h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm about to sleep...but I just wondered if there were any other tipi owners at h2g2.......

I finally got my 14 ft souix-type (tripod) tipi up for the first time today...having spent about 6 months on the whole project....I'm interested in others who might like to share any thoughts experiences on tipi use.

I really wanted to experience being in one for a week or so,especially for snow camping.I imagined it to be quite warm. Always wanted a fire inside too
It's too late for me to try, but I would still like to hear about it.
*sigh*

hi abbi

The beauty is in the fire being inside the tent - without a doubt...although many nomadic peoples all over the world devised various methods for similar..none really nailed it with quite the same simple elgance than the soiux (in my opinion)...

I've not lit a fire in my own tipi yet, as I wanted the first fire to be set by a friction bow...odd as I'm not usually so...ummm sentimental (can think of a better word)..I could of course just strike a match ..and no doubt will for other fires, but I always wanted to know how to light a fire through friction - so this seems like a good way to force me to play my hand....and an appropriate way to christen the new lodge....


you say it's too late for you to try...why too late??? surely it's never too late to try anything....?

"I always wanted to know how to light a fire through friction - so this seems like a good way to force me to play my hand....and an appropriate way to christen the new lodge...."

Excellantthing to do,starting the fire! I it!perfection

If I am lucky I might do it for a few hours, to get the feel, still hoping for that experience
A Pesky spinal cord prohibits me from doing a snowy week in the woods.

Oh.
Not a thread about Fiat cars, then.

er...not a tipi owner as such,

but i have pitched several, usually being the guy running around the outside seven times with the rope before diving between the door poles and puling the rope down to anchor things.

set several of them at various stonehenge festivals and albion fairs way back er whenever

found my old Reginald and Gladys Laubin book on tipis though and it rekindled all those old memories.

Did you buy a kit, or a pattern?
What weight is the canvas?
What did you use for poles?

if you have any questions, put them here, and i'll look if Reginald and Gladys have any answers.

Love the bit about the fire...you MUST do things properly.

alec.

abbi - sorry to hear you're not up to a week in the snow..maybe a tipi visit in better weather might be more like it...

AlecTrician...I have the Laubin book (something of a bible during the whole process)...To answer your questions...

I was originally going to buy the canvas and all, but found it worked out a similar cost to just buy a new tipi...I think the makers generally buy canvas in bulk, therefore the whole thing works out cheaper

...in the end I found a guy with a canvas and liner for sale and made my up own poles from Pine and Douglas Fur...

by the way AlecTrician, the correct number for passes around the poles is 4, the Laubins describe it as a sacred number to the native americans..also a handy number to hold the poles with a mimimum of rope. sorry to correct.

so..looks like I'm the only Tipi dwelling hootoo then?

(he posts in an attempt to run it back up the list for another try?)