Powering my Quest for Yurt Love

How much electricity do I need to meet my basic needs?

I've looked at a lot of different housing alternatives from nylon tent to camper, and now yurt.  Watching my daily power usage, and more interestingly how I live when the hydro goes off, I think I have a fair idea of what I need to be comfortable.

Assume that water and heat are taken care of by other means, my electrical usage is really quite small.  

Lighting:

Given my druthers I have very few lights.  

• Outside lighting: When I'm outside after sunset on the farm, I seldom use a flashlight.  The moon is tremendously bright most of the month, and when it's cloudy, the light reflecting from the city against the clouds is sufficient to do my chores.  It's only finite work (small hand generator flashlight) or hunting monsters (big meg light with batteries that last 6 to 10 months) that I really need outside light.  Though, I admit, I do like having an outside light hanging next to the front door to welcome me home after a midnight stroll.  
• Inside lighting: I very seldom have lights on in the house when I'm home alone.  I like the dark not just because it's easy on the eyes but it hides me from any fictional monsters that might lurk in my closet.  There are however a few tasks in the house that one needs illuminated.  
• Cooking: Any knife work needs good lighting, as well as cleaning up the dishes afterwards.  But the main cooking can be done in dim light as it's mostly taste, smell and texture.
• Crafting: About 50/50 dim and strong light, depending on the craft.  Spinning, wool prep, some weaving... they can all manage with low light, but sewing, fancy weaving, spinning novelty yarn, &c. all need strong light... then again, I'm usually to tired to do the fancy work at night, so basically it's a day task
• Reading and writing: This needs strong light, but it's another one of those tasks I do best during the day as my head clouds as the day progresses.
• Entertainment: 
• I watch TV because it is there, but if it wasn't...would I miss it?  I don't think so, not a lot anyway.  We have lived without cable before, in fact, the only reason we have it now is so the Ancient can watch Jeopardy.  Though I do like watching occasional videos.  When the electricity goes off for days on end, the only time I totally despair is when I miss Dr Who.  Everything else is Humdrum.  Assuming there will be a garden and livestock, I'll have plenty enough to do in a day without TV, and get more done without it snaring me with it's glow.
• the only other thing would be my e-reader.  This needs charging once every 3 to 4 weeks, and takes about 2 hours to charge AC.  I think this is necessary because so many books have soy and other chemicals I'm sensitive to in their ink/paper, whereas the plastic (most) ereaders are made from is fairly stable (it doesn't off gas).  This greatly expands what I can read.
• Music/Radio: This is the only true necessity for me.  Silence is painful and having music and/or radio is the only cure.  Though this may have improved since I last looked, I haven't seen a solar or wind up radio that lasts 12 hours of play time between charges.  So something with replaceable batteries, or rechargeable ones.
• Electronics: computer?  As much as I enjoy the internet, I also find it frustrating and distracting.  I'm of two minds as to whether I want it in my future home or not.  Sometimes it's wonderful because I can look up information that I need urgently, or order books from the library.  I love blogging, but I worry that it's just adding to the clutter overload of the interweb.  And wading through that clutter when I need to find some useful information is a major time sinkhole.  There are also games that distract me.  Other electronics include camera - which would be used less with less blogging, and 
• Communication: I'm an introvert in almost every meaning of the word.  I'm awkward with people and find I'm very insecure about interacting with others.  I can put on a show, pretending to be confident, but it's exhausting.  I could see myself content with very little human contact.  The problem is we need others.  Even in my hermit life, where I spend every day with my sheep, I still need others.  This may seem contradictory, but I love teaching skills to others.  My favourite thing I did this summer was to mentor a friend to start a vegetable garden - her very first garden.  Helped her turn the soil, showed her how to plant the seeds and from there, offered help when needed.  I've spent most of my life gathering skills like gardening, spinning, sewing, cooking, fermenting... all completely irrelevant in the modern world.  However, I wonder... in the future, these might be the very skills people need.  What if global transpiration breaks down and we rely entirely on local food supplies?  Every lawn will be dug and replaced with potatoes, beans, grains... Like they were in England during The Great War.  How many people can make a four foot by 5 yard bit of dirt produce 4 crops a year and feed 6 people all the veggies they need?  I can.  Maybe in the future, other people would like to too?
• So I guess I do need some form of communication with others.  A land line is simplest, but requires hook up to the grid.  Probably a basic cellphone like I have now - my phone makes phone calls and nothing else.  Costs a fair bit for someone who uses 4 minutes a month, but if it was my only phone line, it might be up to 10 min a month.  I've tried pay-as-you-go in the past and found it beyond my capacity to keep up with.
• Also, internet.  I feel weird not having any at all.  I can always travel to the local library and use the wi-fi, but that's a pain and people expect instant email response these days.  Maybe a basic wireless system that I can hook up to my laptop just for simple things like reading, emails, forums... that's about all I would want.  Something slow enough that I don't feel compelled to use it hourly.  

Laptop, phone, ereader, some lighting, radio, perhaps a fan in the summer, and... I can't think of anything else.  But there will always be something else that comes up.  I'm thinking that if I calculate the absolute maximum I think I'll ever need and double it... things should be golden.  

For those of you who craft, you may wonder why I'm not including the sewing machine.  The truth is, I don't get on well with electric ones.  All my sewing is either by hand crank or treadle, so why would I want to convert to electric?

And a clock... Well, I have a beautiful clock that winds up with a key.  It lasts about 8 days between winding.  No electricity needed there either.

How to power my yurt?  I want to be as independent and off grid as possible, so solar, wind, water... all these are possible ways of producing my own power.  A small wind generator may only produce a tiny trickle, but it adds up over time.  Water... well that depends on proximity to a stream or other flowing water, but can be quite powerful.  Solar would have to be my main source.  Which is convenient because I just happened across a system that would be perfect:  Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator Kit has both solar panels and battery/controler thing.  At the time of writing, it's $400 plus shipping, customs, duty, exchange rate...except, apparently there are shops nearby that sell this company's products, so a bit of research is needed.  Based on previous orders from the US, I'm assuming that shipping and customs will total $200, so a total estimate of $600 for a simple solar power system for my yurt.

If it was just me living in the yurt, that system would be ample.  However, with friends and/or family, we would need something greater.  

Not anywhere near ready to order a system yet, so I'll keep researching and if I find something that else that catches my fancy, I'll let you know.

Better calculating the wall and door costs

My last post was a bit despondent.  Now I've had time to reflect on things, I don't think that the dream has ended just yet.  I just need to plan smarter that's all.  There is a lot I can get started on my own and once I've made a move towards my goal, I just have to trust that something or someone will happen when I need it the most.

I'm also thinking that a yurt will be very handy for teaching.  I'm amazed to discover that people are interested in learning some of the things I do regularly here on the farm, even cooking related things.  There have been requests for lessons.  The problem is, I don't have a proper space to teach any of it.  Maybe the yurt will serve as a teaching space.  I would really like that.



When it comes to spatial thinking, I'm pretty useless.  Translating a bunch of measurements into an image of what it will actually look and feel like - and the other way around - is a challenge.  To compensate for this, I got out the sidewalk chalk and did some life size drawings of what the yurt wall needs to be like.

This has given me a much better idea of what the lattice needs to be.  I estimate that if the laths are 8 foot long and closer spaced together, I can use thinner bits of wood - like a 2x4 sliced in 4 lengths.  Note, a 2x4 may claim to be two inches by four inches, but in reality it's significantly smaller than that.

I calculate that I need a little under 100 laths to make the wall section.  That's 25, 2x4s which comes in at a little under $100 for the lot (after tax and stuff) plus a blade to rip them with.  Assume the rawhide for joins will be made with materials here on the farm, that gives us $150 total for the wall, or $1.50 per lath.  This is a hundred dollars less than my original estimate.  Amazing what a little sidewalk chalk can do to make the day more cheerful.


Now the door - very intimidating part of the project for me.  But then I saw to my surprise that the ramp to the chicken house we took down last week is actually a well weathered solid wood door.  Perfect!  It's even got that panel look to it I was hoping for.

It's in major need of love, but I can manage taking it apart, cleaning it up, putting it back together and painting it TARDIS blue.  It will have to be upside down (the way it is in the photo) and I think I would take out the other two panels from the 'top' of the door and replace all three with something to let in the light.  I also like the idea of making it a Dutch door by cutting out the center part and having a top and bottom section.  This will also make the door just the right size at 5 foot high.  Add the door frame in, and we will be just about the same height I estimate for the walls.

I still need to buy the frame, hinges, handles, latches, locks, primer, paint, sandpaper, &c.  I don't know how much any of that costs, but I know a great salvage shop that has a basement full of that kind of stuff (excepting the frame, I'll have to make that).  I have no idea how much that will costs, but I'm guessing a lot less than my original estimate.  For now, I'll say $200 for the door and door frame.

So, yes, the door itself will be a lot of work, but it's something I can get started on right away.  An actual physical action I can take in the real world towards acquiring yurt love.  This makes me hopeful.

Update: I've upped the wall estimate back to $250 after doing more shopping around.  Hopefully it won't be anywhere near that much, but we'll see.

Budgeting the Yurt - is this the end of the dream?

I've had a look at how much it will cost to make a 16' yurt.  I estimate that the frame, roof, felt, canvas, and door will come in at about $2,300 CDN to make from scratch.  I hate to admit this, but a number that large is unobtainable for a person like me.

I haven't even begun to calculate flooring, finish for the wood, and furniture for the yurt.  Or if/how I will power it.  Plumbing... 

Doing the work is fine, it's basically a bunch of repetitive tasks; measuring, cutting, drilling, sewing, &c.  Though there are a few skills I don't have yet like how to make the hub and door.  But they can't be that difficult to learn... can they?

It's the material cost that has me stumped.  I look at this estimate and look at all that isn't included and I despair.  

Sure it's a good deal less than buying a new yurt.  I calculated a beautiful Mongolian 16' yurt, with basic furnishings, delivery, flooring, tax, &c. would cost roughly $25,000.  More than 10 times more than my guestimate for a DIY yurt.  This should make me feel better because a home build yurt will be so much less, but it doesn't.  

The time has come to evaluate whether or not a yurt is in my future.  I have good reasons to want a yurt, not just for future security but also as a sanity sanctuary.  There is also an overpowering desire for a simpler life that yurt living brings.  It is my dream, and I feel that I need to make it happen.  If not this year, then the year after... or the one after that.

When I estimated the cost of building a yurt, I did round up some numbers.  There is always things that one forgets to include, and the price of things has a habit of increasing.  But I also assumed I would have to purchase the materials.  Maybe I can find materials, either in nature or salvage them from discarded items.  This would make the financial cost more manageable.  

What I'm toying with is the idea that I budget $2,500 for making the yurt.  If I can save money on materials, for example finding wood that could be used to make a door instead of buying one, then I can take the money saved on the door and apply it to the floor, or furniture... So even though it would costs far more than $2,500 to buy the materials, maybe with a bit lot of creativity, it can be made for less.

But to find the money, the skills, the people... this means asking for help.  How is it making me independent if I need help to get there?  What could I possibly have to give back to people to thank them?

I think I could never ask... But I also know if someone asked me, and it was something I could do, I would help.

Then I think about crowdfunding... Some of the campaigns online seem so frivolous, and yet people have money to give, and they give it.  Is building a home anymore frivolous than making potato salad?


I don't think I have what it takes to run a crowdfunding campaign - I barely ever answer my emails, how can I pretend I would be any good at social media.  I blog as release, not because I expect people will ever read it.  With social media, we come to yet another skill and another area I need help with.  It's never ending.



Or maybe it is ending.  Maybe my yurt dream ends here.
I have a lot to think about.

Planning the Yurt Cover - felt and canvas

As much as building the frame involves, I suspect it is nothing compared with making the cover.

Traditionally a yurt is covered in layers of felt, each layer averaging half an inch thick (that's very thick).  I too would like to use felt to cover my yurt, but since it rains so much here in the winter, I also plan to cover the felt layer(s) with cotton canvas.

Each yurt is slightly different and it's important that the cover is custom fitted to the yurt.  A felt only cover is said to last from 5 to 10 years before it needs replacing - only it's not necessiarily replaced, the old felt is often included either as another layer of insulation around the yurt, or even better, use the old felt as the centre and build the new felt around it.

Generally the estimate for a 16 foot yurt is 70 square yard of canvas.  That's not taking into account variation in roof pitch and other things.  Canvas usually comes in 60 inches.  Canvas also shrinks when wet, but pre-shrinking that much canvas in the washing machine is far too daunting.  So Pre-shrunk canvas would be my first choice.  I really like this Organic pre shrunk canvas from the Big Duck people.

60 inches across, is 1.6 yards.  70 square yards divided by that means I need at least 43.75 yards.  Round it up to 50 yards.  With the bulk buy discount and shipping, the website says it comes to about 535.00 usd.  That's about 578.00 CDN with today's exchange rate, but does not include the tax bill that customs sends when you buy large amounts of something from another country.  Let's say for the cotton canvas, $600 would be a good estimate.


Now for the felt.  I would love to make this myself, only that much felt is daunting.  So what's better than making felt myself - making it with friends.  If I can get everything set up and a feast cooking, I wonder if a day of felting would be enough to entice a large enough hoard to come and make felt.

The fleeces first have to be acquired.  There are a lot of fleeces and fibres out there that go to waste every year because they aren't good enough to be processed into yarn.  Now, to find a way to acquire it.

There are a few fleeces available but not many farmers seem to consider that their wool would be suitable for crafting simply because they have 'meat sheep'.  I need to find some way to put the word out that I'm seeking fleece.  I've placed ads on UsedAnywhere with limited success, perhaps this campaign will help people spread the word.

As much as I would like to believe that people will just give away their extra fleeces for free, it's not the most realistic situation.  It usually costs the farmer about $10 to shear a sheep, so if I offer to cover shearing costs, it would encourage more farmers to part with their wool.

According to the book Yurts; Living in the Round by Becky Kemery, a traditional yurt requires between 60 and 190 fleeces to make enough felt.  That's a lot of wool.  'Though if we are making the wool 1/2 inch thick, I can believe we need that much.  So how about different layers of 1/4 inch thick instead?  Starting with one layer of about 40 fleeces.  Assume 1/4 of the fleeces are donated, the remaining 30 fleeces at $10 per fleece = $300

I would also like to make a layer of felt from alpaca/llama fibre.  Alpaca and llama, though not traditional fibres for yurt building, are about 4 times as insulating as wool on it's own.  Sheering costs are a bit higher, but let's assume the same number and price for fleeces, so another $300.

Of course, I hope it won't costs anywhere near that much for fibre, but it's hard to know how things will go.

Then the price of a felting party - I'm going to need a crew of at least 10 people, 20 would be better, for the felting.  If I pay them with deliciousness, assume $10 a plate, maybe a delicious dinner cooked over an open fire with homemade perry, cider and mead, for those who aren't driving, and maybe encourage people to bring their tents and camp overnight so they can drink without worry - but then I need to provide breakfast as well.  At a guess, $200 for a felting party.

Canvas - $600
Wool - $600
Helpers - $200
total estimated cost for covering = $1400.

Planning the Yurt Roof

The roof structure of a yurt comes in three parts: the 'rafters', the 'hub' and these two upright supports.

The hub, tono, crown, dome... it has many names... is the keystone of the building.  This is also the most difficult part to make.  Some traditional yurts use bent wood, others heavy duty spoked wooden structures.  I'm going for the latter because I like the way it looks.

The spokes, rafters, long straight pieces, fit into the hub and then attach to the top of the lattice wall.  These are going to be fairly simple to make.  Need strong, long, straight pieces of wood.  They are usually square where they fit into hub (which has square holes just for such an occasion) and have a hole at the bottom end so that they can be tied to the rafters with a loop of string or something.  Many modern day adaptations of yurts use metal brackets for one or both connections.

Most sources agree that for a 16 foot yurt, one should have a crown of 3 feet across.  The number of rafters varies from 18 to 45, the length from 8 foot to 9'4", and the dimensions of the lumber 2x2 or there abouts.  So this gives me the general range of what to expect for my yurt rafters.

The final aspect are the two upright supports.  They probably aren't necessary except that they make setting up and taking down easier.  Also, they look gorgeous and provide extra support for heavy snow.

This is what I would like my dome to look like (only in TARDIS blue):

I'm going with the traditional open top so that there is the choice to cook with an open fire, or later on add a woodstove or other cooker.  There is a special piece of canvas that one pulls on top of the hole, either part way or all the way, to protect against terrible weather.  The different sections can be filled in with plexi glass or other material later on, so I figure this design gives me the most flexibility.

Most sources say that it's put together with (forgive the spelling) mortis and tennen joins.  I don't know how to do that... yet.

The outer ring appears to be made in three layers.  The two outer layers and then a series of small blocks to create spaces for the rafters

How much to budget for the roof structure?

The rafters we can pretend we will use 8 foot, 2x4s ripped in half, a maximum of 44 rafters, so 22 2x4s, at $3.05 plus tax = about $80. 

I really want to use 8 foot rafters, so I may need to increase the size of the crown in the center, but that's okay because it lets more light and air in.

When I think about making this hub, I get very heavy hearted.  I feel like this is the part that is so far beyond my current skill set that I'll never manage it... I'll have the rest of the yurt built but this... but I know I must do it, so I will do it.

There is always plywood I suppose, cut the circles from that, then put something in between for the spokes to fit in.  Plywood needs extra weatherproofing or it will delaminate.  It could work, but not my first choice.

There is also this really interesting hub made at Tenderfoot Farm - part one, part two.  It's several layers of wood, staggered and glued together then shaped into a circle, then the holes for the rafters drilled into the side.  There are no center supports.

For my yurt, there should be some bits of wood left over from making other parts of the yurt, that we can use to make the crown.  With a bit of thinking and creativity it can be quite strong and won't cost too much extra.  But we also need glue, drill bits, wear and tear on the tools, travel expenses to get materials, screws... so I'm going to budget the crown at $50.

The uprights... Let's say $20 as a very vague guess.

That's $150 for the roof structure, roundup to include tax and unexpected extras because something always comes up and we will say a budget of $200 for the roof structure.

Planning the Yurt Door

To begin with, one door should suffice.  The beauty of a yurt is that you can add doors and windows as needed.  So plan to make more in the future, but for now, just one.


Perhaps my most important qualification for a yurt door is TARDIS Blue.  It doesn't necessarily have to be TARDIS shaped door, but something like this looks lovely in blue.  Maybe with windows at the top to let some light in, maybe not.

I would also like my door to be what they call a Dutch or Barn door.  What I call, a door in two parts where you can open the top, the bottom, or both.  Something like this, only perhaps with the door swinging out and a bug screen on the inside.

How to build the door and frame?  Time to go back to The Library.

Looking at traditional yurts, one can see all manner of doors.  Some a simple frame with a heavy drape of felt covering the entrance, to heavy duty wooden doors.  Felt makes a lighter and less fragile door for travel, but it is also less secure against raccoons and other monsters.

Going back to: The House that Jack Built; Circle Houses; Yurts, Tipis and Benders by David Pearson,  an inspirational book with a small bit of how-to hidden at the back.  It's such a small section about the door, which basically says we can make a Kyrgyz-style door frame with four posts that slot together - this is the type of door that works well with canvas or felt.  Alternatively a Mongolian-style door is "fixed to a solid frame, this can be a single or double and looks wonderful when carved and painted."  From looking at the photos, it's the frame that is single or double.  I like double best.

Or maybe it is the door after all that is double?  Bumming arround the internet I keep seeing doors like this:

There is a solid outer door, and then two inner doors with windows (sometimes with glass, sometimes some other way to let in the light).

I wonder if this would be more difficult to make than a Dutch door.  Three sections instead of two makes it seem harder to the untrained eye - but then again, depending on what materials I use, it might be easier.

The book Tipis & Yurts; Authentic Designs for Circular Shelters by Blue Evening Star has some very specific instructions on building a door and door frame.  In this book, the door is canvas covered framework.  It would be quite nice as a summer door but I wonder how well it would stand up to our wet winters here.  Remember, this book has a blend of Western technology and Traditional Mongolian inspiration for the yurt design.

The door frame is very complicated to me with extra braces made from plywood and a great many screws.  The advantages of this kind of door frame is that it would be quite stable, the disadvantages is that it doesn't seem overly portable.  It also seems to take a lot of wood.

Most other resources gloss over the door building element.  Basically, there isn't a lot of info about building a yurt door in print format, so it's off to my old friend Google.

Some yurts have regular house doors, others doors much larger than the walls of the yurt.  Neither appeals to me.  Although... a house door already in a frame could be adapted to fit a yurt, so long as it is solid and can be cut down to size... then again, that would also be a heavier door than needed and not necessarily separated into two parts.






Basically google has lots of lovely images of yurt doors but precious few details on how to make them.  So I guess it's such an obvious thing that everyone in the world already knows how to make yurt doors from scratch that they don't need to write about it in books or websites... ?


This is the door frame of OB1's yurt.

What I like best about it is that the lattice fits inside the frame - the uprights have two walls... how to explain... maybe the threshold and the top of the frame are 2x4s and there are 4 uprights, two on each side, maybe 1x4s.  The uprights attach to either side of the horizontals so that there is a gap between the uprights that the lattice can fit in between the uprights... my words are making things confusing, but maybe you can get the idea from the photo.

Another good thing about this door frame is that it folds up nicely.  When erected, each corner of the frame has two bolts, but take one bolt each from each corner and it can collapse for easy transport and storage as you can see at the top of the next photo.

The biggest problem with having a wooden door on a collapsible frame is that it would need to be rehung each time we move the yurt.

The Yurt Workshop people have some interesting things to say about the difference between a house door and a yurt door:

A yurt door is unlike a conventional house door, yurts generate stresses in the opposite direction to those on a conventional door frame, and this needs to be understood if the door is to be made correctly. After studying the yurts and the craftsman from Mongolia and Central Asia we implement their understanding and craftsmanship into our doors and door frames. The best pines are selected and we use traditional mortice and tenon joints, secured with the traditional wooden pegs, and in addition, for added protection we use boat makers glue to make sure the joints are sealed and they give many years of trouble free life. So, no matter what design you choose, you can be reassured of a quality and attractive door for your yurt., 

Woodland Yurts, a UK company has my favourite door of them all, even if it isn't TARDIS blue.  If I had a door like this, I think I could survive without painting it.

It's made from oak and they call it a stable door.  Heavy, but strong and beautiful.  Maybe something similar can be made from reclaimed wood, only without the curved top - now, where to find the wood?





What skills do I need to make a door and frame for my yurt?

• evaluate and choose appropriate wood
• recondition or reclaim old wood (if I can find any suitable)
• Construct a sturdy frame
• Construct a sturdy door
• Hang the door (attach hinges in the right place, and stuff)
• Cut wood to right size
• probably drill holes for lock and stuff
• attach hardware

That's a lot of skills to learn for this project.  A lot of skills I don't have yet.  

How much to budget for the door?

Most yurt companies doors start at about $450, and quickly go up from there.  I don't think making my own door will be that much... at least not for material cost.

Although I plan to use reclaimed material where I can, I'm going to assume the worst and price it out like I'm buying the materials.  Better to overestimate the cost that way when things come out cheaper, one can be pleasantly surprised.  Also, any extra money left over can be used to host a yurt party for everyone who helped.

So I'm going to budget $450 for the door - because if I can't learn how to build one myself, that is the lowest price I can find for a pre-made yurt door.


Update: I found a door that may be salvageable, so estimate for the door and doorframe is now at about $200.

Planning the Yurt Wall Frame (Khanas)

When I think about building my yurt wall, I imagine making it in manageable sections.  It seems most common that a 16 foot yurt (my goal) has 4 wall sections.  But I may make three or five... we'll see.  The smaller the section the more lashing together I have to do, but the easier to carry and store when not in use.

For the wooden slats, I would love the opportunity to use something local and renewable.  But I can't think of anything.  We don't have coppiced anything here like they do in Europe.  We have Big Leaf Maple and Alder in our woodlot, both fast growing, but no way to mill them.  Also, I don't know how they stand up to being yurt walls - are they super-heavy?  Do they twist and complain in the weather?  I'll keep looking around for something that might work, but nothing really jumps to mind.

Second choice is to use reclaimed materials.  There are a lot of old shipping pallets about, but the longest I know is under 6 foot long - not enough.  To find enough pallet wood, long enough and in strong enough condition... doubtful.  So, perhaps there is some other source of wood that I can reclaim.  What I really need is a friend tearing down an old barn, now that would be awesome.  I'll keep a lookout, but again, I have my doubts I can find anything.

Then again, that is kind of the point of the blog - to get the word out there that I am looking for something... maybe someone out there has just the thing I need, wasting space in the back of their shed... maybe.

Until I find a source of local renewable wood or wood that I can salvage from imminent destruction, I am going to plan this as if I am using store bought lumber.

The major downsides of using store bought stuff is that it isn't necessarily harvested or processed in a sustainable way.  Also, it costs money.  But if I can't find a better solution, it will have to do.


A yurt wall (called a Khana) is made of wooden lattice that can be folded up for easy transport, and extended into a round shape, held together with tension band and roof slats.  It's really quite clever.  But how to make it?

How many slats?  How close together are the slats?  How long?  How many sections?  What kind of wood?  How to attach the sections together?

From what I can discover is that there are many right answers to these questions.  Whenever faced with a challenge like this, I like to consult the local library (even at the risk of the dreaded overdue fine).  Here's a few snippets that I found concerning constructing yurt walls.

Yurts; Living in the Round by Becky Kemery

This book is a great inspiration for yurt shaped structures, with a sampling of traditional yurts and methods as well.  Though limited practical data on how to build different sized yurts.  

• The wooden structure is traditionally made from willow or fir.
• For both Mongolian and Turkish Yurts, "each wall unit is made up of ten to sixteen whole willow rods (or split wooden laths) that run in each direction; shorter rods make up the corners.  Holes are drilled in the rods at precise (but nonuniform) spacing with either a hot iron or  bow drill.  Then wet rawhide strips are knotted, pulled through the hole, knotted again, and cut.  As the hide dries, it tightens and draws the slats together."
• Interesting bit about there being a top and bottom to the traditional wall of a yurt.  "The crisscrosses at the top of the wall are called 'heads' and at the bottom they are called 'feet'.  Usually the foot sections are longer than the head sections to provide greater traction and stability for the yurt and to allow for wear or breakage over time."
• The traditional mongolian yurt has five wall sections, but most yurts have four.  Some can have a great deal more depending on status of owner and the yurt's use.

Tipis & Yurts; Authentic Designs for Circular Shelters by Blue Evening Star

At least I think that's the author's name.  It is a very beautiful name.

The book includes history, inspiration, as well as construction methods.  From what I can tell, the instructions on how to build yurts are a modern interpretation on traditional designs - traditional shape and materials, with a few changes to meet the demands of Western lifestyle (for example, taller walls, steeper roof pitch).  Here's what they have to say about building the wall frame:

• The design in this book takes advantage of modern Western materials like metal bolts, brackets, and wire cable.
• Recommends number one kiln dried douglas fir with no twists or knots.  1" by 2" for the wall and the same or 1" by 3" for the roof rafters.  Failing douglas fir, any "other comparable lumber (preferably close grained) is acceptable."
• talking with The Captain about this, this kind of wood isn't the most eco-friendly.  Douglas fir of this quality usually comes from old growth forests, which is not a renewable resource.  I'll use something other than number one douglas fir.
• The wall laths are 6 foot long, and held together with metal bolts.
• Two or more wall sections.
• The holes are drilled - starting 4 inches in from one end, and every 16 inches along from there.  5 holes total.
• Excessive emphasis that all the laths are exactly the same length - 6 feet.
• A chart is included with different yurt diameter size and materials needed.  They don't include a 16' yurt, so I looked at what was needed for the next size up - 18 foot.
• 3 wall sections with a total of 120 laths (if I read this correctly)
• 300 joins (300 bolts and knots, 600 washers)
• cable length (circumference) 60 feet
• Hub (roof center) diameter 3 feet
• 18 rafters
• rafter length 7'6"
• I'm having trouble determining if these numbers include the short laths at the end of each wall section.  Though perhaps they aren't making a 'finished' wall section.  Instead leaving the laths long like fingers that will be bolted together when the yurt is assembled.
• Instructions and pictures on how to assemble the laths into a wall frame.

The House that Jack Built; Circle Houses; Yurts, Tipis and Benders by David Pearson

Another inspiration book with stories and photos of modern and traditional designs including a nice series of photos on traditional felt making.  Tiny section in the back on how to build these portable structures.

It's a really short paragraph on how to make the walls, so I'll just quote it here:

WALLS  To make the lattice wall sections (khana) use wooden rods, whole or split in half as slats.  Traditionally these are cut in winter (coppiced) from willow trees or hazel bushes [it's a UK book], but any sustainable straight-growing or recycled wood is good.  Drill equally-spaced holes along each slat and connect all slats tightly together using string or small bolts.  For ease of transport, the completed khanas can be folded.  Once the khana is erected in a circle, a canvas, rope, or wire 'tension band' must be tied around the top to contain the outward thrust of the roof.

It gives no length or specific measurements.  Just general requirements.  The whole how-to section is sparse like this.  But actually, it's the most inspirational instructions of them all.  Sure my brain craves precision and a paint by numbers approach to making a structure, but I can often do better with a simplified set of necessary and sufficient conditions that need to be met.  

Build Your Own Yurt; A complete guild to making a Mongolian Ger by P. R. King

A pdf booklet I found at this link here.  And a very good one at that.  Obviously written for the UK market.  Besides the prices being in pounds, it also makes reference to sustainable materials that we don't have on this side of the pond.

Here's what King has to say about making the wall frames:

• For a 16 foot yurt, the walls are 5 foot high, the total hight of the yurt 8 feet, wall polls 6'6", and the roof poles 6'.  The crown 3 feet across.
• Willow or Hazel rods about an inch in diameter (so round ones like what grows naturally in a coppiced forest) cut from Oct to March.  Bark removed or not.
• Green oak batons 1/2x1 and 1/2 inch also work.
• Hole spacing: starting 4 inches in at one end, space the holes 9 inches apart from there.  The final hole being 2 inches shy of the end.
• Uses a string to tightly tie the laths together.

That's about it.  There are a few other references online, but not as much detail as the above.

The questions I need to ask myself are:

1. How many rods do I need for the walls?
2. How close together am I going to put the rods/slats/laths?
3. How tall a wall do I want?
4. How long are the slats?
5. What angle do I want the laths in the wall to stand when set up?
6. What am I going to fasten them together with?
7. What material am I going to use for making the walls?
8. How much is it going to cost me?

For the first one, I have no idea.  I'm going to guess more than 100, probably closer to 150 separate pieces. Need more information before I decide exactly how many.

Second - good question.  I've seen photos of yurt shaped structures where the rods are at least 2 feet apart. Though most seem to be less than 10 inches apart.  I guess the local environment has some say in this.  We get wind, but not the huge storms.  We get snow, but not every year.  When the snow comes, it comes heavy, sometimes we get three feet or more!  But like I said, not every year.  I guess what materials I use will determine how close the slats are, but assuming I'm buying strong aged lumber, about 1 foot apart would be sufficient.

How tall at the wall?  At least 5 feet, 6 is better.

How long are the slats?  Probably 6 foot-ish?

What angle?  No idea.

Something to fasten them with - actually I like the idea of raw hide ties.  This is something I can make on the farm with the hides of animals, a part that would otherwise be wasted.  

Materials for making the wall?  Preference would be renewable resource, but since we don't have coppiced wood here, my second choice is reclaimed wood.   Where to find reclaimed wood that is straight, strong, the right size and/or is soft enough to be worked with tools and doesn't have chemicals that will aggravate my health issues.

Failing that I'll need to buy it.  Maybe some 2x4s and rip them on the tablesaw.  Assume one 2x4 gives 3 slats, times 150 slats needed = 50 2x4s at whatever price they go for.  Local DIY shop sells them for $3.05 per regular old construction grade 2x4, plus 14% tax.  I'm overestimating the number of slats needed because there is bound to be things break when I learn these skills.

So how much does that cost?

50 x 3.05 = 152.50

Plus saw blade for ripping the wood down to size about fifty dollars = about $200

plus 14% tax = $228

And because things are never as low as one estimates, let's round it up to $250 to cover travel expenses, &c. It would probably cost more for more suitable wood, hopefully less for reclaimed wood... but here's a good starting point.

Assume I'll make the rawhide this winter from some sheep skin for tieing the slats together - $0 dollars.

That gives us an estimate of $250 for the wooden wall construction.

Skills needed to make the wall

• choosing the right wood for the job
• ripping and/or planing it down to size
• reclaiming or refinishing old wood (if I can find something suitable)
• drilling holes
• making rawhide
• tieing knots
• counting and measuring

When you look at it like that, it doesn't seem so daunting anymore.



Update: on the cost estimate here - now $150 ish.

Update: On further consideration and after looking at a few shops that sell wood, I'm going to up the budget back to $250.

Sketch for a cob cooker

Modern day cooking has it's joys, instant heat and temperature control being among the top of the list.

Though I worry that people forget that most of the people in the world don't have access to microwaves and electric hobs.  They cook with fire or not at all.  For us, fire is a luxury, for others an existential necessity.

I love cooking over fire.  Be it smoking bacon in the BBQ or a week long adventure to the middle ages, I simply love it.  Fire cooking can be slow or fast.  In the end, it gives infinite more control and variation than any modern appliance.  The smoke flavours the food.  The nature of fire encourages slower cooking and more thoughtful meals.  Less food, but more value.  It's not about chard  hamburgers, it's about dancing with natural power and coaxing it to match your desires.  Given the right equipment and set up, cooking over fire on a daily basis would cause me no hardship.

Although some set ups would be easier than others.

Here's something I dreamt about last night.  Please forgive the drawing skills, and note this isn't to scale.

A stove, oven and hearth made from cob.  An outside setting or somewhere with good airflow (like a yurt with ventilation so the air can get in) would be the perfect setting for this.

On the left of the built up area is a stove like setting.  It could be one burner or two, this picture I just show one.  I could also do like a rocket stove and instal a chimney.  The fire goes in the hole at the side of the stove, and I put a pot on top of the hole above the fire (the burner) to boil or fry my food.

Because I adore baking bread, I figure a small oven would come in handy.  Place it to the right of the stove structure and make it like the old medieval ovens.  You place a fire inside the oven to heat up the surrounding walls, scrape out the fire then put the bread inside to bake with the residual heat.

As cob heats up and retains heat nicely, this little cooker could easily heat up the yurt long after the cookfire has gone out.

Not just the burner would be used for cooking, the large flat surface, would give different temperatures depending on where I put something.  So furthest away from the fire would be a nice warm place to rise bread, closer might be a good place for melting cheese or rendering fat.  I suspect with a lot of cooking, the oven area would get warm on it's own.  Not hot, but warm enough to dehydrate fruit and veg.

But what's the big area in front of the cooker?  A big, flat and partly walled area made from cob.  Like a tray.

Actually, it's exactly like a tray.

The biggest thing that worries me about cooking with fire, especially inside a structure, is...well... fire.  Fire is a um... fire hazard.  It sparks.  One needs to shovel ashes, sometimes hot ashes with glowing embers inside (like for the oven).  Having a large, practically fire proof place around where the fire lives is a good idea.  The walls would be higher near the oven and stove to protect against sparks and mistakes, but at least 4 inches around the whole tray space.

This tray area could also be used as a hearth space for roasting meat over a spit, or cooking larger amounts that need several different pots.  Or cooking in the summer when it's too difficult to cook outside but I don't want to heat up the big biomass that is the cob cooker.  Or it would make a good storage space for non-flammable items like cooking pots.


I don't know, it's a thought that came to me in a dream.  In theory it would be a marvelous setup that matches my desires and skills.  But a bit luxurious and not at all portable.

How big a yurt to live in?

If I were to whittle my life down to the most basic elements, how much space would I really need to live? This get's me wondering, what are the basic elements in my life.

Cooking is probably the most important thing I do in a day.  I enjoy delicious, healthful foods, but it's not just that.  When I became ill, I found that what I eat had a huge influence on how I felt.  Most of my symptoms, especially pain, can be limited by eating well, and aggravated by eating processed and wrong foods.  But then again, it's not just that either.  What makes cooking the most vital element in my life is the motivation to live a life that is not wasteful.  I want to be respectful to what I eat.

This last bit is difficult to explain, but let me try.  If the ingredients of my dinner are something I can grow myself, I do it in a way that leaves the soil healthier than how I found it.  If it's an animal I'm eating, I don't let any piece of the critter get tossed in the trashbin just because it's not pretty wrapped in plastic.  Even if that means butchering my own meat in order to know that nothing is wasted.  If I have to buy something, I don't want any of it to spoil out of my carelessness.  This is what I mean when I say I want to be respectful to what I eat.

Although an electric hob and oven are convenient, I can also cook on a woodstove or even open fire.  I'm not going to assume that electricity is going to be part of my yurt lifestyle, so I need to take into account how to cook and store my foodstuff when I calculate how much space I need in my home.

I also have the skills to live without a fridge, even though I would miss it.  Perhaps an icebox for summer months would be better suited to my needs.

On top of that, a prep and cleaning area, as well as somewhere to store my food.  Perhaps something like a medieval cupboard:

The walls are thick wood for strength and to act as insulation, limiting temperature variations.  The holes are generally covered inside with fabric.  This allows the food to breath, but prevents flies from getting at it.  Once you get away from modern preservatives and air tight caning techniques, it's actually very important for food to be allowed to breath as this greatly extends shelf life.

One of these alone wouldn't be big enough for anything but daily use.  Harvest from the garden is either fermented or dried, so there would need to be room for crocks and sacks of food storage.  Although some  things like root vegetables can be stored in clamps over the winter season.  

So, food and food storage take up the largest amount of space in my life.  Even though I know I will be supplementing my diet with some store bought ingredients (like salt, flour, &c) I do hope to be as self reliant as possible.


After cooking come those unavoidable necessities in life: sleeping, toilet, ablutions, cleaning, &c.  Clothes and blanket storage, all sorts of things to consider here.


When breaking down life into it's most basic components, one can't forget hobbies.  My craft supplies include a smallish loom, spinning wheel(s), sewing machine(s), fabric, wool, wool prep tools... Saying it's a hobby is not giving this the respect it deserves.  This really is a necessity - not just for sanity sake, but also to repair things and earn some pin money.

I could whittle it down to the most basic components, one hand crank sewing machine, one spinning wheel, but come shearing time, there are many fleeces that are worked through slowly during the year, and the ones stored up for felt making for repairing yurt walls...  But even still, trying to fit it all into one small space will be a challenge.


Generally, when people talk about tiny housing, they say a person need about 200 square feet for their daily life.  That would mean a yurt roughly 16 feet across.  It would be a major adjustment, but for the most part, 200 square feet would be a good starting point.  A tight squeeze with food and craft storage, but manageable.

However, take into account that I would want at least 4 foot square cooking area, plus space around it so that things don't catch fire, 200 square feet seems a bit small.  Let's pretend I have 20 square feet cooking area, so really what I would want is a living space of at least 220 square feet.

A radius of 8.5 feet gives us just over 220 square feet floor space.  This means the smallest yurt I would be fully comfortable living in is 17 feet across.

A bit larger wouldn't go amiss, however, too large and I run into problems like finding space to put it, needing more materials, and needing more fuel to keep it warm in winter.

I don't have to start with the full size.  What I can do later on is build a second, smaller yurt.  If I put two doors in my first yurt, then I can connect the two yurts together.  One yurt for living in and one yurt as a studio space.  


This thought experiment has made me realize a few things.

First off, although I can live with less of everything, including space, there are a few things that I won't give up, primarily my diet and crafting.  These things require space.

Although 200 square feet is possible, having extra storage space like a root cellar and crafting area would be very nice.

So to begin with, a 16 foot yurt would be perfect temporary dwelling, with a view to expand if I find myself in a more permanent place.

Also, given how limited the space is, I would want to make furniture to make the most of the limitations.  So I should include this in my plans for my yurt.

Why did I fall in love with Groovy Yurts?

When I first found Groovy Yurt's website, it was one of those life changing moments.  Seeing the yurts for the first time kindled a small fire in my heart, and it's burned there for several years now, very steady, slowly increasing.  This flame is the knowledge that one day I will live in a yurt.  I don't know why or how I know this, but I do.  The feeling is bright enough now that I know it's time to act.

What was it specifically about their yurts that captured my attention?

First of all, I think of independence.  It's not just a structure, or a fancy tent, but rather, it is a home.  A home that can travel with me if I ever need to move.  Even if I don't move into it right away, I can feel secure it will be there for me.

Then there is the exotic element of these particular yurts.  Go and have a peek about their sight.  Look at the beautiful shape of them.  Look at the hand painted wood.  These yurts are true works of art.

I like the shape of these yurts.  They look low and gentle, like they are hugging the earth.  A lot of more modern yurts are too upright.

These yurts are constructed with natural materials using traditional methods.  Cotton canvas, layers of felt, wood, and leather.

Matching furniture.

If I had my druthers, I would love to have their four wall yurt.

Then again, the more I think about making my own, the more I enjoy the dream of having it match my style.  Little details like having one of those doors that is split in half horizontally.  I think it's called a paddock door.   Now that would be a must for me.  A blue one.

The quest for yurt love

I love yurts.  The idea of something so stable, yet temporary and portable.  

The goal of this blog is to encourage myself to build a yurt.  As an investment in the future, my future, I think a yurt is the structure for me.  Certainly, I live in a house now, but one day my situation will change and instead of seeing things as being hopeless, if I have a yurt, I will always have a home.  A place that is mine during hard times.  A strong home, yet temporary - as in to remind myself that troubles are temporary and things will come around again.

The first picture is from Groovy Yurts.  They specialize in imported Mongolian yurts, and when I came across their website years ago, my heart leaped.  How could a tent, nay, a home, be so beautiful?  It was then that I made the resolve that a yurt would be mine.

Over the years, I took the opportunity to get to know some other yurts.  Here's one in a park that people can stay in.  

The construction style is yurt style, mostly, but it's a very modern version.  It has a thin, plastic wall that resembles a tent more than a home.  What I liked most about it is that it kept the wind out, had extra light from the windows and is built on a raised floor.  The elements I didn't like were that it was too tall at the walls, so it didn't keep much heat where one needs it at night.  On top of that, the plastic-fabric didn't breath, so the air inside was stale.  It was hot and stuffy during the day, and cold and clammy at night.

Here's some photos of my friend's yurt.  We set it up in the backyard and I stayed in it for about a week while we painted the house.  I do poorly with certain chemicals, specifically ones made from soy and petroleum, so I need to avoid paint while it offs gass.  But after a week or two, I can go back in the house.

I hesitate to call this homemade because the wooden structure was made by someone with a small cottage industry of making yurts for friends.  The heavy cotton canvas was sewn by the owner.  It's a beautiful yurt.

The wooden walls are about 4 foot high and the centre maybe 8 or 9 feet.  Excepting the door, all the joints are tied with leather cordage or cotton string.   The interior of the yurt was more comfortable than the park cabin version because the natural fabric allowed the air to flow slightly through it.  So it was fairly cool in the daytime, and not terribly cold at night.

The yurt was about 10 foot across, and I found it just right for temporary dwelling, but I really would want something larger if I were to stay there for any serious length of time.

The only thing I didn't like about this particular yurt was the walls didn't reach all the way to the floor, so there was a gap at the bottom that raccoons and wind could get in.

With this small amount of experience under my belt, I am convinced more than ever that I wish to live in a yurt.  I have a general feel for what I want from a yurt, though I imagine that will change as I progress on this project.  

I very much want the mongolian style, with felt walls and perhaps a canvas cover for winter.  Natural ingredients are a must.  Reclaimed and local materials are prefered.  Though I don't have the skills yet, I wish to make each part myself - or at least help someone else make the parts I can't do on my own.  I seek enough room for sleeping, cooking (even if it's just a fire pit), storing food, daily necessities, and if possible my spinning wheel and loom.  

It's an awfully big project.  I worry, an expensive one.  If the beautiful mongolian yurts cost several grand, how much would it take to make my own at home?  At the moment I have $20 and enthusiasm.  It's not enough.

I wonder... though I hate to ask for help, I don't think I could do this alone.  Maybe if I price this out, and ask the internet, maybe I could find some people with skills and spare change to help fund and assist with my dream?  I know there is great kindness on the internet, but is this a worthwhile cause?  What could I do to make it less selfish?  What could I offer the global community?  

Posting my experiences, success and failure is a start.  But I would record these anyway.  

What skills do I have that I can exchange?  About all I'm good at is back to the land skills.  Textiles, growing things, cooking in unusual situations and making full use of all ingredients.  I don't like to beg, so maybe there is something I can make to say thank you to kind strangers.  

These are my major obstacles: funding and finding people willing to share their time and skills to teach me how to do the bits I don't know how.