h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hi sorry about no subject posting

Hi LSF....noticed tipi references at the campsite...I'm in the process of making a 14ft souix (tripod) and wondered if you too are a tipi user in the real world or is it a passtime dedicated solely to the realms of h2g2?
I've just stripped and sanded 6 Douglas Fir trees (with another 8 to go) and wondered at swapping techniques....
or if you know of any fellow 'campers' who's interest in the art of the tipi spans both realms..maybe you could point me in their direction?
Thanks
dugdog

Hi there dugdog


To answer your question, I don't have a tipi of my own, but I have been known to frequent friends' tipi's at festivals.
I'd love to make my own, but haven't got around to that yet, so I don't have any tips to share with you.
But I *am* interested in hearing your stories about them! Is this the first tipi that you've made? How long has it taken you so far?

I'd love to learn more about making yurts too. Do you know anything about them?

Thanks for dropping by!

umm tipi stuff, well - I guess it all started at college. I studied art and design and got interested in temporary structures and was looking a sculpture as a kit of parts..I guess I was into each material being specific and useful but beautiful at the same time..and by a process of elimination every time I thought about it it just kept coming back to a tipi form..so looked into it (with no previous knowledge of tipi's) and fell in love...

that was about 13 years ago - and I've yearned after my own all that time...only in the last year or so have I had enough space to actually think about really doing it..looked into the cost of making - but found it was actually cheaper to buy,,and even cheaper still to buy from the states and import (weird but true!) then found a 2nd hand cover but no poles....so got some Douglas Fir from a supplier and am stripping and finishing a set when I find the time in between being an exhibition designer, half of a marriage and dad (my son is 5 and part of the reason for finally getting the tipi up and together - he loves it!)....so there you have it ....

It is the first one I've made...and in answer to you other question - how long has it taken ....see above....about 13 years! no seriously...i've been on it from scratch for about 5months, but that included research and costing and then sourceing a second hand canvas...so not really making until the past 3 weeks (the poles)...I reckon I'm about 2/3 weeks away (if it doesn't rain at the weekends)....

As for Yurts...that was my other choice...really simple to make, and very beautiful...I was finally put off by having to lug the ring-beam and door (although I suppose a canvas door would do) about...personally, I love the simplicity and elegance of the tipi....although if I was thinking about a temporary structure as a permanant home - I would certainly consider a Yurt....It is my dream to buy some land and build a self sufficiant home someday...(I trained as a Carpenter) which would invlove something like a Yurt and a stove while the house was being built.....

anyway - I've droned on a bit..sorry....

what festi's are you planning this year?..we did the Big Chill last year at Eastnor Castle and I have to say - best festi I've been too in a long time...we usually do Womad at Rivermead, but it's been SO busy over the past few years....

one day I'll get the tipi up to the top feild at Glasters and do it in style...

anyway - good to say hi - check out my space sometime - or maybe I'll see you at the campsite...(although I'm not sure if I've logged in right!)

L8R

dugdog

I bet your son loves the tipi!
I 'acquired' (ahem) a book from my junior school many years ago on "Red Indians" (sic) and all about their customs, dances, clothes etc, and it gave instructions on how to make your own fully fuctional tipi (as well as totem poles, peace pipes etc). I can remember bugging my Dad about making one, but sadly he never did.
I think my interest in tipi's stems back to those formative years.

I'd agree with you on the 'portability' of a tipi over a yurt, but I think I would choose to live in a yurt for any length of time. In fact, my partner and I might be doing this in the not-too-distant-future as it is our dream too to buy some land, build our own house and be as self-sufficient as possible.
We were thinking of using straw bales for building - do you know anything about their use as a building material by any chance?
We'd love to build in this country, but as a friend of mine says, England is full. We might end up moving to New Zealand in order to live our dream, but that's a major move! So far away!


Didn't make it to that many festi's last year - I popped into the Big Green Gathering, as I live in the West Country and it was only just down the road from me really. Well quite a long road....

I've only ever made it to the Big Chill once, a few years back, but from what I remember it was really quite a lovely smallish festival. Good times.

I'm hoping to go to Buddhafield this year (I've been for a few years) as again, it is local to me and I find it to be a really nice, smallish, family orientated kind of affair. Oh, and they have hot tubs.

LSF

can't stay for long right now..as it's late and I've spent too many hours today looking at one computer or another...but just to say - funnily enough I do know a bit about straw-bale construction - well, what you can learn on a one-day course, (which is quite enough when it comes to straw bale as it is such a wonderfully simple material) - the trick is drainage and ventilation...essentially you have to build on a very low wall - just a couple of courses which are thinner than the bales - with a gap between the bricks which allows ventilation - the bales over hang either side and this lets the air get amongst the wall thickness...the other thing is to remember if you are running any wiring, that it has to be vermin proof..or our little rodent friends (attracted to warm straw..and who could blame them) will nibble the wires and fry both themselves and your lovely straw-bale house.....you also have to think about a 'breathing' plaster..clay or lime will do....there was a guy on 'Grand Designs' Ch4 last week doing exactly that...worth a look next time it comes around....

I'm reasonably west-country myself...Bristolian for a long time, then we moved 'out' to the green bits and now we live near Stroud....When's the Green Gathering this year?....and Buddhafield? don't know that one?? hot tubs! most excellant...

can't wait to get the tipi out and about...

anyway...must sleep....

I saw a bit of that Grand Designs the other week about the self-sufficent house in the woods - I thought it was lovely.

In fact, I'm going to nip over to Channel 4 and have a look at their website...
http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/0-9/4homes/grand_designs/sussex.html

I don't like the idea of fried vermin and definitly don't like the sound of a fried house!
My Dad is an electrician, so I'm hoping that he'll sort out the wiring situation for us, although probably not if we move to New Zealand!

Here's a link to the big Green Gathering:
http://www.big-green-gathering.com/



Here's a link to Buddhafield: website:http://www.buddhafield.com/allretreats.html
I had a quick look, but I couldn't see anything about their festival...but I'm not sure if they advertise it, or maybe they call it "the open retreat". I've only ever gone with friends as a word of mouth last minute affair. As far as I could tell, they hold week long retreats, then open their gates to the public as a festie type thing.

OK, I think that's enough URL's!

thanks for the URL's LSF....in a rush right now. I'll get round to checking them at the weekend...will report back....

L8R