I'm in need of a good tent for an upcoming hunt, I'm looking for input from guys who have spent some time in a single pole tent like Whip sells. I'd be especially interested in how they compare to a wall tent...amout of room, ease of set up, how much weather they can take ect.

thanks, larry

I've had a Mountainsmith (now Kifaru) 4 man for about 18 years now. It's still holding up well. I've used it a lot for both backpacking and horsepacking. I have the woodstove for it for when it's cold. Very comfortable and lots of room. Holds up in the wind when others with me collapsed. If (when) this one ever gives up, I'll be buying another from Kifaru. They're pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for.

I've spent my 2 week hunting vacation in one of these several times.

 

Very comfortable, roomy enough for 2 men and all their gear, with a stove and table inside.

I, too, have a Kifaru -- 6-man.  Haven't used it a lot yet, but performed very nicely on a North Dakota mule deer hunt last year, taking a lot of wind.  If you're planning to pack in, that's the way to go.  it's very light and compact.  Set up and take down is fast and easy.  Mine comes with a jointed Aluminum center pole.  But to save on weight when I pack in, I leave it in the truck and cut a pole when I get where I'm going.  Any tepee style will generally be better in the wind and snow than rectangular or dome structures.

I've spent some time in Whip's tent and can tell you it is sweet. Very roomy and with the winds it withstood on our last trip, I'd say it was bombproof.

The storm that hit us struck havoc with the rest of the camp. That includes a rather heavy and large pop up camper parked nearby... turned it a complete 180 degrees.

For a while we had the whole camp in the tent with us. Standing room only but not that bad.

Charlie,

Was it a Panther?

Whip's tent is for sale....check this out:

http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=48;t=000885

Jim... whatever brand it is that Joe is a dealer for now. Check the link above.

I have the same tent as no sage its great in any weather, you wont be sorry.

If weight matters, take a look at  www.tarptent.com  they make some slick backpacking stuff.I like the new Hogback 4 man they just came out with. At 4 pounds it would be nice for long hikes. The Cloudburst 2 at just 2.4 pounds would be even better.

I have a couple of Kifaru tents.  They are awesome, light warm and spacious.  The 8-man (below) sounds about right for you, if your packing It would be hard to beat the paratipi IMO!  

What Charlie said. I was on that trip and staying in the other Tepee of Whip's. It's design allowed it to hold up under unbelievable winds!

I've had a couple. I have the outback lodge from cabellas and I have one from panther primatives.
The small sibley tent (panther) doesn't seem to have much space in it and definitly isn't a tent that could be backpacked.

I have stayed in several.Easy to put up.The pole in the middle does't get in the way can hang mirrors on it if you brave enough to look at yourself. I have a canvas tipi and its take a lot longer to put up and take down

This is my hunting partner's Kifaru...we stayed in it for 2 weeks in Alaska last year and were very comfortable.

About the single pole tents like the Kifaru - those things look great for cold weather but what about hot, rainy nights?  Don't they either smother you to death (assuming they are buttoned up to keep out the weather) or drown you (assuming they are left somewhat open for ventilation)?

What about the ground inside?  Doesn't that get kind of swampy when it's been raining a while?

I'm not putting these tents down - just trying to understand them.  :-)

When I spend the money, it will be a Kifaru 6 man,and probably the mediums stove.

that's a good question GK, anybody got an answer?

Got 2 the Outback Lodge and the Alaknak both from Cabelas.   The Outback is the one that I have used the most, and it has stood up to some of the best and worst weather Montana can dish out!

QuoteOriginally posted by GingivitisKahn:
About the single pole tents like the Kifaru - those things look great for cold weather but what about hot, rainy nights?  Don't they either smother you to death (assuming they are buttoned up to keep out the weather) or drown you (assuming they are left somewhat open for ventilation)?

What about the ground inside?  Doesn't that get kind of swampy when it's been raining a while?

I'm not putting these tents down - just trying to understand them.  :-)

I've stayed in single pole, non-floor tents before.  In the summer time, with rain/heat I'd just forgo the entire teepee and go with a large (10x10 or bigger) tarp, and arrange it in a flying A-Frame or tipped lean-to configuration.  Single wall tents/teepee's really come into their own in the fall/winter, as things start to cool down.  I know the Kifaru has two door on it, to allow for cross ventilation, and with the stove you're good for whatever mother nature wants to throw at you.   Should you not want to deal with the condensation that's inherent with a single wall design, Kifaru also sells a liner that acts like a double wall for their teepee's, and keeps the drips and moisture off you inside.

AFA a soggy bottom, the location for your site is very important.  You don't want to be in a low area, or in the path of run-off.  Provided you pick a suitable area, the inside of the teepee actually stays quite dry, with maybe a bit damp around the edges of the wall, but the center/working area will be dry.