Yurt Tents: What is a Yurt?

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Yurt Tents: What is a Yurt?

Yurt Tents: What is a Yurt

I’m sure you’ve seen or heard the term Yurt Tent floating around the tiny house community, and wondered…”Yurt Tent? What exactly is a Yurt?”

Yurts can make for a really fun camping adventure with friends, as long as you do the necessary research. In this article we do our best to break down Yurt Tents, and explain to you what a yurt is, some tips for staying in a yurt, and how you could get one for yourself, so stick around!

What is a Yurt?

Yurts, to put as simply as possible, are big circular tents that can be extremely luxurious, or very basic, depending on personal wants or needs.

Yurt Tent

The definition of Yurt is “a circular tent made of skins or felts on a collapsing framework. Popularly used by nomads in Siberia, Turkey, and Mongolia.

Since then, Yurts have come a long way, and are becoming a staple in the United States when it comes to camping.

Because yurts have a lower impact on our environment, more and more people are using them as permanent housing. There are even small yurt communities around the United States!

Even though you could live in a yurt, they seem to be more or less used for glorified camping experiences.

What are Yurts Made Out Of?

The frame of a yurt is typically made from a large number of flexible poles, woven together to form lattice walls. Fabric or another type of felt material is used to cover the lattice framework for the yurt walls.

Yurt Frame

When constructing a yurt, you’ll want to use a flexible wood. Because the frame of a yurt needs to be woven, you’ll want a pliable wood so you can make your criss-cross or vertical patterns easily. 

The covers of yurt tents can be made from a variety of fabrics, such as tarp, canvas, wool, felting, or any other strong material. History books show us that animal hide was a very popular covering for yurts, considering they are a natural insulator. This would be a huge advantage to the yurt tents in extreme weather. 

A modern yurt, otherwise known as the North American Yurt, differs in very few ways from the original Asian Mongolian Ger, which is where the modern yurt comes from. Both yurts are portable, and they are both circular in shape. The one main difference is that Mongolian ger translates to “home”, but slightly less fancy than our modern yurts today. 

Where Did Yurts Come From?

Have you ever wondered who first thought of camping in a yurt? When did yurts become a thing?

Believe it or not, yurts have been around for a long time. The history of the yurt dates back all the way to the times of Ghengis Khan. This was when living in a Mongolian ger was a typical way of life.

Mongolian Yurt

Thousands of years ago, nomads wandered Central Asia freely and lived in the world’s first yurts. Yurts were everywhere.

Fast forwarding a few years to the modern yurt, people now are finding ways to make the yurt a luxurious way to camp or even live. Nowadays, finding a Yurt is pretty simple. You can even find them on Amazon! We’ll touch more on this later in the article.

Why Would You Live in a Yurt?

Why would anyone want to live in a yurt? Is it worth it?

For many people, yurt living is a great way to save some money, and the environment. Because Yurts have a very low carbon footprint, many of those looking to make the switch to a simpler, downsized life, may find them perfect for their lifestyle. 

Luxurious Yurt

Furthermore, modern yurts tend to have the same amenities that any other home or tiny house would have. Not only that, but in some cases can be bigger than tiny houses, and even have wall separators inside to break up the space. Living in nature, without giving up your living comforts, is pretty easy with a yurt.

Yurt Camping: Tips to Comfortably Stay in a Yurt

Yurt Camping

If you’re one with nature, and would rather be outside in the wilderness than cooped up in a hotel, then yurts can be a fun and unique way to vacation. Yurts are definitely a step up from camping, simply because they are bigger, and offer more amenities. 

Unlike the times in Central Asia, when amenities were scarce, you have a ton of options to improve your stay yurt tents. 

Yurts today can be as simple as one open room with a bed, to separate rooms, electricity, kitchens, and even bathrooms! That’s the cool thing about yurts, you can make them look and feel however you want!

Tips For Staying in a Yurt

Now that you know what yurt tents are, are you ready to embark on a new camping journey? I would be. But before you go, you should know a few things in order to make your camping/staying experience more enjoyable. 

Layer your Clothes

Whenever I go camping, in a yurt or not, I always make sure to layer my clothes. Camping, depending on the weather can be either very hot or very cold. 

Some yurts don’t have the greatest insulation, so when that cold weather hits you’ll want to make sure you have enough clothes to keep warm. 

If you get too hot, you can always take clothes off, but layering only goes so far with a few shirts and a hoodie. 

Keep a Fire Starter On You

Yurts aren’t always fully equipped with the tools you need. Fire is essential when camping, so I always recommend keeping a fire starter handy incase you need to start a fire for warmth, or to cook a meal. Make sure you do your research on the yurt, find out what amenities you’ll have there, and plan accordingly.

Pack a Flashlight/Lantern

Chances are, if you’re booking a trip to a yurt tent, it’s going to have electricity. On the off chance that it doesn’t, you’ll want a flashlight or lantern. Even if your yurt is equipped with electricity, it’s always smart to carry a flashlight or lantern as backup, incase of a power outage. 

Keep the Door Closed

I know keeping the door closed may seem like a stupid tip, but I can assure you that it’s crucial. Yurts tend to attract bugs, spiders, and other larger creatures, especially if there is food. When moving in and out of the yurt, be sure to keep the door closed, this will minimize bug traffic, and keep you from sleeping with a raccoon at night. 

Bug Spray is a Must!

Again, camping is camping. Bug spray is essential when I go on a camping trip. Even if you managed to get the most luxurious yurt, you’ll probably still need bug spray, so don’t leave your home without it!

Yurts For Sale: Where To Buy a Yurt

If you’re in the market for your very own yurt, then I have good news for you. Below are a couple options for places you can order your very own custom Yurt Tents, or even pick a prebuilt yurt, and have it shipped directly to your door. Check it out!

Yurt Builders

Here we have a list of a few Custom Yurt Builders that you can check out. If you’re interested in something more unique, and luxurious, then we would recommend any of these following companies.

Great Lakes Yurt Co.

Great Lakes Yurt Company

Great Lakes Yurt Company is a custom yurt builder located in Michigan, and was the first, and only Yurt company in the state. They have over 30 years of experience, and have dedicated their business to providing those with a comfortable and affordable way of living.

Colorado Yurt Company

Colorado Yurt Company

Located in Montrose, Colorado, CYC has been building modern day yurts for those looking for a different way of living. Their business began in 1976 when the owners Emma and Dan created their very own Tipi, and called it their home.

Friends and family wanted the same experience living outdoors and watching the seasons change. Earthworks Tipis was started, and has now evolved into the Colorado Yurt Company.

Earthworks specializes in yurts, canvas wall tents, and tipis, all built by 30 talented craftsmen. Their business has a great reputation, and their service is unmatched. If you are looking for high quality yurt, with personable service, then check out Colorado Yurt Company for all your yurt needs.

Pacific Yurts Inc

Pacific Yurts Inc

Pacific Yurts may be the most popular and most reputable yurt company out there. PY started in 1978, when they pretty much created the modern yurt industry. 

Pacific Yurt Interior

The quality of Pacific Yurts Inc is tough to beat. They have a ton of great reviews, and customers backing those reviews. Not only that but the service they provide is on point, really treating you like they would want to be treated – respectfully, professionally, honestly, and fairly.

Pacific Yurts 2

If you are in the market for a brand new custom yurt, then we highly recommend this award winning company, Pacific Yurt Inc.

Find a Yurt on Amazon 

Finding a Yurt has never been easier with Amazon. With a variety of Yurts for sale on this massive platform, we guarantee you’ll find the perfect option for you!

Final Thoughts

As you can see yurts can be a fun and exciting way to get off the grid for a little. Not only can they be a luxurious way to camp, but also a feasible way to live.  

They offer all of the amenities that a tiny house would, and have little to no carbon footprint. Not only are they spacious, but can be equipped with electricity, running water, kitchens and bathrooms.

If you have ever stayed in a Yurt Tent, we would love to know how your experience was. If you have any information to add, or questions involving yurts, please leave us a comment below. Thanks for reading!

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About the Author:

I recently made the move from Pennsylvania to acquire 40 acres of land in Central Florida. Living as a minimalist, passionate about wildlife, and the outdoors. Starting a journey to tiny house living, and sharing the experiences along the way. Studied at The Art Institute Of Pittsburgh -Digital Media Productions -Photography Studied At NCST -Certified Welder -Blogger -Buisness owner -Outdoorman

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