Tipi Owners Raise your hand!!

[TWDBear]

I own an Indian dance company and the lighting, sound and props that accompany our performances.

On one of our sets we have two portable 13 ft. tipis, a portable brush arbor and benches to give the facade of an outdoor powwow.

The poles of this tipi are not true tipi poles. They are 4 foot long dowels and can be joined together. Four of these 4 ft. poles joined together will make one 16 ft. pole. This is necessary for travelling by air to different performance venues here and overseas.

Using this technique, these tipis can be rigged for stage where they look full sized, yet the poles are actually set in a football pattern and the excess tipi is clamped in the back - hidden from the audience.

This technique allows more stage room for dancing, while projecting the feeling of a full sized tipi, to our audiences.


(ps. I also have lodgepole pine for the 'real' poles)

How thick are your dowel poles? How are they joined?

I once did a museum tipi display at the McClung Museum in Knoxville, that involved sitting up my 14 footer outside. The catch was, we had only 30 mins to set it up and to present it. With my daughter (age 13 at the time) and 3 boys from the dance team/drum, and laying out the poles, cover, liners, etc, we got it completely up and furnished within the 30 mins.

Tim n'Tennessee

[Furiously-Fancy]

Got a 22' for Christmas w/ a liner.

[WhoMe]

How thick are your dowel poles? How are they joined?

I once did a museum tipi display at the McClung Museum in Knoxville, that involved sitting up my 14 footer outside. The catch was, we had only 30 mins to set it up and to present it. With my daughter (age 13 at the time) and 3 boys from the dance team/drum, and laying out the poles, cover, liners, etc, we got it completely up and furnished within the 30 mins.

Tim n'Tennessee

Tin n'Tenn,

The dowels are 3 in. thick. They are joined together with 15 in. white plastic PVC joints that are secured to one end of the dowel. (the top pole that is viewable to the audience does not have a PVC attachment and is shaved like a natural tipi pole).

Because most stages are slippery, I have 3 carpet rectangles for each tipi that I duct tape down for the 3 support poles. Once all the poles are set, the tipi wrapped around, pegs inserted and the poles are expanded to make the tipi taut, I duct tape the base of all the poles to the stage floor. Then I set the 2 flap poles and duct tape the bases of the poles to the stage floor.

[Zorro]

awww, apparently a certain Senor does not like my tipi, for he has given me bad rep

What's repped in the tipi ..... stays in the tipi.

~mato

[TKMJ Productions]

I own an Indian dance company and the lighting, sound and props that accompany our performances.

On one of our sets we have two portable 13 ft. tipis, a portable brush arbor and benches to give the facade of an outdoor powwow.

The poles of this tipi are not true tipi poles. They are 4 foot long dowels and can be joined together. Four of these 4 ft. poles joined together will make one 16 ft. pole. This is necessary for travelling by air to different performance venues here and overseas.

Using this technique, these tipis can be rigged for stage where they look full sized, yet the poles are actually set in a football pattern and the excess tipi is clamped in the back - hidden from the audience.

This technique allows more stage room for dancing, while projecting the feeling of a full sized tipi, to our audiences.


(ps. I also have lodgepole pine for the 'real' poles)

Working on stage all my life, I can understand the portability thing. When traveling, you gotta pack 50 pounds of stuff in a 2 pound space. Stuff 16 feet long must fit in a shoe box sized case. I know the drill. It's tough to pack for stage work.
Hats off to you!!!!

All of our sound equipment travels in road cases. Sometimes the case weighs more then the stuff inside. Gotta protect your investments somehow.

Ken

[WhoMe]

Working on stage all my life, I can understand the portability thing. .... Sometimes the case weighs more then the stuff inside. Gotta protect your investments somehow.Ken

TKMJ,

I got around that too.

I have had special plastic boxes made for all our travelling technical equipment. I have hotglued foam lining inside to conform to each piece.

Our travelling crates look just like a box except they are white and plastic. (sounds a bit like an old flame *L) They can be custom made at major box stores.

For the poles, I just tie them together in bunches of 50 lbs. (domestic), 70 lbs (international) for air shipping. We have never had a problem yet.

[TKMJ Productions]

TKMJ,

I got around that too.

I have had special plastic boxes made for all our travelling technical equipment. I have hotglued foam lining inside to conform to each piece.

Our travelling crates look just like a box except they are white and plastic. (sounds a bit like an old flame *L) They can be custom made at major box stores.

For the poles, I just tie them together in bunches of 50 lbs. (domestic), 70 lbs (international) for air shipping. We have never had a problem yet.

All of our audio gear is loaded in flight approved ATA shock proof rack cases. Some of the electronics are a bit touchy. We use castor dollies and hand trucks to move it around. Some of the power amps alone weigh 70lb. each. When I say we haul a ton of stuff to do sound at a powwow, I really mean a ton (2000lb.). LOL

We have had problems over the years with the guys at the airport concerning damage and loss. They always pay up but the hastle we have gone through isn't worth it.

For us it's Rack It, Stack It, Pack It and POWWOW!!! From the time we get on site and parked to the time the first CD is played through the sound system before Grand Entry, It take 2 ndn and 2 hours give or take. We have it down to a science. Including making coffee and a smoke break. Some dancers take longer to get ready! LOL

I'm always ready to powwow

Ken

All the cases are weatherproof just in case some drum gets the idea to do the water song. Yes! It has happened. LOL

Because this thread concerns tipis and we are getting off the subject a bit, I must say that we haul all of our equipment in out "tin tipi" or tote a trailer behind it. We have used the "tin tipi" for many things at a powwow. We have used it as a first aid station, to an area where an elder just needed to cool down a bit using the air conditioning. We have used the microwave to heat baby bottles, and have held elder meeting in it. One time we even used it as a haven for a batter spouse at a powwow. It's usually opened to anyone who has a special need.

[TWDBear]

I was just wondering how many tipi owners do we have here? And how often do you have it set up/use it?

I have a 19.5footer. And I had it almost a year. My husband bought it for me for my birthday last year. I was so excited!! This is the first lodge in our family since my grandmother.

Today we just put it up again (took it down for winter).

Revisiting this post, I decided to post again.

My old 14 footer, I gave away to my daughter, her husband and their son a couple of years ago.

I still have my 19.6 Reese Tipi and still setting it up at powwows, schools, festivals, etc.
Using it as a display, I'll put in all the furnishings (leanbacks, tipi bags, parfleche, etc).
Using it to just camp in, I might put all the furnishings inside it or I might not, it depends on my mood.
I must admit, I prefer having all the bags and leanbacks in it.

And I still have my two little 18 inch tipis to show people how to set up a tipi when we're sitting inside the larger tipi.