anybody made their own tipi

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Gill

Full Member
Jun 29, 2004
3,484
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SCOTLAND
i,ve came across some canvas tarp material and thought about putting one together ,anybody else made one .any tips or pics would be great.
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
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~Hemel Hempstead~
Andywinkk has done one. I also remember someone else doing a thread about making one but search facilities seems to be down at the moment
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,014
4,661
S. Lanarkshire
Haven't done it, but seen a few.

Can I ask why a tepee ?
Geoff Forest makes canvas covered geodesic domes and they are so much more useful and practical in our climate. Full stand up room right to the eaves, stove in the middle and it packs down to a bag of sticks, a tub of split pins and the canvas cover bundle.
I even managed to camp using it carrying it and all my kit to demo using the little three door Clio.

cheers,
M
 
Last edited:
Haven't done it, but seen a few.

Can I ask why a tepee ?
Geoff Forest makes canvas covered geodesic domes and they are so much more useful and practical in our climate. Full stand up rood right to the eaves, stove in the middle and it packs down to a bag of sticks, a tub of split pins and the canvas cover bundle.
I even managed to camp using it carrying it and all my kit to demo using the little three door Clio.

cheers,
M

Toddy, do you have a link to his tents? Im doing some reasearch into a tent/tipi that can take a stove...
 

Gill

Full Member
Jun 29, 2004
3,484
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57
SCOTLAND
they look great Mary, but more complicated than a tipi i think.plus i think i could make a tipi i dont think i could manage that.
 

forestwalker

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I've made a tipi and a (canvas) yurt. For the tipi I used Laubin & Laubin, and had no real trouble (using 35 year old Husquarna sewing machine). Getting a one piece yurt roof neat is the only tricky bit when it comes to cutting/sewing. Make sure you have plenty of space to lay out the fabric, and life becomes much easier.

BTW; the tipi is pretty crap in rainy weather; it's got this big hole in the middle, and poles to lead water in...
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,014
4,661
S. Lanarkshire
they look great Mary, but more complicated than a tipi i think.plus i think i could make a tipi i dont think i could manage that.

The cover was in two pieces, one long straight piece wrapped right around and was just gently pleated in against the poles at the top of the curve. The top piece was like a square with the corners drawn out into long triangular legs. This had guy lines on it and was pulled evenly over the top and pegged down tight. Held the whole thing secure.
Incredibly non complicated.

There was talk a while back of having Geoff run a weekend course for us that would end up with one geodesic dome finished.
If there's enough interest, and he has an excellent site available, we could still plan for it. Maybe Spring ? longer nights ?

cheers,
M
 

red dreads

Member
Nov 14, 2009
47
0
Eilean a Cheo
Gill , try getting a hold of Gladys and Reginald Laubins book ,"the Indian Tipi" its a real must. Ive helped with making 3 tipis, mostly on the poles ,but one we made the cover also (the other 2 covers were purchased from Wolf Glen tipis).
regds Steve
 

Nonsuch

Life Member
Sep 19, 2008
1,862
1
Scotland, looking at mountains
I'm told that cutting the tipi material correctly so that it is watertight afterwards is difficult. I know Caspar at Nordic Outdoor had some made up to his own design and they leaked. There is some dark art to Tentipi's outrageous pricing....

NS
 

JohnC

Full Member
Jun 28, 2005
2,624
82
62
Edinburgh
When we cut and sewed canvas for a roof it was having the overlapping of the seams the right way, so the water flowed over them rather than into them, also if they were angled down the way that helped. Also getting it soaked afterwards seemed to help to fill in the holes made by stitching.
 

Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
27,966
2,995
63
~Hemel Hempstead~

That's the one, well done in tracking it down sir
4r8hmhh.gif
 

topknot

Maker
Jun 26, 2006
1,825
2
59
bristol
Thank you, here a pic of it at last years moot . When it first seen action on friday when the sky open up with rain.

img1474n.jpg


Cheers Topknot
 

dr jones

Full Member
Feb 21, 2007
209
0
west wales
i recently had a tipi / lavvu made by a good friend of mine and it works a treat , however , being made of canvas its really bulky and quite heavy to transport , ideal as a base camp shelter but forget it for a roaming trip . the dimentions are 3.5 m dia and 2.2 m high so very spacious inside . cant remember the techy bit about how he worked out the pattern shape but i do know it used a semi circle of 235 deg . the front seem / door laces together using willow needles first nation fashion.
 

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