Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Ti Goat Vertex 5

A buddy of mine is looking into heated shelters for hunts in Maine and Upstate NY. He likes my Paratipi and thinks the Kifaru 4-man tipi is fantastic but can't afford the price tag. So I have been looking for cheaper alternatives for a one-man heated shelter system that is UL. Does anyone here have a Ti-goat Vertex 5 tent? Has anyone ordered one with a stove jack? Is the tent big enough for a stove? It seems made for non-stove UL camping. Has anyone got a tent with the new versa port stove jack? I liked the looks of it.

Don't own one, but love the looks of that single seam.

Another very less costly option is to look into the EZ TIPI. I think a guy in Florida makes them. Can be had with stove jack installed and they are affordable.

If I were to go with one I believe I'd hunt down a superior fabric perhaps like Kerlon 1500 or 1200 and the versi jack and fabricate my own. All they are is a cone shape and a single seam would make manufacture of a tipi with great integrity.

Now you got me thinking. I might have to do some geometry tonight.

I like the idea of the EZ tipi and think it is great that the guy is setting up shop. I was wondering how wind and snow load resistant the thing is. The pitch does not look tight like a Kifaru or Ti-goat. I believe it is made from a parachute so I am betting it is strong. But without seeing one in person it would not be fair to judge its overall weatherproof ness. Of course the stove jack is a must have. I would waterproof the thing myself. But I have no clue how that would be done. Some kinda spray maybe? Don't know but the original is so much cheaper than the one with a waterproof coating.

They are too big for what my buddy is looking for. The Sil nylon Kifaru and Ti-goat use works very well. I have sil tarps made out of it too. Works great and is very strong. The multiple seams on my kifaru tipi are much like the panel design on the Golite shelter. No issues with either shelters. I am guessing that the Ti-goat system works well too but I don't own one. I was also thinking about putting a Jack on a Golite shelter after another poster had good results. But couldn't see any reason to modify a perfectly good tent when I have a 4-man tipi. But maybe for my buddy. However it would be easier to order a shelter if it came with a jack. Hence the vertex questions.

I have the next size up Ti Goat tipi. Can't go wrong in terms of quality and customer service/price. I owned a kifaru tipi too and for the money the Ti Goat is the way to go. Only question would be if the stove would fit in the small tipi. They are helpful people, just email the link on the Ti Goat website and they would tell you.

I bought a stove jack and a few other odds and ends from the fellows at Tigoat and they were very helpful and the customer service was great, I have sewn a lot of sil-nylon (paragliders) and was impressed with the excellent finish and fit of the stove jack they sell.

Woods, I have the TiG Vertex 5 w/ the new port. There are some pic's on a thread that was prev. posted here. I even think you posted the pic's. I have nothing to compare it to but I think it is great. I can pitch w/ an A-frame or single pole, either with ease. I use a 4"w x 6 3/4"h x 9 1/2"L stove w/ a built in baffle and dampner and it works beyond belief. It is ex. light weight and compact. Like I said I have no other tent or tipi like this to compare it to but I can't imagine anything any better for this style of camp. I am 5'10" and use a Exped 9dlx mat and my feet do rub sometimes at nite but there is more head space that could be utilized(?) that I prob. don't use. I don't think your bud could go wrong w/ this set-up.--Allen--

Woods,
I'm not sure if you are saying that your friend does not like the price of the Kifaru 4-man, paratipi, or both, but I thought I would point out that the Vertex 5 and paratipi are probably a closer comparison than the V5 and 4-man. I realize that the para and V5 are different shapes but are probably close in sq. footage.?? The Kifaru 4-man is same size as the Ti 6.5.

Tx trapper.

For some reason I was thinking that you got the Vertex 6. I will re-read your thread and just for kicks repost the pics. He is about 6 feet. My feet rub sometimes on the 4-man too. Did the Vetex 5 come with a clothes line and the upper side tie offs. I think I see something that looks like a clothes line but didn't see the upper side tie offs.

Razor.

I was not comparing the Kifaru 4-man to the Vertex 5. Just posting the Kifaru shelters that my friend slept in. Which just so happen to be mine. It was not that he didn't like the price. Thinks the shelters we used are amazing. It is a matter of affording the price.

A Vertex 6.5 is 650
A Kifaru 4-man is 773

This is not a great deal difference in price. But both are far outside my buddies range.

A Kifaru Paratipi is 506
The Vertex 5 is 300

But to be fair the paratipi comes with a stove jack and poles the Vertex 5 does not. I don't know what the cost would be to have a stove jack added to the vertex 5. Maybe trapper might know however seeing that a stove jack cost 40 I guess it could not be more than 75 bucks to have one added from their shop on a tent they are sewing up in the first place. Add in 60 bucks for the poles.

Vertex 5 300
Poles 60
Stove jack 50-75?

410 for a stove ready system with stove jack and pole. Not an earth shattering savings. However he has trekking poles so the system would be 350-375 (a guess). This is closer to the price range

Cheaper things would be a Hex. Around 220 give or take 10 bucks and 40 for the stove jack from ti-goat. At 260 he would still have to sew the jack in. Owning a hex I like the Kifaru shelters better as it pitches tighter and closer to the ground. Guessing the same may be true for the Ti-goat shelters. A Mega Mid UL is about the same price as the Hex 3.

Now for size.

The Mega Mid is 51 sq.ft and 2lb 5 oz
The Hex 3 is 65 sq.ft and 3 lb 9 oz
The Vertex 5 is 54 sq.ft 1.75 lbs but add 1 lb for a pole and maybe 5 oz for stove jack etc.

I never seen any sq.ft on my paratipi but the two poles eats up space and the back area is low to the ground and can't be considered living space. This is not a knock on the fine Paratipi. I like mine and the length of the paratipi is huge at 12 feet 6 inches. The other shelters tend to be no longer than 9-10 feet so bitching about extra floor space to store gear or slide my bag into would be foolish. This is not an issue of what shelter is best but rather price range. Something for a man supporting a family has to take into consideration

Dan D.

I got the paratipi and small stove as a gift. One of the best gifts anyone has ever given me. When it came time to get a new shelter I compared both Ti-goat and Kifaru.

Here is what I liked about the Kifaru 4-man.

1. The base Tie offs that allows me to raise the whole shelter off the ground.

2. Two doors. For me this was the icebreaker.

3. Number 10 zippers.

4. Liner option. I got one and it was worth it.

5. Bug netting option.

6. Sil nylon.

Ti-goat.

1. The special vent covers.

2. Single seam

3. Higher zipper

4. Upper additional side tie off system.

I Bet the Ti-goat also had a clothesline. I didn't care for the DWR as I was thinking that in bad weather it would get overloaded and end up with the same condensation as Sil nylon. Sil nylon is stronger and durability was key. I see that the DWR has been discontinued do to low demand. Not saying that my thinking was correct as my DWR bivy works well but guessing that the majority of customers held similar beliefs. Seeing that demand rules they now only offer Sil nylon. I don't remember if sil nylon was an option at the time. If so I overlooked it. Also I liked CB of the Kifaru shelter but the gray was a close second. I don't know if Ti-goat offered gray Sil nylon at the time. However I must have missed that. Anyways gray rocks. I have an ID tarp in gray and like it. Ti-goat now offers a bug net. I didn't see that at the time but like the Sil nylon I could have missed it.

As for durability I never believed that the single seam would fall apart like some people have stated. On the Kifaru side I never worry about my cone blowing out as it never happened on my paratipi and this belief was reinforced by actual use of my 4-man tipi. Felt that both shelters were just as durable. On the issue of customer service and integrity of the ownership here is what I can say. I have had the pleasure of camping with Patrick Smith. A gentleman of the old school. He is the real deal. The guy knows his stuff and is no poser. Found that out when I opened up the camp at the ECR. It was pitch black butt cold with howling winds and Mr. Smith snow shoed thought 4 feet of fine powder rather than taking the snow mobile. I did it before him and it was a hard 2.5 hours, as the trail was not fully broken in yet. Anyone that takes the hard path over the easy for the pure joy of it speaks volumes about their character. It was reinforced when I talked to him in person. Ed. T sent me a new front for my stove even without me asking. Heck I got that thing in 04 and used it hundreds of times. Kifaru customer serve is second to none. Any issues have been taken care of. Questions got a similar response. As for Ti-goat though I have never met the owners they are very fast to respond to any of my questions. I purchased a stove jack and a bag liner from them. Got some stove items too. The gear was priced right and worked just as described. No worried about ordering from them. Also both companies are USA owned. This is a big deal to both my buddy and me. China's HORRABLE environmental and labor issues with their industry mitigate the extra cost of American goods. Also their trade policies are NOT FAIR. I don�t always buy American. I have some Golite shelters and poncho but for the above reasons I tend to buy USA made gear.

Here are the photos of the Vertex 5 that trapper sent me some time ago. I forgot that his tent is the Vertex 5. I was thinking that it was the 6.5. In any case this project will be for next season.

I know the Kifaru stuff is $$$ but I have a 4 man tipi and it proved it's worth up in the Flatops wilderness area last year. We hiked in day before second season with a foot of snow on the ground. Snowed all day during the hike. Pitched the tipi, snowed all night. It was a wet snow so we did have to push the snow off the sides to keep from sagging in but the tipi did fine. Not trying to push Kifaru just saying what has worked for me.
MIke

Woods, yes it came w/ a clothesline and the outside ti-offs. The boot installed was $40.00 IIRC. Be sure and mention you want the clothesline. I believe they make them both ways. There was no charge for the CL. I really like the gray material as it is nice and bright inside. I didnot order their pole and this has not been an issue so far.
I cannot speak as to how it handles in snow as Mike did w/ his Kif. but I have used it in heavy and long rain and some fairly hvy wind, it handled it just fine. This kinda weather is where the no-floor really is nice. I have built another stove (just as woods and others said I would) and it is much better, but still very packable and light.--Allen--

Mike.

No question about the Kifaru shelters being good. I have used them in the same heavy wet snow. Brushed off the wet slop during the day. Overnight it built up and I lost about 25% of my living room. However a morning brush off and stove burn than all was fine. Kifaru tipis are the cat's a@@.

Trapper.

340 for the Vertex 5 and port is near the price range. The paratipi comes with a bug net. So the vertex 5 is 300, stove jack 40, pole 60 and bug netting 70 the total is 470. This is only 36 bucks off the paratipi price. However he only needs the shelter/stove jack and was looking for a bit more head room than my paratipi could offer. Wondering why Ti-goat does not market the vertex 5 as a single man heated shelter. Based on your report it fills the role fine.

I can get all my equip. in w/ stove and wood w/ room to spare. I had my stove boot off-set to the right looking at the front so I could move the stove over. I'm not sure you need to do that as it wasn;t moved that much? I don't know why the marketing glitch. The head room is one of the reasons I went w/ the V5 over the PT.If you mounted the stove on the pole like I have seen some do here in other shelters you would have room for two if needed, you feet would be playing footsies but it would work. I just think these type of shelters or so neet. I just wished I had found out about them sooner, but better late than never.
--Allen--

Here's an another option complete for $425. You can have the guy who makes these sew in a stove jack, or they can have an open fire in them as well.

They call them the Konza Tipi, and they come in 9, 12, and 18' diameters. The little 9' diameter tipi is tall enough to stand up in and might fill the bill for him. They weigh 5 lb for the 9' tipi.

They are made by an individual in Kansas, probably in a home shop. I've E-mailed a fella by the name of Dan Schetman who contributes to the Backwoodsman Magazine and he says the 9' tipi is the stuff, and in his mail he says he could live year round in it where he is in Penn.

I've also phoned the guy who makes them and I think the fabric is heavier than is the Ti goat or Kifaru, but still light enough if you go with a 9' tipi, weighing about 5 lb.

Anyway here is the link, and I would phone the guy to get specifics to see if it's something your friend would be interested in. The 9' might work for him.

http://www.kansas.net/~barchery/ol'ebuff.html/konza_tipi.htm

Good luck Woods.

Another thought to save $$$$$. There are those parachutes in magazines like Cheaper Than Dirt, or Sportsman's Guide for $60-70, for the whole thing.

Buy one of these and trim her to size. Sew in versi-port stove jack, and zipper, and the edge trim of course. Coat it your self. I think this could be done for under $200. Maybe get a Ti goat carbon fibre pole for the center, or make you own.

Maybe I should try this.

I liked the raised tipi and grounded liner thing. Very old school. It goes for that big long vent. I would rather use a stove than a ground fire in a shelter. But I bet that thing would be able to vent well. A bit outside what my friend is looking for but thanks for the link. That tipi looks great.

For myself I would like to work on a thing like Husky runner has. That homemade parachute thingy? I wonder what to coat it with. Maybe that DWR treatment stuff I use on my Gortex?

One last mention for your friend. Maybe look into a Mountain Hardware Kiva Lite tipi. $275.