I ended up making my own stove but I need to give the body another shot; It has a small leak where the body and pipe meet and I’m pretty sure it’s caused by a roughly cut hole.
I still plan to add some small vents at the top of the tipi and a mesh door (bugs are bad out here during the summer) to improve ventilation…I’d imagine that would completely mitigate the leaking problem but I want to have a smaller 12″ body to use as well (this one is 18″) so I might as well try again and see how it goes.
@Ben — Thanks! My neighbors almost certainly think I’m nuts. It’s the 3rd tent I’ve pitched out there since buying my house 14 month ago.
@Ethan — I bought the stove jack material from LiteOutside and then cut/installed it myself. It was pretty easy but the material is a bit less forgiving than I’d hoped. I found some interesting baking sheets on Amazon that are rated to 450F (same as my stove boot material) as well.
@Justin — I went with 6-sided because I had 10yds of SilNylon I laying around and want a tipi…nothing more than boredom drove this project. However, my friend wants a larger version now…I figured out how to make a 14′ round x 84″ tall tipi with only 3 seams (as opposed to the 6 seams on mine) and plan to make it in 2016.
Thoughts on 4 vs 6 sided mids — I believe it’s a tradeoff between what you want in a shelter and how you use it…My tipi’s the floor space (95sqft) is massive for 2 people but only sleep 3 and gear if you off-set the pole. Whereas, A 9’x9′ (81sqft) 4-sided tent (the MegaMid is exactly this size) could sleep in 4 if you are packed in tight (or 3 and gear). I think a pyramid would be easier to pitch (eyeballing 90 degree angles vs 120 degree angles) but I got used to that quickly. On the other hand, the 6-sided it will shed wind and snow better.
Overall, I think it’s worth considering both and determining what fits your needs better…I think most will opt for a pyramid and I may end up making one next year and seeing which I prefer (selling the other in Gear Swap)
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