Spliced Tipi lodge polls

[songdog33]

Howdy all. My wife would like to buy a tipi. A 20' diameter. The problem I have is the storage and transportation of 20 something foot lodge poles. How do most tipi owners do it? I have a truck and would be willing to put a lumber rack on it, but that leaves a lot of wood hanging over both ends. My wife said that someone told her that you can use a splice and have them half the length. I can not find anything about this. Do any of you splice your lodge polls or have heard of this? I think a wall tent would be less trouble. Thanks for any advice. Tom

 

[rwiliff]

A wall tent would be less trouble.

We (my wife) have an 18 foot lodge. Total pain to make and break camp. Total pain to haul poles (and tipi cover and liner).

I usually put the one piece poles on the side of our stock trailer, or a flatbed trailer.

A wall tent would be less trouble.

Warmest Regards,
Robert

 

[user 2647]

For a 20 ft tipi your looking at close to 30 ft poles. Would be a bear to transport but do able. As for splicing I've heard of it but never talked to anyone that has seen any.
A wall or wedge tent is less work but not near as nice to stay in as a tipi is.

 

[tenngun]

I built a rack on my truck to carry them. They were a pia to move, however a tipi is the caddilac of tents. A wall tent or wedge is more hc for white boys and girls, not as comfortable but a lot eaiser to move. Since my wife can't make it to camp any more I went with a wedge.
I don't know how a splice would stand up to the pressure of the job. Since you have a pole 25 feet or more in the air I would hesitait to have a metal coupling.
If its just you and your young lady you might think smaller. A 14 foot was my first loadge and you can set it up with 18-20 foot poles. And only 14. The ealist photos show poles not more the 2or 3 feet above the tie. In winter the smaller lodge stays real toasty. Remember a loadge will streach. My 18 streched to 20. 20s will strech to 22-24 feet. My second winter with my 18 took almost twice as much wood to heat. My 14 was a perfect example of "small fire,get close,stay warm"

 

[crockett]

Same problem on the poles- for transporting the splicing would be a big plus. I was thinking about PVC pipe collars? Not sure they would work. If you hung a lining inside the teepee- maybe hide the collars?

 

[Coot]

Thin wall 1&1/2" electrical conduit painted tan/grey to sort of match the poles should work. PVC can be brittle & thick wall conduit or steel pipe kind of heavy. Personally, Mrs Coot & I have a marquee - a forest of poles but they are short enough to pack.

 

[Many Klatch]

A buddy of mine who lives out West was telling me that back in the mountains he finds TiPi rings quite often. The rings are the rocks that were used to hold down the TiPi covering instead of stakes. He measured a few of them and found that they were mostly 12' and 14' across. So that is the size of the TiPis that were used by the folks that lived in them full time.

If you are serious about a 20' TiPi and 30' poles then I suggest a school bus with ladder racks.

I remember seeing a 35' TiPi at a rendezvous once. The poles hung over both ends of a full sized schools bus. To erect the poles the owner had a steel gin pole rig hooked to the front bumper of his school bus. They raised the poles with an electric winch. I couldn't understand why he felt he needed such a big TiPi except he had bragging rights for the "biggest TiPi east of the Mississippi"

 

[Preacher Jeremy]

If you go with a wall tent, you will find your life a lot easier, and if you order it with a chimney hole you can put a wood stove in it, which is IMHO a much more efficient, and safer way to heat than a campfire.

 

[necchi]

You ain't seen a nice TP set up have ya.(?)

 

[tenngun]

Any stove is better then an open fire, howsomever a tipi with a well laid fire, a good pipe a clear evening with stars seen through the smoke hole is one of those earthly taste of heaven.
That said...I love tipis but they are a pain to move, and are wrong for my place and time

 

[fusil de chase]

I think a 20 footer falls in the category of permenant structure. Are you planning on living in it for some time? For the price a nice used RV could be had LOL.

If you do a search you'll see that some of the people who sell large teepees sell two piece poles (adds 2 grand to the cost :shocked2: ) or give instructions on making sleeved connections.

40 poles at 3 inches in diameter at 15 feet long is a mess of wood eh.

IMHO there is more joy in the KISS approach. Small and light, if you need more space throw up a tarp.

 

[Billnpatti]

Perhaps you could cut the poles in half and then make a rabbet joint in the middle so that the two halves would overlap at the joint. Then get a piece of steel the width of the poles and the length of the rabbet joint and sandwich it in the joint between the two halves of the pole when you put them back together. This steel plate would give a lot of strength to the joint. Drill some holes through the two halves and through the steel plate and assemble the whole thing with carriage bolts and wing nuts. I would think that each joint would need to be at least 18 to 24 inches long. If you needed more reinforcement, you could find some pipe with the same ID as the diameter of the poles at the joint. Cut it in half lengthwise and put a half of the pipe on the outside of the joint in each pole. Drill the bolt holes so that the bolts go through each piece of pipe, the two halves of the pole and the steel reinforcing steel plate. I would think this would make a very strong joint and one that would not be that hard to assemble.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I have seen broken poles that were repaired with a steel conduit slid over the repaired area to reinforce the break that held up well. So I suppose a steel sleeve could be used to make a splice. But with twice as many poles it would be a real lumber pile. I myself have always liked teepees but found them too much work to store, transport, and set up. So I stick with my one pole. :idunno:

 

[teddyascameron]

I think I last saw one in 1989, but (IIRC) old Army canvas tents (GP Medium and/or GP Large) used 2'-long sheetmetal sleeves to connect 3"-dia wooden poles.

For my first try at a Tipi, I cut my 12' shelter out of a 15x20 painter's tarp. (I don't use a larger tipi nor liner, as they are too "modern" for my taste.) A 12' has enough room for myself and both pre-teen sons; or me and a dog and a couple footlockers of campcraft supplies. It isn't a well established tipi, but it is a start.

I tried eight pairs of 8' 2x2s tied with round lashing. Because I wasn't doing actual woodwork, I didn't mind the local Home Despot shelving the most dogged-looking 2x2s in the civilized world. I used sisal twine for the lashings, and the whole thing came down in the middle of the night.

My second attempt was six 18' 2x8s ripped diagonally; a dozen poles, each 2x2 at top and 2x6 at bottom. I cargo-strap them over my Honda Pilot's luggage rack and tie the ends to the bumpers. Those poles have been set up a dozen times, and work pretty well.

If I can learn how to post images, I'll throw a few night-time pics of our Huskies silhouetted by a romantic fire-lit Tipi. (if not, just imagine it.. the scene probably looks better that way.)

Stu

 

[nit wit]

Many years ago I had an 18'tipi,23' poles.I made a rear rack to fit in my reese hitch. One I was at a stoplight and a motorcycle was ahead of me, I creeped up until the ribbons dangled in frot of their helmets. :rotf:
I have had a 12'for 10 or 12 years with 15'poles tie them on my suburu forester,the 12 is easier to heat and still have plenty of room.
I saw fiberglass tipi poles once at an nmlra event in Vermont. The were ugly. I have black spruce I use for my poles.
Nit Wit