Mongolian ger in Bremen Museum (Germany)
About the Yurt
The Yurt is a round tent used by the nomads of Mongolia (Russia), where it is called a ‘ger’. Wind proof, easy to put up and transport, the ger is superbly adapted to nomadic ways. Its wall consists of wooden lattice fences which, when spread open and tied together form a stable circle. The roof of the traditional ger is made of poles attached to a wheel at the apex with a hole to vent the smoke. Felt pads, lashed over an inner layer of cloth, are covered with white canvas to provide insulation and rain protection. A Yak-dung stove fired up inside the ger made life normally quite comfortable in the desert of Mongolia. (above picture: traditional Yurt in a museum in Bremen, Germany)
The LABIS YURTS are adapted to our climated of Canada and Northern US where we deal with rain and snow. The pitch of the roof is steeper, we don’t leave a hole in the roof for the smoke (rather make it for a closed fire, ie. stove with the pipe extending out of the wall) and the frame is made of #1 kiln dried fir, which is light, strong and easily collapsible and the rafters are notched and fit snuggly into a cable that lies on top of the lattice wall. The cotton canvas I use is highly mildew and water-resistant. Summer yurts are made of canvas, potentially with a liner that hangs inside for air space insulation. 4 season yurts are made of canvas inside, a layer of insulation (reflectix or similar) and synthetic fabric on outside. The synthetic fabric comes in a variety of quality and price you can choose from.
It is advisable that yurts (or any canvas dwelling) be lived in during rain or snow season. They are easy to dismantle, should you choose to go away.
Labis Yurt being set up