Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Luxury Living in an 8-Man Tipi - WA Elk Hunt 2007

Some of you have probably already seen this write-up and/or some of the pics.

Rather than going through the duplicative effort of re-posting everything here, I'll just post a link for those that might be interested.

http://forums.kifaru.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=125202#Post125181

Bushcraft,
Great pics and log of the trip.

Saw them Danner boots on the kindling pile too.:)

Didn't look like an 8 man tent to me but maybe the perspective of the pics?
You guys sleep close or what?...:0

Two hunters and two sturdy gals who like to be close to firewood is my estimate of THAT tent..:)

Glad you had fun..and just ribbin' ya a bit..:)

Looks a bit like the Indian Heaven area up the Lewis but maybe not..Jim

Bushcraft I am curious about your pack weights too. Awsome pictures and man you guys looked like your living in comfort for a backpack trip.

*cough* Timberwolf
*cough* Rattlesnake

Neat area.

I agree it looks like someone is getting married on timberwolf.

You guys have an eye for vistas. Not at all related to backpacking, but here's kind of a cool video of the spot.

http://www.erikutter.com/misc/Timberwolf.wmv

I'd actually packed for 13-14 days. Pack was 77 lbs all up going in. Considerably less coming out.

That is a great story, trip and pics...thank you.

Makes me realize how green I really am, you sir know how to get it done. I'm truly impressed by your camp.

J

I was looking at the wiggys waders. What size do you have? And what size boot do you wear?

What kind of pants are those tan ones? They look like a good piece of gear.

Thanks,

Mark

QW - Mine are size "L" and wear size 9-10 boots. I recall having to call them not knowing which size wader was designed for leg length and boot size. I'd encourage you to do the same if interested in their waders.

Mark - Both are NorthFace Paramount Pants (convertible), just different colors. I prefer the olive/sage color. Freakin' GREAT pair of pants. Nice and roomy. I've been wearing them for a while now and I can't say enough about how well thought out the pockets and construction are. Say what you want about recent NF gear, but they've got a winner on their hands with these pants. I went ahead and bought 5 pair before some idiot comes along and changes the design.

So you are saying that the pants have been changed? I would not be suprised. I like to buy so extras of the stuff that I find to be very useful. Any tips on getting these pants if there is an old design vs. a new one?

Mark

Bush, great photo essay. Glad you enjoyed the trip. It wasn't until YOUR photos that I really got a good idea of the room in the 8man. I've been waffling between the 6 and 8man until now. I want the 8man.

BTW, based on your praise, I bought a pair of the NF Paramounts for my birthday during my last trip to REI. So far they're making great house pants. I agree with your assessment of the construction and features. I'd like to find a sale before I by multiple pairs however.

Mark,

Sorry, I just edited what I had said regarding TNF Paramount to try to improve clarity. The point I was trying to get across was that I like the present design a lot, and decided to lay some in before a designer or the company decides to alter the design sometime in the future. Hope this makes more sense. You used to be able to get the olive and darker brown colors at REI. The last I looked they carried them in a grey and a light kacki (like what my cousin is wearing). The light colored kacki is just too light a color for use in the woods, IMHO.

222REM, Thanks! Keep in mind that the 8-man is even larger inside than what the pictures might convey due to the drape of the liner. Make sure you get the liner! It goes a looooooong way towards improving the luxury quotient. Don't know if you've seen these pictures or not...for reference I'm 6'1" and 200ish.

Yeah, I noticed that yours had the liner, and figured that the interior space suffered a little because of it, BUT if two or three guys are going to live in luxury, the liner seems to almost be a must. All the more reason for the 8-man rather than the 6-man.

Regarding the NF pants, I bought mine in grey because as you mentioned, the dark green aren't available at REI. Now that I'm familiar with them I'll watch for a 'net sale and the the green color if possible.

I have the six man with liner, and it's about perfect in my estimation for two and gear. A couple of weeks ago, I hiked into the same location where I had the tipi up last year and I could still see the indentations of the places we slept beside a scattered pile of smallish firewood. Brings back memories. Thanks for the post.
Don

I bought the 6-man and this was after one of the guys on K-net, from WA state, KevinB, IIRC, advised me that I might well be better off with the 8-man. For various reasons, I had to wait a few months before trying it out and found it not tall enough and with less floor space than I wanted.

So, I called Kifaru, after owning this tipi for roughly six months and asked Amanda if I could exchange it for an 8-man and pay any difference. YES, NO PROBLEM she replied and although I hit a price increase so the exchange did cost me a chunk of cash, I can say that DAMMED FEW gear makers and I have been at this since the lightweight backpacking sport started in the early '60s, would even consider such an exchange!!!

THIS is one reason WHY I tend to flare up at certain pos(t)ers who come here, it seems, only to slag Kifaru and promote a certain brand of gear that, AFTER use, I found NOT up to the wild claims they make for it.

For two guys on regular trips, an 8-man is, IMHO, close to perfection and as a "kitchen" and lounging area, combined with additional sleeping tents, it is just superb. The liner is a mandatory option in wet BC and so is mossy netting, with these and a stove, you can stay comfortable in any temps. Even my wife, as we get here diabetes under control is looking forward to next summer's camping in it...she never has been too keen on my various mountain tents.

If, I were younger and had more fly-in hunts ahead of me, I would also buy a 4-man with stove as an additional sleeping tent for longer trips. My recent Chilcotin horse/backpack trip, the worst clusterphuque ripoff of my life, was an example of both WHY you would want a spare sleeping tent and where a 8-man tipi would have been a gawdsend, mine was here at home as we were told there was a walltent...two ripped plastic tarps over some boughs in which we sat out days of heavy snow, rain and fog plus some serious wind....and not an animal other than Mulie does and a Grizzly to be seen.

Question, does anyone here know of a SOLID type of hook or other method of hanging a fullsize Coleman inside an 8-man? I like to read and have a strong overhead light available at night; I have the lantern and am wondering just how to use it safely. I also have those little butane lanterns, not really up to what I want.

Kute,

The Snowpeak Giga Lantern puts out boookooo[sp?] light and are 1/20th the size of a Coleman lantern. Plus you don't have to put up with the whole white-gas smell and incessant pumping thing. A couple of their larger cannisters and you are good to go for a week of nightly reading. Don't get me wrong, I have 'em, use 'em and like 'em for big canvas wall tents or for working on an animal in the dark. Just not a "backpackable" item in my estimation.

http://www.snowpeak.com/back/lanterns/index.html

222Rem,

The liner only cosmetically diminishes the interior of the tipi. All the usable space is still there, but you eliminate any condensation issues and "drafts" are greatly reduced from the double wall effect, thereby making the interior warmer.

You can buy the TNF Paramount Convertible Pants indirectly from TNF through one of their online distributors. The darker woodsy color is called "New Taupe".

http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=A146&language=en

I carry a small folding knife, lip balm, fingernail clippers, hearing protection and a lighter or sparker in the zippered coin pocket. It is a very large pocket that allows for the contents to hang low enough that they don't interfere with leg/hip movement (at least on me). A sturdy waved folding knife with clip goes in the right front pocket (which go all the way down to the zipper (think HUGE pockets). The right front velcro pocket carries 3 vaseline impregnated cotton puffs in a foodsaver sealed packet that I make up at home. About 3 feet of duct tape rolled over onto itself in a neat little 4" goes in the left front velcro pocket, sometimes a can of Copenhagen Long-Cut will reside there as well. My compass and a Surefire L4 Lumamax are in the left pocket, both on lanyards with Lark's Head knot to the lanyard loop built into pants just under waistband, with the flashlight clipped to pants. Brownish cotton bandana in the left rear pocket. Wallet in right rear pocket. My "Smithed" folding Corona saw fits in the longer little pocket on the right side of pants (not pictured) for when I'm out and about setting in some wood for the fire. Kick ass pair of pants! When new, they will make a zip-zip sound when walking, but this will disappear after they soften from use and a couple/three launderings. You can pull the nylon web belt and substitute your own internally or wear a belt through the outer belt loops. I have one pair that I've stripped for use with a sturdy bridle leather belt from Filson. I'd like to have some tough Gore-tex bottoms sewn up to zip in for those days when there is a lot of moisture on the plants lining the trails. Maybe some lined Cordura ones for Chucker hunting the breaks of the Columbia and the Snake. Gaiters are fine but I always seem to sweat my pants damp under the darn things, which defeats the purpose of having them to a certain degree I suppose.

Yup, my partner has one and I have the little Primus butane lantern, my Coleman is a propane one. I don't backpack my 8-man, it is a part of a system of gear that is packed into a pre-prepped campsite a few hundred yards from the boat or 4x4 or even Corolla. It's too heavy for me to backpack, but,I have set this up to be easy to carry into base camps and it is for this time of year due to the horrible weather we are having.

Your system of gear in your pants is very impressive, being prepared is a WISE move, no matter what some may say; I never go away from my vehicle without my emerg. camp. I gotta look at those pants, seem like a great setup.

Thanks Bush. I'll haunt the web for sub retail prices.

The extra cost/weight of the liner has obvious benefits-----no question. If spending that much for a heated shelter, one might as well go "all in," and have the shelter work at max efficiency.

After seeing the photos, I'm sure the 8-man would be perfect for 2-3 guys to live in total luxury for minimal shared weight. I've got the Para already so my bases are covered for solo trips.

I have a primus iso/pro lantern and like it. Puts off tons of light. It is hard to justify packing in when a LED headlamp works for reading. The Primus is more of a base camp item. I do like my UCO candle lantern.







Works great in smaller tipis like the 4-man and Paratipi. You can't read by it however it has enough light to fuel the stove, find my headlamp and get into my sleeping bag. Gives the whole shelter a nice glow inside and out. I wonder if having the shelter illuminated with candle (flame) light would keep coons etc away just incase some food items was left in the tent by mistake? Don't know. It makes for a nice night light. Like to fall a sleep with it on. The candle lantern adds a few degrees to the paratipi/4-man with liner during the night. Plus there is something civilized about candle light. The candle is one of the few things that works better in the cold. liners are worth getting. I like the anti draft thing the most. Keeps the drips under control too.

The 4-man is an odd size for some. But the fact I can use a small stove to heat the thing makes it far better to pack. I guess if I could do it all over again the Paratipi and 8-man would be the way to go. Still the 4-man, liner and small sized stove is packable for one man.

As for Kifaru customer service it is tops. After 3 years of heavy use I broke the little door flap on my small stove. Not a show stopper as it was removed and I use a damper to control the fire. However Ed.T went out of his way to contact me and made a whole new front free of charge. How often does that happen with a product heavily used for 3 years? Never.....