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essentials tipis

tipi or not tipi?

Everyone should sleep in a tipi at least once. Their combination of elegance and practicality, and the way they allow one to gaze at the stars at night, make them truly romantic and my favourite camping structure.

The magic of sleeping in a tipi is almost indescribable. Watching the stars through the open smoke flaps, while lying next to a roaring fire, is a wonderful experience. The tipi is probably the most elegant and graceful of all temporary structures and its beauty lies in its simplicity.

Phil Royle, from tipi.co.uk, who made my tipi, sums it up brilliantly. “Take twelve sticks, tie them together, wrap the canvas around, secure with more sticks and hang the lining. This is the recipe for a wonderful living space.

“Tipis are cool in the summer and in the winter, all you need to do is light a fire and you’ll be perfectly cosy.“

Tipis are available in various sizes. Mine is 16ft in diameter and sleeps six adults comfortably. One of the joys of a tipi is that it’s made from proper canvas, so smells delicious when new. It also takes on the gorgeous scent of wood smoke.

Most tipis are made from canvas that is waterproof and rot-proof. You can also usually pay extra to have your canvas fire-proofed as well.

How you floor your tipi is a matter of choice. Many like the natural look, but others prefer coir matting or tons of rugs over a plastic groundsheet. I like to do half-and-half and have the back of the tipi (where we sleep) covered and the front (where we eat, play games and generally hang out) left bare.

Tipis offer a flexible space that you can easily style to reflect your personality. This applies to the outside, too. Many tipi makers offer colour canvas options. My tipi is mainly white, but has pink smoke flaps, which look lovely.


Picture credit: The Tipi Company

One of the great advantages of a tipi, is that you can have a fire in it. If you don’t want to light one directly on the ground, you can have a wood-burning stove, a fire bowl or a cast-iron chiminea. Drifting off to sleep in a tipi, while the fire crackles, is an intensely relaxing experience.

The shape of the tipi, as well as being practical, has spiritual significance. According to Greg Bramford, from The Tipi Company, “traditionally the tipi was a temple as well as a home. The floor of the tipi represented the earth on which we live, the walls the sky, and the poles the trails from earth to the spirit world, the links between man and the great mystery”.

There are a number of places where you can go and camp in a tipi. Many are included in the listings section. Also, there are companies who hire out tipis and will erect them at a site of your choosing. This can be a campsite, field or festival.

“I used to hire tipis for guests to sleep in when I had parties in the countryside,” says designer Alice Temperley. “Then, a few years ago, I broke my shoulder rather badly and was bed-bound for a couple of months. When I was allowed to get up, my husband walked me to the orchard and he had bought me a tipi with coloured ribbons hanging from the poles. It is the most romantic gift I have ever had.

“In the summer, I sleep in my tipi whenever I go home to Somerset for the weekend. I have a big Balinese bed in there and lots of sheepskin, so it’s a little luxury countryside retreat.

“I love tipis because they are just so special. Romantic and spacious and whenever I sleep in one I feel as if I’m not in the English countryside, but some magical place somewhere that cannot be explained, really.”

Glastonbury festival’s Emily Eavis says: “I love tipis. A tipi is the most beautiful place to camp. There are always lots of tipis at Glastonbury. They’re all over the site and then there’s the tipi field. It’s amazing. They look really beautiful against the skyline.“


Picture credit: Tipi.co.uk; The Tipi Company

Tipi tips

Fire safety

Remember to take a small fire extinguisher and a sharp knife in case you need to get out of the tipi quickly and your exit is blocked. Both of these should be hung from a string attached to one of the tipi poles and should be clearly visible.

Looking good

You can make your tipi look fantastic by hanging strings of beads from the poles inside, using fur throws and lots of cushions. Ribbons tied right at the end of the poles look great blowing in the wind.

Stay cool

The smoke flaps of your tipi act like a natural chimney and should, of course, be open whenever you have a fire inside the tipi. In the summer, though, they can also help create a through-draught which will keep the interior comfortably cool in warmer weather.


Picture credit: Tipi.co.uk; The Tipi Company

getting it up

The alternative guide to erecting a tipi

1. Stand there looking perplexed

You’ll attract a crowd eager to advise

2. Chat for a bit

You’ll make friends to join you in the tipi

3. Suggest opening a bottle

A glass of wine will pull things into focus

4. Get out paper and a pen

Draw a picture of how the tipi should look

5. Phone a friend for advice

Gossip and let them talk to your new friends

6. Elect a leader

They’ll lose face if it all goes horribly wrong

7. Check the local hotel guide

Suddenly the great indoors is looking very attractive


Picture credit: Canvas Chic

Cool Camping

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