TENTS !!

[Ken in Anaheim]

I'm thinking of trying to winter in Quartzite with a tent.
 I know Bob frequently warns that it gets pretty windy and occasionally (especially this year) rainy.
 I'm just wondering how many folks started (or still are) out full-timing using a tent and any hints they might have.
 I'm alone and would probably be using a Kodiak 10x14 flex-bow  ( http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/10-x-14-ft-flex-bow-vx-tent/).

KinA

 

[Almost There]

You can find larger or as large a tent that doesn't weigh in at 79 lbs...holy cow!!!

Until you get to the winter style canvas tents with side walls and the built in section for a stovepipe there's no real need to go to canvas anymore.

Here's a whole collection of 3 season tents that are 8 person (same as one you showed) that range in price from a couple of hundred bucks on up.

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/f...D&fv=DSG_Tent_Sleeps/Sleeps+6-8&fd=Sleeps+6-8&

My only advice - get lots and lots of room and standing height. Oh, and make sure you've got something of a porch area that you can get under before you have to track rain into the tent.

Maybe you'd be happy with one of the ones that attaches to your vehicle.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Ken...there were a few tents last year, as I recall. Wagoneer mentioned taking his big canvas wall tent when we saw him a couple weeks ago.
Its do-able but a little extra care is needed in securing them against those windy times. I think some style is best, but that's me. 
I'd want a Buddy heater.

 

[Queen]

I kinda figure a lot of humanity had/has lived in tents/yurts/temp structures for millennia, it's as doable as anything else, just with varying levels of comfort and security. Go for it.

 

[cyndi]

There have been a number of previous discussions with regard to tents.
Here's the list
https://vanlivingforum.com/search/?...3a4544c6d65f87a5b9&sortby=lastpost&order=desc

 

[highdesertranger]

that's a pretty expensive tent to be experimenting with, what if you don't like it. I agree in the desert you need a tent that can handle the wind. did you think of looking for a used one on Craigs List. I paid 1,000 bucks for my military tent and it's 18'x36' or 18'x18'. the only problem it takes at least 3 people to set up. here's the thread https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-tent?highlight=tent . I am only showing you this so you see how expensive that tent is. I would look on CL first to see what's available. so Ken you plan on being at the RTR. highdesertranger

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Whatever tent you get, remember that you will need to be able to set it up solo.

Expedition type tents are probably way stronger and tougher than the ones intended for family summer camping.

One possible company is:

http://us.hilleberg.com/EN/

Regards
John

 

[akrvbob]

Think tipis. They worked for the Lakota across the Plains and their winds are as bad or worse than the desert.

I'd look into kifaru https://store.kifaru.net/tipis-c18.aspx. Masterplunber has one and I'm hoping he'll speak up and give us a report.
Bob

 

[SoulRaven]

Brave who drink too much before bedtime wake up in tea pee.

 

[greybeard23]

I spent a few years tent camping around the states.
I used Cabela's 6 person Alaskan Guide.  Can see it here;   http://www.cabelas.com/product/camp.../Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_105517980?recordsPerPage=108

It is rated at 75 mile an hour winds, National Weather Service verified it with stood 90 mile an hour winds in one storm, with one strut broken.

With heat I could keep it at 70 degrees inside with snow covering the tent.

Also had a 4 foot table inside as my kitchen and a cot for a bed, tall enough for a six foot person to stand in the center.

Weighs only 26 pounds with aluminum poles, 24 tie downs if you are worried about wind. I use to only use 10 on a basic set up. About 40 minutes for one person to set up and load gear into the tent.

 

[acfdexpo]

I have a 10 x 10 Kodiak I got at Dick's Sporting Goods for around $300.00 on sale.  It is a great tent easy to set up but heavy.  I like that you can stand up in it.  I have never been to the desert but you might need auger stakes or sandbags for the wind?

 

[RVTravel]

Check out their tipi tents.

http://store.seekoutside.com/

 

[akrvbob]

The question isn't so much will the tent stand up in severe winds, it's how miserable will you be inside it? The flapping and shaking of a slab sided wall tent makes them very unpleasant. Much better to have the aerodynamics of a tipi where much less of the tent is battered by the wind. Compare the surface area of 6 man tent to a direct wind verse a 6 man tipi to a direct wind. There is no comparison.

It's still noisy and still shaking but much less.
Bob

 

[ZoNiE]

It gets cold there...

 

[Spirituallifetime]

I agree with Bob, a tipi would be the best. The poles all around it keep it strong in the wind and supports the canvas so it won't wip in the wind. I spent the summer in a Coleman 9x10 tent and had to take it down a few times because of high winds. For high wind smaller is always better than bigger. I started to look at tipis this summer. Here are a few I found.

http://www.coloradoyurt.com/tipis/
http://www.tipi.com/index.html

And if you want a canvas tent check these out.
http://www.canvascamp.us
These are round, should hold up better in the wind.

 

[masterplumber]

I just got back from my annual hunting trip, spending a week plus in my Kifaru Tipi. I took a bunch of pictures, including some at home showing all the parts and setup. Hopefully some turned out ; ) I'll do my best to do a full review and post it this next week. You also might check out "tent tipis" as they are now available in the USA and seem to have a loyal following.

 

[highdesertranger]

so how long are your poles. teepees have very long poles. 12 foot for a small one up to in the 20's for large teepees. highdesertranger

 

[Spirituallifetime]

Tent tipi, has 1 center pole that I assume it breaks down into shorter sections for easy transportation.
http://www.canvascamp.us/us_en/tipi-400-ultimate.html

 

[akrvbob]

A canvas tipi would be FAR superior to a nylon one. The main reason is that the UV from the sun quickly destroys nylon no matter how UV resistant they claim it is. But it will also reduce the flapping in the wind that will keep you awake and destroy the fabric
Bob

 

[surfer]

Here's a study on nomadic shelters: https://www.simplydifferently.org/ . They compare Simplicity, Size Flexibility, Portability & Living Comfort on Tipi, Yurt, Wigwam, Bow Dome, Geodesic Dome  & Star Dome shelters. It could help you decide on the shape of your tent.

 The Sami people of northern Scandinavia used Lavvus. It has a design similar to a Native American tipi but is less vertical and more stable in high winds (according to one website). Another website said the Native Americans teepee were more stable because of the lean in their setup (the smoke hole is not in the center of the footprint) and was more superior because of the smoke flaps. :/