Wall Tent or Seek outside tipi

[elks96]

So I am looking at options for my family.2 adults and 2 kids. I need something that will be warm dry and comfortable. We will be using it for hunting and fishing, jeeping etc.

I had a Davis wall tent and loved it,but at the time it was only my wife and I so it was over kill and we went to a dome tent. I also did not like the space it took up and the weight was a little much.

I am curious about the seek outside option. It seems like a good choice especially when we are out in the jeep and space is critical. I just am not sure how much useable space there is and if it would be big enough for gear, eating, beds and space to keep the 2 kids from driving me nuts. I also think the seek option looks better for out many short weekend trips, and also wonder if it can be used as an ice fishing shelter....

What do you think? Which would you get?

 

[BIGJOHNT]

I went with a Cabelas Alaknak tent. It all packs into one duffle bag. Well except for the wood stove. I always wanted a big wall tent. But it was just to much to pack. I think of the Alaknak as a modern wall tent. We don't always use the wood stove when the weather is nice. But it is great during cold weather. Easy to put up for a weekend.We have the 12 ft x 12ft model I also have the Vestibule that adds 12 ft to the front of the tent when needed. I generally have
my two boys with me. So we have the bunk bed cot's that work well. Whenever we cant get our trailer into the area we are hunting. This tent keeps us pretty comfortable. Cabelas have a few other models that may work for you with or without a wood stove.

 

[shootem]

+ 1 on the alaknak tent from Cabelas. I have the 13x27 and love it. It's a great quality tent that is easy to pack.

 

[sjhgraysage]

Love my 14x16 wall tent with inside frame and a nice home built wood stove. I've had as many as 5 adult men on cots in it but it was crowded. Four cots is no problem.

 

[paramount]

I also second the cabelas alakank I have a 12-12 I can set it up my self in about 30 minutes and it holds up in heavy wind and snow. I want the bigger one this season. I have two boys and with three in it and a stove and table it get crowded. Shootem how is the 13-27 to set up? Can you set it up alone or does it take 2 people?
I was looking at the kirfua tipi and the seek tipi but I don't like snake and mice in my tent. Without a floor in them I will stick to the cabelas option. I like the weight and easy set up of the Kirfau and Seek.

 

[BIGHORNtracks]

Ohhh???. BUT YOU SAID the naughty word! JEEPING!

So, you better go seek outside.

As a fellow Jeep enthusiast, you and I both know, that you have no room for a canvas wall tent. Even if you are sporting a cherokee.

The seek outside will afford you more space once camp is set up, for the space taken up inside your vehicle. You will have to go with a much smaller tent size if you go canvas.

You can get a bigger 8 man seek outside, and it will fit in a much smaller space than the smallest canvas wall tent.

If I were you, I would opt for the titanium goat round stove, if you are going to include a stove in your purchase.
http://www.titaniumgoat.com/cstove.html

Thats just my take on it. When I was considering my options, the Kifaru tipi with the TI goat stove was the way I decided to go.

 

[sjhgraysage]

not to try and sway anyone but as far as set up by one person, I can set up my 14x16 wall tent with internal frame easily by myself in less than an hour and that probably includes putting the stove in and setting up the stovepipe. I would not want to have to do it in a 40+ mile an hour wind but who would?

 

[264mag]

Cabelas outback tent, goes up pretty fast and packs pretty small.

 

[Utah400Elk]

I have owned a seekoutside tipi and a Cabelas Alaknak tent. Both both plus and minus.

The tipi is light weight and with a four dog titanium stove, very warm/cozy. The down side was the critters (spiders) in the floor-less tipi and the lack of space. An 8 man is not huge...Just enough room for a family of 3 with comfy camping equipment. The slope of the tipi walls really diminishes the actual usable size.

The Alaknak is warm and roomy. The major downside for me was the weight.

Both work and both are have times they are better than eachother.

Best of luck.

 

[OldJake]

I have a Davis wall tent and a seekoutside 8 man tipi. I once had a 12 man seekoutside tipi and it is better than the 8 man in my opinion. Once you have camped in a wall tent, it is difficult to go back to a cramped-space shelter. So trust me, go with the 12 man tipi. IMHO, the alaknak is somewhere in the middle. It is still heavy and takes up too much space. The SO 12 man is not much heavier or bulky than the 8 man.
My recommendation is to get a full liner for the SO tipi. It really makes the tipi better in damp conditions. Without the liner, dealing with drips and kids touching the walls or stuff like that, will make your trip miserable. GET THE LINER....

I would prefer my wall tent over my tipi if considering comfort only, but the lightweight, small pack space, and easier set-up make the SO tipi the winner when hauling in a jeep. Just my 02

 

[OldJake]

Utah400elk,
I wish I could have bought your setup when you were selling it last fall. That tipi and the four dog is the cats meow!

 

[Califelkslayer]

I've used Wall tents with wood stoves for the last 34 years and IMO there is nothing better in cold/snowy weather.

My Alaknac is 20 years old and pretty heavy for horses and made of canvas, not synthetic like I believe the new ones are.

I have 2 Cabela's Outback Lodges, 10X10 and 12X12. Better for packing. They have been durable but with no stove, they are not warm. I currently use the Outback's a lot with Propane heat (Mr. Buddy's) on late season chukar hunts in Nevada in cold weather but packing a heater and propane tank into the wilderness is unthinkable.

I'm also looking for other options. A small, new Alaknac for packing with my small wood stove and a large Alaknac like the 12X27 mentioned above for a base camp. Even with a long bed, crew cab, room is always at a premium.

 

[Horniac]

>So I am looking at options
>for my family.2 adults and
>2 kids. I need something
>that will be warm dry
>and comfortable. We will be
>using it for hunting and
>fishing, jeeping etc.
>
>I had a Davis wall tent
>and loved it,but at the
>time it was only my
>wife and I so it
>was over kill and we
>went to a dome tent.
>I also did not like
>the space it took up
>and the weight was a
>little much.
>
>I am curious about the seek
>outside option. It seems like
>a good choice especially when
>we are out in the
>jeep and space is critical.
>I just am not sure
>how much useable space there
>is and if it would
>be big enough for gear,
>eating, beds and space to
>keep the 2 kids from
>driving me nuts. I also
>think the seek option looks
>better for out many short
>weekend trips, and also wonder
>if it can be used
>as an ice fishing shelter....
>
>
>What do you think? Which would
>you get?


For your family size, I would go with a 12 man tipi. I have an 8 man Kifaru with their large stove and as others have said, you lose a lot of usable space at the perimeter due to the tipi design. When you are utilizing the stove, you will also lose some standing room in the center of the tipi. If the walls are wet with condensation or dew, if you or your gear accidentally touches them, you or your gear will get wet, so the liner might be a good option to look at. Wouldn't take up too much room or weight in a jeep though and quick and easy to set-up and take down. I don't know anything about ice fishing, but I am sure it would make an excellent shelter if you found suitable tent stakes to anchor in the ice (some type of drive-able screw anchor I would think).

Here is a pic of my 8 man that the three of us backpacked in 4.5 miles in the West Elk Wilderness in CO. Added about 4# each to our pack weight but it was worth it to have a comfortable, dry, and warm shelter for my nephew's elk hunt. Not much room for the 3 of us to move around while upright though (but plenty of room for gear around the perimeter) that's why I would go bigger as another poster recommended...

Horniac