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| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks martin_fierro. I read a book on it once, the author was William Butler Yurts. Okay, so, it's really early on Saturday. |
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Posted on 06/21/2013 9:56:58 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Here's your 101 guide on the structure that helped Genghis Khan conquer Eurasia — from how they're made to where you can stay in one or where you can buy one.
A yurt is a round cylindrical dwelling capped with a conic roof that's been in use for at least the past few thousand years. Originating in Central Asia (Genghis Khan and his horde used them), the yurt was valued by its native progenitors for its portability, durability and structural soundness. Yurts are easy to put up and take down (requiring just a couple hours of work) and could be transported on the backs of horses and yaks, vital requirements for nomadic pastorialists.
Yurts are still used by nomadic herders on the steppes of Central Asia today, and they've also worked their way into Western society. They were first introduced to the U.S. by yurt pioneer William Coperthwaite in the 1960s. In 1978, Pacific Yurts started operations and became the first modern yurt company in North America. A mountain yurt under a dark blue night sky.
Today's yurts retain the same overall design principles as their East Asian ancestors, but they include modern materials like clear acrylic windows, high-strength steel cables, and UV-resistant marine quality polyester siding. Nowadays you can get a yurt with French doors, windows, gutters and skylights. Yurts can be found high up on mountains serving backcountry skiers, nestled deep in the woods housing campers and hikers, and next to rivers as the primary residence of former insurance executives.
Whether you're in the market for a yurt, looking to spend a few nights in one, or just slightly yurt-curious, the following information will help round out your understanding of this awesome structure.
The history of yurts The yurt basically solved a problem— the need for human habitation in tough environmental conditions. Nomadic tribes needed a house that could be easily constructed and moved, built with materials they had on hand (mainly sheep's wool with a little wood), and seasonly adjusted to be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. A yurt satisfies all of those requirements.
Traditional yurts are made with wooden slat lattice walls supporting sapling beams held together at the top by a wooden ring. The roof beams exert pressure on the lattice walls, which are held in tension by leather strapping running around the perimeter of the building. Woolen felted mats are laid over this framework and can be adjusted according to the time of year — when it's colder, add more mats while in the hot summer time you remove them.
The exact origins of the yurt are not clear as there are two variations on the design that sprung out of Mongolia and Siberia — the Mongolian yurt or "Ger", has straight roof poles, a heavy wooden center ring that often needed additional structural support, and a heavy wooden door. The Turkik yurt, or "üy," has bent poles that curve down into the tops of the walls, a much lighter center ring that stand on its own, and a simple flap door.
How the modern yurt got its groove on
The fact that you have probably at least heard of a yurt before reading this article can be attributed to one man and a math class that he was teaching back in the 1960s. Bill Coperthwaite was teaching a math class at a Quaker school in New Hampshire and was looking for a way to teach his students about the mathematics of roof design. He came across a National Geographic article by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglass about a trip to Mongolia and was seized by Douglas's descriptions of the nomadic dwellings. In short order his class built the first yurt in the western world. As the years progressed, Coperthwaite built more yurts and refined and evolved his designs. In 1972, he established the Yurt Foundation with the goal of spreading the word about yurts to build a better world.
A yurt in the snow Photo: Laurel F/Flickr
And spread the word he did. His students moved all over the country and started building yurts. In 1978, Pacific Yurts was founded and offered the first commercially available yurt in the United States. Since then thousands of "modern" yurts have been built all around America and the the broader world. Pacific Yurts has been joined by companies like the Colorado Yurt Company, Rainier Yurts and Spirit Mountain Yurts. You can find a full list of all the companies selling yurts lower in this article. Yurts on the steppes
Modern yurts In the 35 years since Pacific Yurts offered its first model, yurt design has been pushed far beyond felted wool mats and sapling roof struts. The modern yurt can be decked out with high-efficiency curved glass windows, space-age insulation, and clear translucent vinyl skylights. Marine-quality sail cloth and polyester has replaced the felted wool of traditional designs. Modern yurts can be built to withstand heavy snow fall or optimized to handle hot tropical climates.
With the right mix of features and add ons, it's entirely possible to build a yurt in any climate that is as comfortable and protective as a traditional stick-built home.
A diagram of a yurt Photo: Pacific Yurts
How to sleep in a yurt A kid and her yurt Kids love yurts. (Photo: Phil Whitehouse/Flickr)
Short of buying your own yurt, the easiest way to experience the magic of sleeping in one is to visit one of the many yurt rental or camp sites around the world. You should do some Internet searching to see what's available in your area or destination, but here are some good options to get you started: Frost Mountain Yurts, Maine Orca Island Cabins, Alaska Chic Eco Yurt Home + Edible Gardens, Hawaii Green Alpaca Yurts, New Hampshire Ocoee Yurts, Tennessee High Prairie Yurt, Washington Grizzly Ridge Yurt, Utah
Click over to YurtLodging.com, Yurts.com or OddIns.com, to see lengthier lists of yurt rentals.
How to buy a yurt If you are ready to make the next step and actually buy your own yurt, you are in luck. There are a lot of great companies out there selling them. Here is a list of the top manufacturers for you to research your purchase. You want to find a quality product with the right mix of features at the right price. Happy hunting! Pacific Yurts Colorado Yurt Company Rainier Yurts Spirit Mountain Yurts Mongolian Yurts Camping Yurts Nomad Shelter White Mountain Yurts Shelter Designs Two Girls Farm & Yurts
If you want to stay in one, try cavebinn.com in Quincy WA.
It’s next to the amphitheater above the Columbia River.
I recommend the Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine they have.
In ancient Rome they called ‘em YVRTS.
Yurts are cool.
There are ones that can be folded small enough to fit inside a pickup truck.
Definitely. Can some of them fit into a small, woman’s clutch?
Probably not, but you can fit a decent quality tent in a small hatchback.
I think it’d be smart to keep stuff in your car, just in case. If you can spare the room.
With a little planning and piecemeal work, you can get quite a kit together that would put you ahead 90% of the general population. Even enough to get you through a week of Storm Sandy or Katrina or whatever else could happen could mean all the difference in the world.
Definitely
http://www.nomadshelter.com/gallery/30/19.html
Two-story ones seem to defeat the portability feature but are nifty to look at.
From Pacific Yurts, a 12’ yurt 8’ high in the center 115 sq ft costs $4,670 and weighs 750 lbs.
Meanwhile a Coleman Evanston 8 12’x12’ tent 6’2” high in the center costs $231
And a Eureka Tetragon 10 Ten-Person Family Tent - 14’ X 12’ with $168 sq ft 6’6” in the center costs $298 and weighs 27 lbs.
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| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks martin_fierro. I read a book on it once, the author was William Butler Yurts. Okay, so, it's really early on Saturday. |
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Here's your 101 guide on the structure that helped Genghis Khan conquer EurasiaMaybe in a comic book, but no, he didn't conquer Eurasia.
Did you say yurts?
I liked The Wrath of Khan.
bfl
In Mongolia, the term for “yurt” is “ger” (rhymes with “bear” or “hair”). In Ulan Bator, the capital, these structures make up an entire district.
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