Tipi poles

[user 2647]

Was wondering if anyone knows of a supplier of tipi poles in the Indiana area. Bought my tipi from Panther last spring before the big slowdown in the economy and am finaly able to afford a set. Panther priceced 19 lodge pole pine for $342. , not to bad but the shipping was going to run $565. or higher.

 

[Many Klatch]

There is always one sutler selling new Tee Pee poles at the NMLRA shoots at Friendship Indiana during the Spring and Fall shoots. Since you live nearby you could save all the freight.

I can't think of his name right off but he is the guy that sells all the sheepskins from Iowa. He sets up on Primitive hill near the bunker.

Many Klatch

 

[wvbuckbuster]

One of the guys I shoot with made his own poles by finding a stand of white pines that were growing thick together. After cuting,limbing and peeling the bark set the ends in wood preservative. Has worked for years. Maybe you could locate a stand near you.

 

[MSW]

wow- that's pretty stiff for shipping... it sounds as though you would be able to rent a truck and go cut your own for that kind of money...

good luck with your project

 

[paco97]

Never good when shipping is more than the price of the item. Unless you're buying a .99 book from Amazon and have to pay 3.99 for shipping.

 

[user 2647]

I know the guy you're referring to and I will probably check with him at the Spring shoot.

 

[ameling]

I often hear people complain about the high cost charged by some vendors to ship items. But those who are complaining have had little or no experience with shipping stuff - other than taking an occasional book or box to the Post Office. Shipping by a company is far different than that - especially with large items.

Tipi poles are 20 to 30 feet long - possibly up to 40 feet. They cannot be just sent with UPS or the Post Office. They have to be sent FREIGHT on a very long truck - basicly a semi-trailer.

It means that a semi must drive from their place to your place. That takes lots of fuel, and the time of that driver. And some Freight companies will only run from their terminal near the sender to their terminal near you. So the vendor has to haul those poles over to that company's terminal, and then you have to go pick them up from their nearest terminal to you. All that adds up to more time and money.

All that is expensive. It ain't anything like shipping a book across the country.

Your best deal would be to see the vendor in person, or see about having a friend that is heading their way to stop and pick them up. But don't rely upon any tipi pole vendor having an extra set lying about for you to purchase at an event. If you really want to buy a set, make arrangements to purchase beforehand, and then pick them up at a site the vendor will be at. They might have some extras to sell, but they also might have everything pre-sold.

Shipping/delivery costs money. And tipi poles are a unique size, so that can cost more.

Make prior arrangements to avoid being ... disappointed.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[mazo kid]

It sounds like you may be talking about **** Bennett of Rembrandt Leather. As Mike says, contact him beforehand to make SURE there is a set for you. Many years ago there were a couple of vendors selling poles at Friendship, but I haven't been there for a while so can't say if they are still there.

 

[Many Klatch]

Mazo, yeah, that's the guy. He sets up every big shoot at Friendship with a bunch of fresh cut trees and turns them into TeePee poles while he is "resting". I think he does one or two complete sets a shoot. Like you said, it would be best to contact him ahead of time.

I think this is the correct information.

**** Bennett
(712) 286-6321
Rembrandt Leather
116 Main St
Sioux Rapids, IA 50585

Many Klatch

 

[MikeC]

Get in your truck and make a road trip.

 

[ameling]

If you can get over to Prairie du Chien Wisconsin the 3rd weekend of June, there are usually several people at their big rendezvous selling poles. **** is usually there, as well as somebody called Pete's Poles. And Jim Suffield usually comes down from Rhinelander Wisconsin with some balsam fir poles. So the choices are a little better. But you would have to wait till June, and then drive over to there. The Big River Longrifles puts on the rendezvous. It's a pretty large ... trade fair -- with a big fleamarket right beside it.

The event near Monroe Wisconsin (south central Wisconsin) the first weekend in May also usually has several people with tipi poles for sale. It's called the Bloody Lake Rendezvous. And Friendship should also have a good selection.

The last set of tipi poles I had I cut myself right here in NE Iowa. I crawled up in the hills where the trees grew tight together, and cut out the longest straightest thinnest Cedar Trees I could find. 15 to 18 foot was about max that I could get and still have the butts be not over 4 inches in diameter. But I only needed them to work with a 12 foot tipi. They sure turned out nice! And left when she left. So it goes sometimes.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

p.s. Now I have to find/cut or trade for some poles for an 18 foot tipi - plus some stitching/repair work. But I got the cover/liner for free. There's one limestone cliff/bluff with Cedar trees growing up right next to the cliff part that I need to go ... visit.

 

[mazo kid]

Mikey, you're gonna have some pretty heavy poles if you use cedar. I had an 18' tipi and started out with a couple of balsams that were 35' tall and then going down from that to about 28'. Made a nice bonnet! By the time I sold the lodge, the long poles were about 30'(NEVER let a pole drop flat on the ground!!)

 

[ameling]

Once they have dried, the cedar poles I made were only slightly heavier than the balsam or lodgepole. But also much stronger.

Now, I do cut them from out of a DENSE growth of cedars - so they grow tall/straight and thinner - just like those balsam or lodgepole ones. If they are out in a pasture all by themselves, they will spread way out and be well over 6 or 8 inches in diameter and still only be 20 feet tall.

I've used cedar poles for my large wedge tent and awning for many years. It is far easier to get poles only 7 to 9 feet long - with the top being 2 inches in diameter and the bottom being only 3 inches in diameter.

I told a friend about my cedar poles for my awning. Well, he went out into the middle of a field and cut some. He ended up with 8 footers that were 1 inch at the top and 5 to 6 inches in diameter at the bottom! And he cut them only a week before he needed them in the summer. Those poles were very heavy, and dripping with sap! He couldn't understand how I got mine to turn out so well/thin/light - even after I carefully explained my selection process to him several times.

Plus I never put any oils/sealers on them to "protect" the wood and show off the wood. They "grayed" up nicely - just like balsam or lodgepole.

Just another way of doing things.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Rod Lassey]

Of course, you could go more an 'alternate' tree....ever look closely at a tipi in a Bodmer painting? Those scraggly sticks poking up from the smokeflaps look truly pathetic. And, looking at them, I'm betting alot of them are ash or cottonwood. I don't have a tipi, but I've used ash, cottonwood, and diamond willow for my tent poles, and while they aren't pretty, they all work just fine.

Rod

 

[user 2647]

I have access to a stand of poplar trees but I realy have my heart set on lodge pole pine. Just have to see how much cash I can rat hole away from the wife.