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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Shelter

Tipi Tent Camping: Tipis, Lavvus and How to Pitch Them

One pole, a circle of pegs and room to stand up. Here is how a tipi works.

Quick facts

Time
About 10–20 min for a small tipi; longer for canvas group tents
Difficulty
Easy to moderate; a level, peg-friendly site matters
Best for
Groups, base camps, cold-weather camps, family trips
You need
Tipi or lavvu, centre pole or poles, pegs, guylines

What you need

  • Tipi, lavvu or Kohte panels with all buttons and loops
  • Centre pole or tripod poles, foot plate or flat stone
  • Full set of pegs plus spares, mallet
  • Guylines with tensioners
  • Groundsheet or inner tent for the sleeping area
  • Sail needle, waxed thread, canvas patches
  • For heated tents: CO alarm, water, fire blanket, first aid kit with burn dressings

Step by step

  1. Pick flat, sheltered ground

    1 Pick flat, sheltered ground

    Choose a level spot that takes pegs, away from dead branches, hollows and the bottom of slopes.

  2. Peg the base in an even circle

    2 Peg the base in an even circle

    Zip the door shut, peg it on the lee side, then the opposite peg, then the sides, then fill in the rest.

  3. Raise the centre pole

    3 Raise the centre pole

    Crawl in, set the pole tip into the apex and push the pole upright onto a foot plate or flat stone.

  4. Re-tension evenly

    4 Re-tension evenly

    Walk round and re-set every peg at about 45° so the walls are smooth and the pole stands straight.

  5. Guy out, windward first

    5 Guy out, windward first

    Peg out the guylines from the panel points, starting on the windward side, and tension them evenly.

  6. Open vents high and low

    6 Open vents high and low

    Open the top vent or smoke hole and leave a small gap at the base so moist air can leave.

Common mistakes

  • Raising the pole before pegging the base, which gives a crooked, creased cone.
  • Pegging with the door open, so the zip is strained and will not close.
  • Leaving the pole on soft ground, where it sinks and slackens the tent overnight.
  • Lighting any fire, stove or embers in a synthetic tipi without a stove jack.
  • Closing every vent or the smoke hole to keep heat in.
  • Sleeping beside an unattended fire or smouldering embers.
  • Packing canvas away damp and finding it mildewed weeks later.