In illustrator you can create outlines for text instead of stroking it, how do you do this in inkscape. Well actually you stroke the text, but then you can create an outline of the stroke which becomes an object itself is this possible.

Do you mean Path > Object to Path?

I am not sure if that is it or not. What I am asking for is based of this tutorial that is based in illustrator. Even if you did convert text to objects how would manipulate the stroke as though it was just an object itself?


Edit nevermind

Sounds like you want a linked offset. Create and select your text object, then in the Path menu, choose the Linked Offset option. You'll get what looks like a copy of the text, but it's really a dynamically-sizable path. Remove the fill (if desired) and set the stroke to whatever you'd like. You can change the outline distance by editing the object's one node with the Node tool. Dragging it away from the text will put more distance between the outline and the text.

Editing the original text object, like adding/deleting letters or kerning them, will update the offset as well, since it's linked.

Yes this appears to be exactly what I want it allows me to still edit text without turning it to an object. But I was just wondering does a duplicate still maintain the properties of a linked offset object. In other words:
1. Make text
2. Linked offset and stroke
3. Duplicate linked offset object (does this maintain the same properties as number 2?

As far as I can tell, it does. The duplicated offset object still points to the text object as its original, so I think it maintains all of the properties from the first offset object.