Tipi or bell tent?

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Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
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staffordshire
www.britishblades.com

thingswelike

Forager
Jun 15, 2007
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These days, I think it's probably easier to list what isn't made in China rather than what is.
Yes, and at the end of the day "you pays your money..."
If I thought the Tundra 8 was as good as the Varrie, I'd buy it, but I think the Varrie is better, and in a couple of years I wont care about the £700 difference (ouch that hurts to say out loud!).
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
I think what I'd really like is a tundra 8...
Tundra8.JPG

£300

and a tentipi inner tent...
L3_SPT_InnerTent_large.jpg

£500

Total £800

A tentip varrie 9 is 5m in dia and 3.5m high, so the inner tent for it should fit the tundra 8 which is 5m dia by 3.5m high. No?
 

thingswelike

Forager
Jun 15, 2007
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Personally I wouldn't expect them to fit - the Bison's have more sides to them (16?) Tentipis are octagonal, so the seams may not line up (unless you're very lucky)
My Tentipi catalogue shows the Arran/Varrie to be 5.3x3.1 which may add to the difficulties.

I guess the only way to know would be to get a Tundra and take it to a Tentipi dealer to try it.

If it were me though (and this is what I'm doing) I'd get a canvas outer and not bother with an inner. The tentipi floor and outer fit together pretty snugly.

Another inner option - Helsport at Tamarack outdoors do cheaper inners than the Tentipi ones. Sizes are a bit in-between though - 4.7x3 and 5.5x3.5 are the outer sizes.
Prices are roughly £180 for the inner and £100 for the floor (you need both).

All their outers are nylon though.
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
If it were me though (and this is what I'm doing) I'd get a canvas outer and not bother with an inner. The tentipi floor and outer fit together pretty snugly.

Yes, I believe so. If I had a tentipi, I would just get the floor as well and not bother with the inner. They are nice no question, but £700 more than a Bison nice?

I'm no cheapskate, but that is a lot of extra money. I'm just trying to figure out what you actually get for it?
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
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Harrow, Middlesex
Hmmm... which begs the question, once you have removed all the fancy stuff, what's the difference between an Arran 9 and a Tundra 8? Apart from the colour and about £350 quid that is. :D

effing annoying webbing all over the floor... silly window... darker colour... annoying hat connecting lines.

It is a few hundred quid saving... I guess it comes down to how much you mind the annoying bits - certainly there are no show stoppers.
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
effing annoying webbing all over the floor... silly window... darker colour... annoying hat connecting lines.

It is a few hundred quid saving... I guess it comes down to how much you mind the annoying bits - certainly there are no show stoppers.

Yeah, I think the low down ventilation system in a Varrie is more inherrantly suitable for a stove too. You gotta have airflow even with a chimnea'd stove - I'm not sure what solution the tundra has to that, but the varrie looks good...

_tentipi_ventilatie_500.jpg
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
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Harrow, Middlesex
every tipi I have seen you can just lift the skirt up a little (oo-err!) to give you more airflow... even if it doesn't have a fancy pulley system.

When I want my skirt lifted I just do it and wedge something under it to keep it up :lmao:

p.s. sorry for friday afternoon humour.
 

Martyn

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 7, 2003
5,252
33
58
staffordshire
www.britishblades.com
every tipi I have seen you can just lift the skirt up a little (oo-err!) to give you more airflow... even if it doesn't have a fancy pulley system.

When I want my skirt lifted I just do it and wedge something under it to keep it up :lmao:

p.s. for friday afternoon humour.

fnar, fnar. :D

But the tentipi groundsheet attaches to the skirt all round I think. The vents let you regulate the airflow without messing with that seal and they are covered with mossie net too.
 

thingswelike

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Jun 15, 2007
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Actually, the webbing straps for the pegs also have toggles for the floor and those are the only points it attaches. it's very easy to vent.
Interesting - I never saw a floor in one, but I assumed they toggled into the outer.
It was said that you can wrap the bottom of the outer under the floor - how does that work?
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
Yeah - I said there were no show stoppers didn't I ;)

£700 over 10 years of use isn't a lot of money though when the same old niggles tick you off time after time... you need to please yourself and to hell with the wallet. especially if this is going to provide years of service.

get what you want and not what you are forced to.
 

thingswelike

Forager
Jun 15, 2007
164
0
51
Peak District
I agree with that Squidders - Our last tent lasted 14 years of 2 or 3 weeks a year use. It's still going strong, but we now have 2 children so it's too small. I either camp in the van or in a hammock.

BTW - I'm just trying to plough through the only group test I've ever seen of Lavvu. The site is in norwegian so I'm using http://www.tranexp.com:2000/Translate/result.shtml to traslate (which it does poorly).
This is the link to all the tents - THESE ARE ALL NYLON/SYNTHETIC VERSIONS THOUGH.
There's the vagge, the varrie light, the venor, helsport, frisport, bison tinde, etc.

http://www.villmarksliv.no/sok/index.jsp
 

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