Building a Yurt Vs. Tipi

From different parts of the world, they are two of the best shelter designs.

By Heidi Hunt
Updated on October 27, 2022
article image
by AdobeStock/highwaystarz
Interior Of Empty Holiday Yurt

Considering building a yurt vs. tipi? Each provide a secure, low-cost shelter for camping, temporary housing, or guest quarters.

Nomadic people have used portable tipis and yurts for thousands of years. These simple, circular structures provide snug, low-cost shelter. If you’re looking for a spacious “tent” for family camping trips, temporary housing for weekend breaks from the rat race, or even a unique studio or guest quarters for your own backyard, these easily constructed, Earth-friendly structures may be the perfect shelter.

Tall Tipis

Imagine a circular room. 16 feet across with ceilings 12 feet high; a room, filled with lush, diffused light, that can be built in less than an hour and transported in the back of your pickup. Now imagine this room functions as your sole living space for cooking, sleeping and storage.

Many modern tipis include raised wooden floors for the sleeping area. This addition to an otherwise austere interior keeps bedding and clothes free from creepy-crawlies and the inevitable dust and dampness brought in from outside. A fire pit or carefully vented small woodstove in the tipi s center provides heat during winter months or cool mornings and evenings.

Living in a tipi is an exercise in simplicity. The simple, graceful lines lend a peaceful aura to the tall, spacious interior. A small fire or kerosene lantern provides adequate light for cooking, reading or guitar playing. Kate Robbins, a counselor from Spokane, Washington, imagines the amber glow of a tipi’s interior to be womb-like. In his mid-20s, Harry Janicki of Bend, Oregon, lived in a tipi for five years. “Living in a tipi was the best experience of my life,” he says. “It taught me patience and what was really important to survive: shelter.” When you live in a tipi there aren’t 6-inch-thick walls separating you from the elements-just a thin skin of canvas. “You’re more in tune with your environment living through all the seasons in a tipi,” Janicki says.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368