Our tipi

When we pitch our tent at the campsite, it always makes a big impression, and some people even ask if they can "visit" it. Let's take the time here to describe it and give our general impression, to see its positive points, but also its small disadvantages.

Why we bought a tipi?

We had bought a new tent in the spring, a Ferrino, very light and airy, which we thought we could take when we decided this trip in June. But we were inspired by different experiences, and decided to change. These experiences:

• In Peru, for example, it's better to leave nothing outside the tent, even in the apses; which makes the use of the apses a bit limited.
• On many cycling blogs, we read that a tent with lots of space was convenient and welcome.

For a long trip, we preferred to focus on comfort to weight, but don't lose sight of it. We opt for a model Eureka Lone Tree 3. The tipi isn't very heavy for a tent of its size. We went to a military supplies store to find six very strong pegs, which are used for the six main pegs. Then we combined our tipi with a floor tarp of the same brand, adapted to the model to reinforce its longevity. And finally, we took our tarp to make us different shelters: against rain or sun.

Its advantages

• Great indoor space
• Its resistance and its good resistance to the wind: the wind slips on the walls
• Its discretion (it's green, but it depends on the model chosen, of course)
• The weight/space ratio (3 kg, pegs included but floor tarp excluded)
• Simple and rather fast to pitch
• Its price (~ 300 €)

Its disadvantages

• It's not self-supporting. We have to sink the pegs in the ground, which sometimes limits us in the choice of locations (not possible on fine sand or gravel). With big stones, we can fix one or two pegs, but this is to be avoided with wind and for all pegs.
• In case of rain, it's best paired with a tarp, to prevent water from falling directly into the room at each opening, and to have a space where to cook for example.
• To reinforce its waterproofness and durability, we combine it with a dedicated floor tarp
• The middle pole prevents us from attaching our sleeping bags together when we're each on one side. When it's cold, we put ourselves on the same side, but fortunately I'm only 1m60! Because on the edges, I just fit. When it's hot, this configuration is no longer possible.
  

We are very happy with our tipi, especially for its big indoor space, and its resistance to bad weather. In addition, even if with a few bird poo and dog pees it's no longer brand new, it still stands out!