We’ve covered in earlier posts some of the design features which allow for the safe use of fire in our Nordic tipis, but here, we’ll deal with the specific issue of carbon monoxide – a natural by product of combustion.  Wood fires, propane heaters, coal fires etc. – they all produce this gas, which isn’t hazardous in a well ventilated environment, as it rapidly combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide.  The key point we wish to expand upon here is how this ventilation and air-flow is essential to safe use of fire, and how tent design based upon well understood principles allows fire to be safely used in the Nordic tipi.

Tragic accidents involving Carbon Monoxide (CO), both in the home and in camping settings have all been due to a lack of oxygen during the fuel combustion process in combination with poor ventilation.  This prevents CO from combining with oxygen (to form carbon dioxide) and allows CO concentrations to rise.  In the cases involving camping accidents, the lack of adequate ventilation combined with the use of portable barbecues either inside or close to the tent has been a common factor.  Accidents have also occurred involving the use of propane heaters in similar circumstances.

We start this Post with a very clear warning not to close off ventilation when using a fire or heater, and to be especially careful when using portable barbecues.

USE OF FIRE IN THE TIPI

The Tentipi Nordic tipi is a modern version of the traditional Sami home.  Their semi-nomadic lifestyle demanded a portable shelter, and their harsh environment demanded a design capable of incorporating a fire.  Their solution was, in many ways a simple one.  The conical tipi design was not only inherently stable, but it allowed safe use of fire, with smoke and fumes escaping through the roof.  Efficient burning of fuel was regulated by venting through the door panel.  In effect, their home was a highly effective chimney and living space combined, and Tentipi have brought this traditional design completely up-to-date with modern materials and manufacturing.

All carbon-based fuels (propane, coal, wood, etc.) produce carbon monoxide (CO) during combustion.  In a well-ventilated space CO combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, and good air flow ensures mixing of gases.  Our design solution to achieve this combines ground positioned air vents and vents in the roof which create a natural chimney effect as the rising air column from the fire exits the tent, drawing in fresh air at ground level.  Opening the main door zip provides another source of oxygen too.  This is how a Nordic tipi works, and this design principle has been safely used for thousands of years.

In our instructions concerning the safe use of fire, we do recommend you use good ventilation and this ventilation should continue for as long as the fire is glowing.

USE OF A STOVE IN THE TIPI

The Eldfell Stove is a self-contained heating appliance – designed to burn fuel and transport smoke and fumes through the chimney where it exits to the external environment.  Immediately fuel is burnt in the stove the hot gases created rise through the chimney, creating low-pressure in the stove body.  This low pressure draws in oxygen from the tent surroundings, and the rate of burning is regulated through stove vents.  In effect, the fire creates its own air flow – drawing in fresh air and preventing gases from escaping.

(Eldfell stove in use. Aoki Lake. Photo courtesy Pharus, Japan.)

Even if it were possible to make the tent, somehow airtight (!), fresh air still enters the tent through the space between the Eldfell chimney and the insulated sleeve, providing another source of oxygen for safe combustion of fuel.

The design principles around which our Nordic tipis are based have been in use for thousands of years, and fire was a central component to life in the very harsh environment encountered in Northern Sweden.  The tipi was a home, and the fire was an essential part of this home.  Whichever solution you choose to heat your tipi, whether it be stove or open fire, following some basic principles such as these will allow you to do so in complete safety. For further, detailed guidance, we recommend you read and understand our information concerning the safe use of fire – available here, in our Product Manual :

http://www.tentipi.com/fileadmin/dam/Product_manuals/Adventure/important_information_when_making_a_fire.pdf

It’s always a fascinating story to hear of the origin of goods, and how they made it into the market. Every single manufactured product in existence, from flint tools to the space-shuttle originated as an idea – a vision, driven often by a passion and determination to succeed.

The origins of Tentipi are no different, of course, and the vision behind the brand in this case was (and still is) driven by Bengt Grahn, the founder, who developed this into a product line, meticulously considered, designed and manufactured to meet a wide range of needs and environments. The vision in this case was to make the perfect tent, incorporating modern technology and materials, and yet drawing upon a Sami heritage for many of its influences. Bengt’s vision for these designs also had a unique relationship with the primary elements of water, air, Earth and fire – evident in the video which follows.

Bengt’s background provided him with a good foundation in practical problem-solving. Born in the north of Sweden as the second youngest of five children, his family were farmers and part-owners of a saw-mill. By necessity his parents were very practical people – able to work with, repair or produce items in yarn, textile, wood or metal, and these early practical influences were absorbed in the beautiful Swedish natural forest environment – unpolluted by traffic, industry, or city lights, and watched over by the Aurora Borealis. This was home for the first 18 years of his life.

These natural and practical influences took root, maturing over the years and interwoven with his parents’ very sound Christian values – Universal in their essence and applied in their everyday life with family, friends and strangers alike. These strong influences continue – shared by Lena, his wife, and daughters Joni (14), and Tilde (11).

Tilde, Lena, Joni and Bengt Grahn.

Sports for Bengt were very much a product of his passion for the outdoors and his closeness to the natural environment. Skating and skiing in the wilderness of Swedish Lapland gave way as the seasons changed to forest running and whitewater canoeing trips on rivers swollen by meltwater, and it was on one of these trips where the idea which was to become Tentipi came into being. In 1989, under the Company name Moskoselkatan AB, the Tentipi brand came to life – influenced by the Sami Kata heritage, the varied environment of Swedish Lapland, and also by Bengt’s enquiring and problem-solving mind.

Bengt, at home in the outdoors.

His focus on providing the absolute best quality at all stages of design, materials and production is evident everywhere and this was to provide the stimulus for acquisition of the Company’s own manufacturing facilities, providing the ultimate in terms of quality control. Design rights and Patents for their original ingenious designs have been granted, and the company have been awarded several prestigious industry awards too.

We deal with detailed descriptions of designs, constructions and materials elsewhere in our Blog, but Bengt’s original vision of producing an all-weather Nordic tipi using totally modern constructions and yet still faithful to the original design principles of their Sami predecessors has been ultimately successful. Now, 22 years after manufacture of their very first product, Tentipi are regarded as the World’s leading producer of premium quality Nordic tipis, with their products in use across the globe.

Fire – “The rapid oxidation of a material – releasing heat, light and various products of combustion”.

Historically, we relied upon fire as a source of heat and light, we used it when hunting, and we even colonised some quite inhospitable parts of the globe thanks to our relationship with it. Its significance was reflected in its adoption for ritualistic use too, and this continues throughout religions worldwide. In a nutshell, we owe our existence on this planet to fire in its various forms.

For many of us, our constant and vital relationship with this all-important element has changed. Diminished. We no longer have to gather wood for the fire, or somehow create a spark in order to eat or stay warm. The modern urban house uses oil, gas, or solid fuel – programmed for convenience and available at the flick of a switch. Fast heat – packaged and delivered for the busy modern lifestyle. Those of us with active outdoor interests still experience some of this elemental relationship of course, seated around a campfire; eyes drawn to the flickering flame – a point of connection with our distant past – but the use of fire within the tent has never been an option for the majority of us, and a quick look round any camp site confirms this. Most tent dimensions or designs simply haven’t allowed this, and this elemental connection is lessened. To explain what the addition of a fire means to the camping experience, a Tentipi customer review puts this across most succinctly.

Here, a recent review of our tents in use

In an earlier post, we introduced the Tentipi brand and its Sami heritage. We mentioned design principles of the Nordic tipi, unchanged over thousands of years and still in use by the Sami today – principles used by Tentipi although brought completely up-to-date through the use of modern manufacturing techniques and materials. The basic, stable cone shape allowing for a centrally located fire, and careful venting allowing a warm air column from the fire to draw smoke and fumes through a top opening. Here, we have some historical film footage – part of a Ray Mears TV series on Sweden – showing construction of the Lavvu, and a typical Sami family scene around the central fire. Later in this clip he talks with the wife of a Sami reindeer herder, allowing us something of a glimpse of how the fire changes completely the “normal” camping experience.  This is what fire can achieve.  Welcome to the Nordic tipi!

Fire is central to the Tentipi experience. What we are able to achieve through the introduction of a fire or stove is to create a certain sense of comfort – you’ll notice this every time the stove is lit, but especially under damp and cold conditions. The tent really does become a home. Wet clothes can easily be dried, food and hot drinks can be prepared, and your living space becomes transformed. At extremely low temperatures this also becomes a serious safety consideration as the build up of sweat within clothing layers reduces insulation.

Designing for the use of fire

Design decisions and the features we have incorporated allow for safe use of heat sources within our Nordic tipis when combined with following all our safety instructions. In essence this means that we have introduced features which maximise and adjust ventilation and air flow – allowing smoke and fumes to escape; and specific features also preventing tent fabric from coming in contact with the heat sources. We recommend certain products in order to achieve this.

1) Tent dimensions and shape.

One key factor allowing the use of fire in our Nordic tipis is space. Or rather, the combination of space and shape created by our designs. Even the smallest of our Adventure tent range is large enough to stand up in which gives us a distinct advantage in terms of fire safety when compared to the smaller backpacking or mountain tent designs. Clothing and personal effects are located away from the heat source. This, the optimum ratio of height to diameter also creates a natural chimney effect to remove fumes and smoke on a rising warm air column. This tall conical design means we can use a drying rail too, attached up high.

2) Ventilator cap.

Our Zirkon and Safir tipi models have a fully adjustable ventilator cap which allows ventilation with each of our three recommended heat source options.

(Ventilator cap in use. Models Zirkon and Safir.)

When using the Hekla firebox or Heatpal 5100, internal control cords allow this cap to be opened facing away from the wind for ventilation. Smoke and fumes rise on the air column and are drawn away. A simplified 2 cord adjustment is on our Onyx.

3) Floor options.

When using an inner tent, the Comfort and Pro options allow use of a stove or fire, with a zip panel on the floor rolling back to expose the ground.

If a separate tent floor is used, with no inner tent, both options – Comfort and Pro – have the zip-floor panel function.

Tentipi Floor Options

4) Air Intake Panels.

All our adventure tents will allow some air flow at ground level as we don’t use stitched-in groundsheets. In addition our model Zirkon has one floor level air intake panel, whilst Safir has three. These are zip-closed panels located at floor level and provide a key means of regulating air-flow to the fire or stove. Use these in combination with door venting to control air flow. Whilst their main function is to provide oxygen to feed the fire or stove, these combined with the generous tent dimensions and rising air column serve to minimise generation and build up of dangerous carbon monoxide – a potential hazard associated with the use of stoves, and a very real threat in small, unventilated tents.

(Mosquito netted air-intake floor panel.)

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

You have three main categories of heat source to consider with your Nordic tipi. First is the stove and chimney combination, with the insulated chimney exiting via the top of the tent. Second is the open fire, and third is the small portable heater without any fixed chimney device. We recommend the use of Eldfell, Hekla fire box, and Heatpal 5100 for each of these categories, respectively.

Eldfell Stoves

Hekla Fire Box

Heatpal 5100

TIPS FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF FIRE AND STOVES

Fire in any enclosed space can be hazardous. Although all our Adventure tent range are designed to be used with an open fire or stove, make sure you understand and follow the instructions and fire safety advice supplied with your tent, and treat fire with the utmost respect.

Here’s a quick reminder of what to look out for – further advice can be found here

Just in Case

Be careful! This stuff we call “fire” has killed and maimed and has no conscience.

Preparations

Prepare the ground beneath the stove/fire to avoid vegetation catching fire. If you’re using one of our groundsheets, zip open the central flap, and remove dry vegetation beneath.  Be aware that roots or other organic matter can lead to the spread of fire away from the original site.  Only make your fire on mineral ground, or on a stone foundation.

Have water and a fire blanket or extinguisher to hand. Make sure you’re carrying a sharp knife. Carrying a knife will equip you with an instant escape route by cutting a hole in the canvas as a drastic last resort.  Make sure you all have a rehearsed emergency escape drill.

Stove Use

The Eldfell stove is very efficient and has a high heat output. In our size “5” tents, you’ll not need to fill up the stove completely with fuel, otherwise you will overheat. The Eldfell, even when 1/3 full with fuel has enough heat output to effectively heat a size 15 tent at temperatures below zero degrees C.

The stove chimney is insulated. In use, the chimney becomes very hot and will burn any fabric you place in contact with it. For this reason we recommend that you don’t try and adjust the ventilator cap when using a stove. Moving fabric may become damaged. Keep your own clothing, sleeping bags and other fabrics well away from the stove too.

Never leave an open fire or stove unattended.

Eldfell Stove Video

Use of an Open Fire – The Hekla

The Hekla 7 and Hekla 30 are fire boxes designed to contain the open fire and minimise smoke. The heat output of the Hekla 30 is designed more for the larger Adventure tent sizes. Raising the Hekla fire box from the ground improves combustion and maximises the firebox design features.

Use dry, seasoned wood to minimise sparks and smoke. Beech and other hardwoods are preferred. These have less resins and less tendency to stain the top fabric panels. Chemically treated woods (tar, creosote, etc.) should be avoided.

Finely chopped wood, though burning quicker, gives less smoke and more light.

Heatpal 5100

This is a 1.5 kW stove/heater, burning methylated spirits and with a 5 hour capacity on one tank, it’s a useful alternative to an open fire.  Ventilator Cap instructions are identical to the open fire option.

General Comments on Ventilation.

Don’t forget that you’ll lose some of the natural air flow during snow fall, when a reduction in air flow will occur through snow build-up around the tent base. Compensate by digging snow away from the air intakes or opening the door panel.

Adjust the ventilator cap on the leeward. This draws air out of the tent. Balance this with the air intakes and open door panel to feed the fire and assist air flow.

In conclusion, we’ve discussed and introduced how we design around fire – product, hints and tips. We’ve talked about designs and features of course, but what is especially important to convey here is that which is missing from your usual camping trip, and which is central to the Tentipi experience. Our designs to accommodate fire within our Nordic tipis do provide a homely “feel” and focal point for your evenings for sure, but equally importantly, as you gaze into that central focal point, you’ll become aware of something more – that reconnection with one of the most important elements of all – fire.

(Eldfell stove in use. Aoki Lake. Photo courtesy Pharus, Japan.)

(Tentipi in the snow. Aoki Lake. Photo courtesy of Pharus, Japan.)

This is what we do. This is Tentipi.

This post we’ll examine some of the design elements of our Nordic tipis further, and as we touched upon in our fabrics Post, one seemingly minor change in, say fabric weight can have repercussions on a wide range of other parameters. The key design features of our ventilation system, we’ll expand upon in a following Post.

In a similar way, altering design elements changes the whole, and in this Post, we’ll provide a good general understanding of our 19 key design features, showing how these interact. This is, in essence, a very general overview, and you should refer to the specific tent model to obtain a specific tipi specification.

Tent specifications here.



1. This refers to the optimum ratio of height to diameter at floor level, which not only gives good headroom but creates a natural chimney effect to remove fumes, or to keep the tent cooler in the summer months. An increase of this height needs to be balanced against decreasing stability, whilst decreasing the height produces a squat, low profile, less effective in sloughing off snow fall.

2. Tent fabric. This was covered in some detail in an earlier post. It is worth considering that some tent manufacturers use fabrics with only around 20% of the tear strength of our lightest fabrics. Our fabrics have high tensile strength combined with high tear strength – key factors in preventing and protecting from rips. A word of caution regarding your choice of fabric. Some cotton-polyester fabrics use a coating to achieve water-repellency. This reduces breathability significantly, and isn’t a durable option. We impregnate our Cotpolmex fabrics with a long-lasting and highly water-repellent agent, which achieves high breathability too. Re proofing over time is a straightforward job.

3. Fabric stress relief. All tent designs place fabrics and seams under stress, especially during storm conditions, and it is the tent designer’s job to ensure that these stresses don’t exceed the fabric/component specifications, or exceed the manufacturing processes like seam stitching. Tentipi achieve this through their use of the best materials and manufacturing available, combined with carefully contoured and shaped panels which spread rather than concentrate stress. Critical areas are given extra protection through the use of reinforcing tapes or broad fabric webs.



4. Central pole. 5- section, shock corded, and made from a high strength, low-weight aluminium alloy (See Post on “Fabrics and Materials”). The process of joint contraction we use improves joint strength significantly. Your single, central pole also allows pitching very quickly.

5. Central pole cap. This is the construction from which the tent itself is suspended. We use a high quality braided nylon, chosen for its strength and durability, and which has proven itself over many years of use throughout our Adventure Nordic tipi range.

6. We pay particular attention to the main door zip. Heavy duty, and with a broad storm flap and additional seam stress protection in the form of a strong triangular fabric web where the zip meets the main fabric panel.

7. Guy line holders. A simple yet effective means of storing guy lines – ready for speedy use in stormy weather, without tangling.

8. Tent fabric – ventilation. Our previous post covered the choice of fabric in some detail. Our coated fabrics are fully waterproof, but they don’t breathe. We design-in features to our Nordic tipis to counteract this and improve air-flow. Our most breathable fabric is Cotpolmex – highly water repellent and ensuring a comfortable internal climate, all year round.

9. Smoke Opening. Ensures air-flow on hot days, and removes smoke on those cooler days and nights when you’re using a fire or stove. This is one key element to our successful tent design, and we’ll be looking at it in more detail in a following post.

10. Ventilator cap and “In-Tent Vent” system. (Safir, Zirkon) These provide complete control of tent ventilation and internal climate from inside the tent – closing off the cap during stormy conditions, and allowing venting when needed. Control cords descend within easy reach. A simplified (2 cord) version is used in our Onyx.

In-Tent Vent, seen here with Zirkon & Safir inner tent.

11. Large Air Intakes. These are a key component of creating a pleasant, social environment within the Nordic Tipi, as they provide a ventilation in summer and a means of regulating airflow to the fire or stove – a focal point. The Onyx combines air-flow at ground-level with venting through either the mosquito netted door, or through the partially opened main door zip. Zirkon has one additional floor level air intake, whilst Safir has three, and all these combine to provide either ventilation in the summer, or air-flow to feed the fire or stove during the colder months.

Zirkon and Safir air-intakes.

12. Door with mosquito net. The main door panel opens to reveal mosquito netting, which provides another ventilation option. Bear in mind that extremely fine woven mesh will reduce air flow significantly and provide a weak fabric. We optimise our mesh size to maximise air flow, whilst keeping mosquitoes out.

13. The inner tent. Optional. Three models are available – Base, Comfort, and Pro. These are fully interchangeable throughout our Nordic tipi range, but it is not possible to have a fire when using the Base model.
More information HERE

14. The fire. This single element alone differentiates the Nordic tipi from other designs of tent. If you’ve ever experienced camping in cold, damp, miserable conditions, the cosy atmosphere created here is quite remarkable by comparison. There’s an extra level of safety in winter, too.

15. Stove and chimney opening. The ventilator cap on Zirkon and Safir has been designed to accommodate the stove chimney – a purpose made solution when using the Eldfell Stove.

16. Reinforced edging. A 50cm wide heavy duty fabric strip runs around the tent base. Folded inwards, this can provide an extra level of protection against draughts and insects when weighed down with equipment/floor panel; folded outwards, this can provide additional stability and stormproofness when weighed down with stones, earth or snow.

17. Fastenings for accessories. We increase the versatility of our Nordic tipis by providing numerous internal fastening points for pockets and drying rail, and the inner tent attaches quickly to the outer too. Functional design features, you’ll find throughout, including floor tensioners where you need them.

18. Compression bag. This allows compression of the packed tent using lateral compression straps – especially useful in winter, with frozen tent fabric.

19. Total weight. We touched on this point in our fabric Blog Post, so you should have some understanding of the number of factors to be balanced when producing a lightweight durable tent. We believe our fabrics deliver the optimum mixture of characteristics. We then manufacture tents to the most exacting standards to meet the demands you’ll be placing upon them. Manufacturing lightweight tents is relatively simple. Manufacturing lightweight tents as good as these is a different matter.

For comprehensive product information, click HERE

Over the following posts, we’re going to look much closer at Tentipi – our fabrics, our designs, and our features – to help you better understand our Brand. This information is vital to help you with your purchasing decision.

We’ll start with a closer look at our choice of fabrics – that all-important layer which keeps the outside environment and its variables where it belongs, and allows you to create a managed and comfortable space inside.  We’ll leave aside for the moment the specific design features associated with the use of lightweight fabrics.

The choice of fabric will depend on the mix of characteristics we demand from the manufacturer, and it’s worth bearing in mind that some of these characteristics compete.  (The most durable fabric might not be the lightest, and having the most durable waterproof coating in a UV stabilised fabric will not give a cheap option).  “Best” fabric here means the best balance of all qualities for the job, and how well these fabrics perform over time will also depend upon consistent quality being delivered from fabric manufacturer right through the production line too. At Tentipi, we are uniquely placed to achieve this.  We own the Tentipi manufacturing facility, and the tight control of fabric manufacturing sources we combine with tight production control and extensive in-house testing, to ensure our balanced fabrics are the best for the job.

Waterproofing

Waterproofness of fabrics is normally quoted in terms of a water column height the fabric is able to withstand.  Usually quoted in millimetres, this is a measure of a fabric’s ability to withstand water pressure.  Whilst it’s possible for manufacturers to quote some very high values with new fabrics, this can reduce significantly with use. We insist on measurement after a significant amount of fabric flex has been completed to ensure a realistic measurement of durable waterproofness.

Waterproofing of tent fabrics is achieved through either of two processes.  The first, a coating process is usually applied to finely woven lightweight synthetics such as nylon or polyester.  The resulting fabric is completely waterproof, even in storm driven rain although it doesn’t breathe.  Whilst coated waterproof fabrics keep out the moisture, they keep it in too.  Perspiration; vapour from cooking; moisture from the ground. This will condense where it comes in contact with the cold outer fabric surface, unless you have a heat source.  Long term durability of this waterproofness depends upon fabric quality and manufacturing standards – this is especially important when your fabric is folded and unfolded in use.  Additionally, we use UV stabilised fabrics in our Zirkon Light and Safir Light, to further increase product lifespan.

The second waterproofing process option is an impregnation one, and this has been  applied to natural based fabrics as a means of waterproofing since early days on board sailing ships – the birth of oil skins, when linseed oil or tar was applied to cotton or sailcloth.  Modern impregnation agents are much more sophisticated and are applied to uncoated natural fabrics or mixed natural and synthetic fabrics, where they coat individual fibres in the weave with a highly water repellent agent.  Hydro-carbon based impregnation agents commonly used rapidly degrade under UV light, however.  These are not used in Tentipi tents.  Our own impregnation agent uses a totally different formulation – chosen for its very high repellency combined with an extended lifespan.   Re-proofing will be needed over time.  Whilst not as waterproof as the coated nylons we use, these highly breathable fabrics give a degree of comfort in both hot and cold conditions impossible to achieve with coated synthetic fabrics.  They’re quieter too.

Seams

Tent panel seams can be rendered waterproof through application of a welded seam tape, although the introduction of an internal suspension loop stitched into the seam will lift this tape and act like a wick.  The use of welded seams is often used as an indicator of quality on cheap tents, despite quality of fabrics and construction being on a totally different level.

Our own approach to achieving waterproof seams is different.  Stitch quality combined with high quality materials produces our waterproof seams.  We use extremely well sourced and tightly quality controlled impregnated thread combined with excellent seam stitch quality.  This waterproofing thread is the end point of a lengthy search, and epitomises our focus on quality.  One in every 5 manufactured tents is given a thorough “Rain” test with 1000 litres of water for complete peace of mind.

Our own fabrics

Firstly, a word about sunlight and fabrics.  Eventually, all fabrics will lose strength in sunlight – even the heaviest grade ones, and continuous extended exposure to high intensity UV will weaken a lightweight fabric more than a heavier one.  Bearing this in mind, we choose our high quality fabrics carefully, knowing that they will need to balance a wide range of characteristics including UV performance. This is reflected in the price of our product.

Our three Adventure Tent models are available in either PU coated fabrics (Model Onyx Light), Silicone coated (Models Zirkon Light and Safir Light), or in a weave of cotton and polyester – our Cotpolmex fabric, found in all models.  We offer these two broad types of fabric to meet two very different needs.

Zirkon Light and Safir Light fabrics

Onyx, Zirkon and Safir CP fabrics

Our Lightweight Fabrics

The first, the “Light” group of fabrics are non-breathable.  “Light” refers only to their weight – of between 65 and 100g/m2.  They combine very high tear strength with high durability, and they provide optimum durability over the lifespan of the tipi, combined with long-lasting waterproofness – characteristics not found in cheaper fabrics.  Our Onyx Light uses a single PU coated ripstop nylon fabric (Traillix B), whilst Zirkon and Safir Light both use double silicone coatings with an additional UV protection on a light, tough ripstop base. (Traillix C and P). This fabric group will be chosen when your priorities are maximum waterproofness and toughness combined with low weight, and we believe these are the strongest and finest lightweight fabrics available on the tent market in these price categories.  Some condensation can be expected to form on the fabric in cold weather (unless you are using a fire), and the tent overall will be warmer in the sunshine than our Cotpolmex tents.

Cotpolmex Fabric

Cotpolmex fabric is one of the finest cotton/polyester fabrics in this (275g/m2) weight category.  The use of long staple cotton combined with polyester in the weave produces the optimum combination of breathability and durability combined with extremely high tensile strength.  This high breathability creates a uniquely comfortable feel within the tent – even in strong sunlight.  The fabric is impregnated with a long lasting and highly water repellent agent too.  This kind of fabric will be the one you choose when you need to balance maximum breathability to cope with hot summers and cold winters against good water repellency.  Under storm conditions with prolonged heavy driving rain an inner tent is recommended.  If money is a minor consideration, the higher specification Cotpolmex P fabric will be the logical choice.  Drape, feel and colourfastness are excellent.

Tent Pole

We’ll turn our attention now to the single central pole – the one item connecting the sky to the earth, and creating so much space within your home.  It’s a 5-piece, shock-corded pole, and this single pole construction means you can create a shelter in only a few minutes.  Manufacturing to very high standards throughout our tipi range meant that we have spent quite some time in finding the right kind of aluminium alloy for the job too.  In this case, it’s a 6061-T6 alloy tube, which is cold-drawn to obtain the correct metallic crystal structure we need, it then undergoes a very precise temperature controlled treatment, to give us very high tensile strength and toughness without brittleness.  Just perfect for the demands you’ll be placing upon it during your extended trips.

For full model specifications, click here

http://www.tentipi.co.uk/Adventure-tents.aspx

Our previous Post shows the origins of our Tentipi brand – the classic stable cone structure in use for thousands of years in Scandinavia and North America. It gives an insight too into some of the design principles we incorporate into our modern Nordic Tipi. Here, we’ll have a look through the main modern tent designs now available in the outdoor marketplace, and hopefully provide some information to enable you to make the right purchasing decision – one where you’ll be happy with your purchase over many years to come.

As a general rule, cheaper tents have a different material and manufacturing specification to their more expensive counterparts. Of course, there are some excellent mid-priced tents available, but cheap isn’t intended for hard use over extended periods. We’re assuming that having got this far, you’re looking for something of a higher level of quality.

So, faced with the choice of literally hundreds of tent models available, your next question needs to be “Which of these designs best meets my needs?” A complex question combining environment, altitude, weather/seasons use, size (long-term comfort vs. lightweight backpacking or mountaineering use). What you quickly come to realise is that there is no “One size fits all” solution here. Your purchase should represent the best possible compromise for a range of conditions. As a starting point, any large flat area of tent fabric will be placed under more stress in wind than a curved surface, which deflects wind. Low-profile tent designs will provide a more effective shelter in the high mountains. By necessity, these offer cramped accommodation.

Tent designs fall broadly into 5 main categories, with many hybrid designs around.
These broad categories are:

1. Tunnel/Hoop
2. A-Frame/Ridge
3. Box
4. Dome
5. Conical/Tipi

These designs are available with internal supporting frame structures or external – the external are usually quicker to provide an immediate shelter, whilst internal are inherently more stable. Poles and frames are constructed from fibreglass, steel or high quality aluminium alloys. Fabrics will be nylon, polyester, cotton, or cotton/polyester mix with a range of quality and weaves available.

Fibreglass poles are used at the cheaper end of the market. The material is heavy, brittle, and lacks rigidity under loading – one of the reasons for its use in fishing rods. Steel gives rigidity but has a weight penalty ensuring its continued use with box type tents where portability isn’t an issue. This leaves us with aluminium alloy, and modern tent poles which were an offshoot of aircraft alloy production – these materials are now available for mainstream consumer use, and combine a high tensile strength with resilience when loaded.

Design Categories:

1 Tunnel/Hoop

These give good internal volume relative to floor area due to their steep side walls. Many lightweight models are available, some of which are quick to pitch. Small specialist tunnel tents have been used in extreme mountain conditions, but the larger scale designs suffer in strong side winds, and the flatter roof panels can collect snow.

2 A-Frame/Ridge

A development of the original canvas “Patrol” tent which uses 2 upright poles. These A-Frame tents have been a popular option for lightweight camping and mountaineering in the UK over many years, but their popularity really took off with the addition of a connecting ridge pole. Generally very stable, even if the side panels did flap and were noisy in strong winds. Popular to this day, although the internal volume relative to floor area suffers due to the sloping side panels.

3 Box Tent

These larger, family tents are a popular sight on campsites worldwide – sloping side and roof panels providing some degree of weather resistance. These larger structures are best suited to sheltered locations, but they do provide excellent, comfortable accommodation with good head room. Good for single site family holidays.

Once the scale of these constructions is reduced, their stability increases significantly. In 1963, in Patagonia, climbing legend Don Whillans constructed “The Whillans Box”. This tent was used on the successful first ascent of the Central Tower of Paine, and was a crucial factor in their success in weather conditions which destroyed their conventional mountain tents.

4 Dome Tents

These are based upon the “Geodesic” structure, and are a popular sight across campsites and mountainsides worldwide. The geodesic structure was invented shortly after WWI, but it was left to Buckminster Fuller to develop the complex mathematics describing this, for which he was awarded a US Patent in 1954. This allowed popularisation of the structure, and its eventual adoption as a highly stable tent design. The internal frame models have proven to be the preferred expedition option due to their higher inherent stability. Base camp designs large enough to comfortably stand up within are not really portable structures, being very complex and heavy too.

5 Conical/Tipi

A design which endures – seen here in use during Shackleton’s ill-fated 1914 Polar exploration expedition. The conical design of tent as we mention in our previous Post has been home to semi-nomadic indigenous people for thousands of years. It continues to be used in extreme conditions – the simplified pole system allowing a quick shelter to be pitched – here, a modern design once more at home on Antarctica.

Why these designs work so well is that their cone shape produces a low centre of gravity, with most of the tent area near the ground where wind speed is lowest. Their symmetry keeps the tent stable when wind direction shifts too, and this stability increases with the use of multiple wall panels, as we approach a smooth conical shape. The Tentipi design uses 8 panels – closely resembling the original Sami Nordic Tipi, and one of the most important factors in our success. What Tentipi does with this design is to then combine the portability and stormproofness of today’s lightweight tents with the comfort and homely feel of the traditional Sami dwellings. The comfortable living space is characterised by good head room and a floor area almost circular in shape. Add to this a fire, and what you have is a truly unique concept in modern tents. Tentipi.

Tentipi AB was established in Swedish Lapland (our current base) in 1989, and our expertise is the manufacture of premium quality Nordic Tipi tents and equipment for an adventurous outdoor lifestyle. Our relationship to the elements, including fire, lies at the heart of our design and manufacturing philosophy and the lifestyle we embrace.

The products we design and manufacture have a heritage based on design principles proven effective over thousands of years for the nomadic people of northern Scandinavia and Russia – people for whom the Nordic Tipi wasn’t just a place to sleep. It was a home. These designs work well, and they endure.

Of course our materials and manufacturing techniques have evolved somewhat since then, but in order to understand the basic unchanging design, we need to turn back the clock, and visit the original designers – the Sami. These indigenous people of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of northern Russia were (and continue to be) reindeer herders. This was a semi-nomadic livelihood in an environment known for its extremes of climate – bitterly cold and snowy in the winter months, and very hot in the summer, with pools of meltwater providing the perfect breeding ground for Arctic mosquitoes.

Within this seemingly harsh environment, the Sami found comfort living close to nature. Their home was a simple cone-shaped frame of wooden poles covered with hides, with a top opening to let out smoke. The fire was a central focal point for this temporary home and was able to provide heat and light and a social atmosphere too, despite the harsh conditions.

Their use of a conical shape for this home was inherently stable, even in very strong winds, and it readily sloughed off winter snowfalls. Tent fabric was the readily available animal hide which was totally weather proof. The height of this cone combined with careful venting, producing a chimney effect – with air-flow created by the fire’s rising warm air readily drawing smoke and fumes through the top opening. A simple yet effective design. This same venting process reduced the extreme summer heat too, with the rising warm air creating air-flow once more, and producing a comfortable living space. Home.

At this point we turn the clock forward to the present day.

The basic design remains unchanged – an inherently stable cone – vented, like its predecessors. We combine this with 21st century materials and manufacturing technology to give a highly versatile modern Nordic Tipi, comfortable throughout a wide range of environments and conditions. This classic design remains, and with it, the fire – a re-connection with something elemental in our lives, and a reminder of why we have survived this far.

This is Tentipi, and this is our heritage.