Everything Tents Episode 4: Teepees & Floorless Shelters
Teepees & Floorless Tents: The Ultralight Backcountry Shelter Explained
In our "Everything Tents" series, we're exploring every type of outdoor shelter. Today, we're diving into a specialized category: teepee tents and other floorless shelters. The defining characteristic here is simple: no built-in floor!
While initially a "weird feeling" for those used to traditional tents, floorless shelters offer significant advantages, especially for the serious backcountry traveler.
Why Go Floorless? The Pros of Minimalist Shelters
Ultimate Lightweight & Compactness:
The primary reason to choose a floorless tent is to shave serious weight from your pack. By eliminating the tent floor and often simplifying pole systems, these shelters are incredibly light. Jay's teepee (with a carbon fiber pole) weighs around 2 pounds!
They pack down remarkably small, freeing up valuable space in your backpack for other essential gear. Drew uses his trekking poles for support, making his system even lighter.
Unrestricted Space & Mud Management:
Without a floor, you have more usable interior space than a floored tent of comparable size.
You don't have to worry about "getting the tent dirty" with muddy boots or gear. You can simply step inside with your boots on, organize your wet items, and keep the sleeping area separate.
Wood Stove Compatibility (for many models):
A huge benefit! Many single-wall teepee tents are designed to safely accommodate a lightweight, packable wood stove. This provides incredible warmth for cold-weather camping, allows you to dry wet clothes, and significantly boosts morale in harsh conditions.
Jay demonstrates how his 4-person teepee becomes a comfortable 2-person shelter with a wood stove inside, with clear space for each person and the stove.
Key Considerations & How to Mitigate the Cons:
Sleeping Directly on the Ground:
The Feel: It's an "odd," "very weird" feeling to sleep on the bare ground, and you will get dirtier.
Ground Protection: Jay recommends carrying a lightweight ground cloth (like Tyvek) to place under your sleeping pad. This keeps your pad dry, clean, and adds a layer of puncture protection for inflatable pads. Drew, however, opts to skip the ground cloth entirely for maximum weight savings, relying solely on his sleeping pad.
Water Management: Dig a Trench!
Since there's no bathtub floor, heavy rain can flow directly under your tent.
Pro Tip: Always carry a small, lightweight shovel (like Jay's multi-purpose scoop) and dig a shallow trench around the perimeter of your tent. This diverts rainwater away from your sleeping area.
Condensation is a Factor:
Most floorless shelters are single-wall tents, meaning there's no inner mesh layer to catch condensation. Warm, moist air (from your breath, wet gear, etc.) will condense directly on the inside of the tent fabric.
Ventilation is Key: While side vents may exist (Jay notes his isn't very effective), active ventilation is crucial. Jay shows how he uses his tent's double-zip door to create an adjustable vent at the peak, propping it open with a stick to allow hot, moist air to escape.
Bugs & Critters: A Real Concern:
The lack of a floor leaves you more exposed to insects and ground-dwelling critters.
Modern Solutions: The "teepee world" has evolved! Many manufacturers now offer screened inner tents with bathtub floors that can be set up inside your single-wall tent. This effectively converts it into a double-wall, bug-proof shelter for warmer seasons (though you can't use a stove with a full inner tent). Some even offer half-liners that provide a screened sleeping area while leaving space for a stove.
Support Systems: Poles or Trekking Poles?
Many teepee tents use a single central pole for support. Some come with a dedicated lightweight pole (like Jay's carbon fiber pole), while others are designed to be pitched using your trekking poles (Drew's preferred method for ultimate weight savings).
Bivvy Tents: The Ultimate Minimalist Shelter
Briefly touched upon, a bivvy sack (or bivouac sack) is an even more minimalist shelter, essentially a waterproof, breathable sack that goes over your sleeping bag. They are incredibly compact and ultralight, often used for emergency shelter or fast-and-light mountaineering.
Floorless tents offer a unique, minimalist camping experience focused on maximum weight savings. They come with their own set of challenges, but with proper planning and knowledge, they can be incredibly effective and versatile shelters.