles mapped out for your shelter (in his case a Golite SL3) – you place this where your center pole goes and hold down with a stake, then use a pre-measured cord of just the right length attached to that stake that guides you to exactly where you should place your perimeter stakes.

I like tipis, but have come to the conclusion that I'd prefer to use them without fabric inners to max space and keep weight down, by using a bug net door behind the fly door in bug season, and if you want further ventilation you can use bug netting around the perimeter. Keep in mind that bug netting sticks to snow like mad, so either use a dedicated winter shelter or have a way to remove or retract that bug netting in winter.

[Franco Darioli]

Something I suggested sometime ago and now implemented by Michael at luxe Outdoor .
Pitch two sides first as a rectangle and then the other two staking point will be in the correct place just by pulling the fabric out
(leave some slack in the fabric but make sure the first two sides are parallel )
See this instruction sheet from the luxe Sil Hexpeak :

[Paul Hatfield]

Two lengths of 1mm Dyneema line to fix the width of the rectangle (as depicted in the diagram above) would weigh 0.3 oz total. (You could use much lighter line, but it would be more prone to tangling.)

Another method of fixing the corners would be by using a center point and an equilateral triangle made out of cord to place each subsequent stake 60 degrees at a time.

Or you could use a trapezoid forming half the hexagon made out of two triangles in order to place four stakes, and then flip the trapezoid around the longest edge to place the two remaining stakes.

There's several similar variations.

Or if you are using a full or partial groundsheet, that would be another way to position the corners, though it would be hard to manage in a windy environment.

[Woubeir (from Europe)]

Thanks.
Maybe it's better to explain some things:
1) currently, I have no interest in buying a pyramid or tipi.
2) however, I'm in a forum-discussion about which form for tents is best to resist the wind and someone came up with how strong tipis are in such a case. However, I have no direct experience with pyramids or tipis and since I just wanted to know if their are other pros and also cons for such a design, I hoped people here had more experience with it.

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