A teepee, nowadays spelled “tipi,” can be looked at as a type of long-term camping tent used by Native Americans of the Great Plains.
It is only discovered among the tribes of the American Midwest, as Natives from other areas use different varieties of dwelling.
Actually, calling a teepee a camping tent would be erroneous, as tents are not meant to serve as permanent shelter while teepees were just that for the Plains Indians.
But in most other aspects the teepee can be thought of in just that way – except the Natives were not simply out enjoying the Great Outdoors!

Indeed, “teepee” in the Lakota language simply means “house,” and being designed as portable shelter that was nonetheless permanent in all other aspects, their construction was in many ways better than much, if not all, of the camping tents out there these days.
Ironically, a modern-day teepee may indeed be not much more than a camping tent as no one lives in them anymore and they are only set up for ceremonial, educational, and even entertainment reasons.

The conical shape of a teepee is not only its most visually striking characteristic but also its most important quality.
This conical shape provides for much that makes teepees so useful, from conveniences such as central open flames to sturdy soundness of structure in lashing winds.
The one real element in which teepees suffer greatly compared to a modern tent, nevertheless, is its inability to totally prevent rainwater from entering amid an intense storm.
Various strategies do exist to dramatically reduce the effect of the difficulty but none can compare to the water-resistant characteristics offered today – mainly due, it should be noted, to the need to keep an open flame for warmth or light.

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