Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting My new backwoods paradise - Seek Outside Tipi

Difference of opinion is what makes the world go around. I know quit a few guys like broomd, that prefer their double wall tents. I don't happen to be one of them.

I have spent far too many nights "curled up in a bag." Still do it from time to time but wood heated shelters have been mostly what I have used for backpack hunting and backpacking for more than 25 years now. In the early days you paid a bit of a weight penalty to have a heated shelter, but not any more.

When I can have a shelter that I can walk into complete with a wood stove that warms me, drys wet clothing and boots and allows me to cook my food for 5-6 lbs total weight, that is my choice.

The few time I use floored tents any more, I am amazed at how much harder it is to keep dirt snow and water from getting inside and on my gear compared to a floorless shelter.

As far as the time it takes to cut wood, an hour or two usually stockpiles enough wood for a 5-6 day hunt.

The stove takes care of most of the condensation issues for me and having a big shelter that I don't need to be up against a side wall takes care of the rest.

Never really had problems with bugs as long as the shelter had some bug netting to ventilate when it hot out. In summer where there are lots of ants might be the only time I'd prefer a floored shelter.

My wife goes with me a lot and I'd have some hard explaining to do as to why I didn't bring a wood stove and shelter that accepts a stove.

The great thing is everyone is free to choose what gear works best for them and their stlye.

Thanks for the common sense posting, Ed.
Freedom of choice is where it's at out there. Tipi's and stoves have their place, but I opt for something different. I can't keep anything clean in a floorless! We depend on the floored design to do so.

I've used tipi's, double walls and single walls.
My 'above tree line' tent of choice right now is the RAB Mountain biv. Single walled, 3 lbs with carbon poles and bomber.
I have others...Big Agnes, Integral Designs.
The last time I used my floorless was on two mountain goat hunts, one in Idaho and one on Kodiak that same year.
The Go-Lite had it's place on Kodiak, a shelter for rain that the four of us got under and was manageable weight-wise with 20 miles to trek. Dry wood would have been impossible.

For Idaho floorless was a mess. Campsites at 10,000 were few and far between and none that offered any grass whatsoever for a floor.
Dirt floors suck.

We're both blessed, my wife hunts hard with me, and she knows what we use <we have to carry>. Even finding wood where we often hunt can be an issue.
Agreed though, most women afield would kill for a tent stove.

With our hard, far and fast style we opt out.
It's why we invest in Feathered friends, Western Mountaineering & Marmot with membrane for our bags...

My girl 10 miles in...


Go-lite floorless (and ID MKIII) on Kodiak...

Great pictures and great post.
I agree that camping in dirt sucks.... Both with a floor and floods IMO.

The most important thing is getting out.... Doesn't matter what gear you prefer and yes we are lucky to have wives that come along with us.

Nice photos broomd.

If I want my wife to come along, I should plan on bringing a stove. I've been there and done that, and when it has gotten pretty cold, my attempt to show the virtues of a campfire on a windy night did not go over well (and she loves a good campfire more than anyone). The fact is though, a campfire doesn't always do a good job, especially when the wind is swirling. In fact I think I've gotten more cinder holes in my tents from campfires that someone put to big of wood on than from tent stoves. That was part of the reason for the sibling stoves. They are something to take the chill off and it saves my behind with keeping the wife happy.

Everything has it's place and use. I don't like a lot of dirt on my sleep gear, so I bring a bivy or a nest at times. Sometimes it is just a ground sheet. It just depends on the situation, and if the weather is pretty good often times I only bring a nest or bivy.

I've also had times in floored shelters that were a mess, where water would come in from underneath it, or when just the shear amount of mud made them much dirtier than a floorless. For whatever reason, I've still found plenty of bugs get in the floored shelters as well, although things like ants a floored shelter keeps out well. For me, most of the time, floorless is just easier. I don't worry about my goofy dog or my muddy shoes. If I'm smart enough to bring a stove, my wife is pretty happy as well.

Now I will say there is one huge downside to the floorless and stove combo. It's when your son is on a trip, or in my case elk hunt with you and wakes you up at 4 am asking if YOU can build a fire. I was sleeping fine. Luckily, he is old enough to do it himself, I just think he still would rather ask dad to do it.

So far I'm digging the Kool-Aid

Broomd, remind me, is that yellow one the one I got from you here? Still haven't set it up, but will soon, weather is finally getting good enough here to play outside. If you remember the model name remind me of that too....

Glad to see everyone chiming in, the experience and opinions here is what makes the fire such a knowledgeable place.

J

Jason, Yes, Go-lite utopia 4..I have (had) two, it's twin is here still. You have the other.
I believe I sent you a new nest too, no? If you enjoy the floorless koolaid, you'll love the tent!

They'll save one's bacon in the rough stuff, but for a clean camp, well, I suppose 'where and how' one hunts is the difference.
Here in Idaho we ended up using the Biv sacks (Like Kevin T mentioned) in it due to the nasty ground we usually encountered.

Successful Idaho billy hunt--I think this was your tent...

Two seasons ago in Western Wyoming we had some type of locust invade our camp. Me being the smart guy that I am closed the vestibule door but forgot the screen. For whatever reason they could climb in, but the slick tub of the floor made it pretty tough to get out. My partner was pretty mad.

I also got tired of hanging my feet out the side of the door when I didn't want to take off my boots.

And I got tired of hauling snow out that was attached to the floor when the big fall storms come in.

I will likely be in a floorless for as long as I am able to hunt.

No trees for hammocks in the high country, eh?

I'm thinking you'd have had less negative reaction, if your initial post contained language more along these lines.

Me, I have and will use both types of shelters. For me, it'll be 90% SO BCS or LBO from here on in though. I just love the space to weight ratio of these shelters and rarely hike/hunt where dirt floors are the only option.

Different strokes for different folks and locations.

Thanks for the insights, WS.
Chalk that up to 'lost in cyber-translation', I have all types of tents as well. I drive a Toyota Tundra, but the F150 is a helluva nice ride too, if you get my drift.
As to the reaction, well, my yawn summed it up. <grin>

We've paid are dues out there enough to put forth a cogent opinion. For long-distance, well-above-treeline hunting like we do, tipi/stove combos are a tough fit. I probably should have added that.

I hear ya there. Most of the time our hiking routes are well above brush line let alone tree line so a stove option for a tipi isn't of any use to us. That said we really dig the 3.5 pound setup for 90 sq ft of space to play cards in and not have to sit on our sleeping bags to do so and also have places to cook. Granted our sleeping bags and pads are still in a floored area. Just seems to be the best compromise for our uses.

Certainly nothing wrong with any approach so long as it works for ya, but we'd be hard pressed to try to go back to living out of a 30-40 sq ft tent together for week plus long trips.

This is an old thread but has a lot of good info....Im thinking about a Tipi Setup. I have a few questions....one is this....If there is snow on the ground and you get all set up and have the heat going what keeps the snow from melting inside on the ground into a wet mess? Seems like having no floor would be an issue......

Surprisingly, the snow does not melt much more than a few inches away from the stove. The heat rises, the snow stays mostly together .. although it can get icy in some locations (near the stove, under sleeping pads)

Kevin T. Thanks! What do u all think about the seek outside stove and tipi vs. The kifaru stuff.
?

My SO Back country shelter has now been on many hunts and along with an EdT Ti stove it’s a fantastic system. It’s made me comfortable on some very cold and wet hunts. Only issue is neither is now available and they’ll need replacing at some point.

Edit: Squirrely, I’ll go on a limb and guess that KevinT will recommend Seek Outside!

Thanks PRM

Do u guys use a round ground cloth ever? If so what do u use?

Sometimes, sometimes not. For ground cloth, I use
-- Sleeping Pad
-- Mountain Matt
-- Tyvek / Plastic / Nylon Fabric

More often than not , it's just a larger pad

One of the things I appreciate about Kevin's posts here is, he always avoids those discussions and would never say anything negative about a competitor.

KevinT i was meaning mainly when the grounds covered in snow.