Another Tentipi 7 or 9 thread

[gargan]

Hello everyone,

I am in the market for a Tentipi and am like many others struggling to identify the right size for us. I've read a lot of the threads here, but most discuss other numbers of users than ours. It's also very difficult to identify the right size based on photos and videos. And we don't have access to a pitched one. It will be myself and my two sons (8 & 5) in the tent, occasionally accompanied by our small dog. We don't carry too much gear and sleep on the floor and not on beds. Currently we don't use a table either, but will use a stove down the line. Most people seem to recommend a 9, if you are planning to use a stove, but I'm worried about the footprint of the 9. After all it's a bit more than 5m in diameter.

So here goes what seems to be one of the most faq on this forum: which size would you recommend for three people? 7 or 9? I'm grateful for any advice you might be able to offer.

 

[Goatboy]

Difficult question.
In my exped days a tent was just somewhere to get my head down and sit out storms.
These days with a couple of bionic implants I'm after a bit more comfort. Also after a lot of years advising folk on buying tents I've come round to thinking that folk.should go for slightly bigger if comforts their thing.
I have a Tipi; a seven. Though we use it for shelter and admin during the day I generally sleep alone in it. It's furnished with a stove which especially if you have sprogs around will need more berth space. I'm also.sleeping on a raised cot now due to my spare parts and that also takes space.
The only drawback to the Tipi over some bell type tents is the steeply.slope of the sides. They reduce the living space over the size of the footprint so I'd go larger if it's you and yours.
The stove; though fantastic, will take about two and a half square feet out of your living space due to heat and not getting the little ones.burnt. That and the slope.of the sides will.take out more of the imagined footprint space.
You can always make do with less space but if it's comfort you want I'd say go larger. I have had a few problems however in confined woodland settings due to size but a bit of looking around for pitching areas makes it worthwhile.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.

 

[Orchard]

I don't know about Tentipi (it depends on whether you have an inner and how efficient it is), but to give you an idea, in our 4.8m SO with liner, we can snuggly lie 3 mats side-by-side in one half, leaving some room above head and below feet for incidental kit. This leaves over 50pc for kit or dog, although at a guesstimate, our stove and wood will use 1/4 of the footprint.
Hope this might give you some idea mate!
Nick

 

[baggins]

it is always a tricky one. there are just the two of us when we go out, but we have the 9, plus enough equipment to require 34 porters, 2 elephants and a gross of camels. i find the extra space, especially with our, not quite Mediterranean climate, is really useful, damp clothes can be hung out of the way, and bedding can be kept dry.
i used to have a bison tipi, which is about the size of the 7, and it was great, but, if we had a stove, it would have been cramped.
we're often out camping this time of year, and would be more than happy to offer a guided tour if you happen to be near where where are (mainly the lakes and mid Wales, occasionally Scotland)

 

[treadlightly]

I have a Tentipi 7. It will sleep four adults comfortably enough but there is not much room to spare. I would say it is enough for your needs and would take a stove too. A nice compromise between manageable and reasonably roomy. The 9 really is a big beast.

 

[gargan]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Baggins, we are in Cambridgeshire. A guided tour would be greatly appreciated, if you happened to be somewhere close to us. Based on what I have read and the feedback on this thread, I am tempted to go for the 7. I have tried to peg out the dimensions in the garden. Even taking into account the slope, I still feel the 7 offers plenty of room. I am still hoping to see one close up before I splash out the money.

 

[gargan]

After reading all threads I could find on the net, the comments here and those received in private and personal conversations---for which I am grateful---I decided that the Safir 7 would be the right tent for us. I placed an order last Thursday, received the tent on Friday and pitched it on Saturday. Erecting the tent was very easy. Done maybe in 10 to 15 minutes. At first I had mixed feelings about the space available. Based on a suggestion, I had pegged the size of the 7 and 9 in our garden and felt that the 7 was large enough. The first reaction after getting in the actual tent was that it was much smaller. And the 7 is much smaller than one might imagine. But after spending two nights in the tent, we think that the 7 is the right size for us. As someone said above: if it is comfort you are after, go for the 9. But if you can manage your gear, don't sleep on beds and don't have chair and tables in the tent, the 7 offers plenty of room for three adults. Other factors we considered in the decision making process were weight and carry size. And at 10.9Kg, I am glad we went for the 7. We wouldn't have been able to pitch the 9 in our garden

Moving to a Tentipi from mountaineering and tunnel tents, I am pleasantly surprised by the nice air and atmosphere inside the Tentipi. And with two little boys, it's a great joy to be able to move around in the tent freely.

Thanks again to everyone for their help and suggestions. Off to the tent for the third night

PS: Was hoping to add a picture, but it seems that images need to be hosted somewhere else.

 

[Wayne]

I'm sure you will be very happy in your new tent. I think the 7 is about the perfect size compromise between space and foot print.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

We have four for DofE Expeds. Just collected on today. Polycotton Varrie 7.

Any tips for: firebox with no chimney, bbq or open fire setups ?

Ta

 

[baggins]

Having had a firebox and a off the ground BBQ inside my tentipi, i would strongly advice against an open fire inside the tent. i know, with the right set up on the vents, it can work, but i have always had serious smoke problems.
Also, young, inexperienced people, tent and an open fire? Maybe just having one, that is a communal tent for eating and drying,(with proper supervision) but i'd be seriously worried about letting students sleep in the same tent as an open fire. Maybe look at the frontier stove..
If you do go ahead, make sure you have CO2 alarms, fire extinguishers etc.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

They will be trangia cooking. Only staff have possible bbq.

 

[Sergey]

Hello from Russia. I apologize for the English. I hope it will be clear.
I read a lot of reviews on the tent Tentipi. I would like to stay at the tent problems.
I bought Zircon 5. It was a mistake. . Places it is enough for two people to be comfortable. If more items are in the street. Especially well if you want to install a stove or open fire. transfer it extremely inconvenient because the packaging bag will not fit. Apparently the manufacturer considers that the tent is more convenient to carry in the hand is behind his back. alluminum pegs hold frankly bad. It is easy to bend. I replaced them with more long steel.
When installing tents need to be attentive to the place. It should be fairly smooth. Due to the large diameter in the woods to find a place takes a lot of time. Under adverse conditions, such as heavy rain. Installation tents little attractive. Especially if you are in the forest. In my opinion this tent for camping more. In complex campaigns it is inconvenient.
the floor of the tent is not worth the money. Water, dirt and insects will have you inside the tent. Buy the inner tent is considered unnecessary. Expensive. It takes a lot of space. Simply buy another tent.
The floor is made of a material that burns easily from any sparks from the fire or stove. This is a huge minus. Installation in the floor guide says that should unzip and floor easily located around a central pole. The comfort of the floor, this possibility does not exist. COMFORT in the model, this option is not available. The manufacturer of this nowhere says. It is necessary to raise the central pole to correctly set the field in the tent. This is extremely convenient. The fabric of the tent excellent. but actually BE PREPARED once a year and can and often treating her impregnation. Otherwise, it will leak. I have half a year later the water began to seep in through the seams of the tent fixtures. My wife and child were in shock. Waking up surrounded by puddles.
Slings opening vent valve rather quickly stretch. And start to work badly. They should be periodically tightened. Otherwise, the valve will not close.
This tent has its advantages. But given its price I would like to talk about problems. In my opinion it is more likely for the barbeque at home or on prepared sites than these extreme journeys. And the price does not match the functionality.
All successful campaigns.