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Dulas Valley Tipis No temporary structure is more beautiful, more comfortable, more robust or more practical. Although the tipi is strong enough to withstand fierce storms and is capable of being a comfortable home all year round, you can dismantle it in less than half an hour and erect it again in under two hours.
Tipis are an ideal
structure for organised camps for both adults and children as part of
an outdoor activities holiday. In places of outstanding natural
beauty the tipi, unlike any other structure, will not detract from the
scenery. A tipi is so beautiful and natural that it has a
positive impact as you can see from some of the photographs on this
site. In the garden a tipi is a comfortable shady summer house, a
childrens play space protected from the sun or a cosy evening social
space with an open fireplace. Not to mention a dynamic feature. The cover of the tipi
is mainly white. This gives good light in the tipi. Choose from these
colours to highlight the smokeflaps, door panel and the interior lining. SIZES AND UK PRICES top
MEDIUM
TIPIS -
SUMMERHOUSE - GARDEN STRUCTURE - HOLIDAY HOME - PRIVATE RETREAT
All prices are
exclusive of VAT (@ 17.5%) 1 Sort polesCheck and sort your poles out, a 14'/16' tipi should have 14 poles, an 18'/21' tipi should have 17 poles. The three strongest poles for the tripod (N,S and D, standing for north, south and door respectively), the longest pole is the lifting pole (LP), two twisted or bendy, medium sized poles for the smoke flap poles. Tie ribbons (2'
min.) to the very tips of all the poles except the smokeflap poles, put
these to the side.
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If you
want special modifications we can design and then incorporate them. In
the past we have made tipis with four doors, permanent tipi
installations and changed the size and shape of the doors to suit
customers needs.
The tripod position is crucial.
The look and the shape of the tipi depends on the tripod, its pitch and
angles between poles should be as close to Fig 3 as possible, when
standing where the doorway will be. The doorway will be on the right of
where the doorpole D rests, take your time and make sure the tripod is
in the position you want it. The door traditionally is in the east but
it may be different depending on the lie of the land and the prevailing
wind. Ideally the tripod should not be moved once it is in position but
it may be necessary to tweek it a little once the cover is on to get
the odd wrinkle out.
Then take the anchor rope, which is hanging from
the centre of the frame, pull it to the outside and walk (dance) it
round the frame sunwise (clockwise). Take the rope round 4 times (to
symbolise the 4 seasons or 4 directions) flicking it up tight to the
crown as you walk around. Make sure that the rope winds tight around
the crown as this is what holds the poles in place, tighten the rope by
pulling it down, not outwards. Then leave the rope hanging down in the
middle again, there should be enough rope left hanging to lash securely
to two stakes in the ground. Do not worry about the position of poles
1-8 on the ground as they will be adjusted to there final positions
when the cover is on. 
Tie
a rope or broomstick across between the door pole and pole 1 below
chest height to stand on and reach the top pins. With either of your
last two pins secure the door onto the cover by the holes at the top of
the door (Fig.5). 
Plant the forked stick in the ground 4 - 6' in
front of the door of the tipi then attach the lines from the bottom of
each smokeflap to the points of the stick, pulling the lines fairly
tight. Taut smoke flaps pushed away from the wind help the smoke draw
up and out. 6 Pegging
Peg loops are made by tying pebbles or marbles into the cloth with 12" - 20" of strong cord using a clove hitch (pennies will do if you are stuck).
Start at the lifting pole and work round each side at bottom of each pole. After hitching the pebble into the cloth tie of the loose ends of the cord to make a loop.( You may want to leave the pegging until after you have hung the lining or you may want to peg just the windward side - to enable rolling up of sides ). Place a peg in the loop formed and twist round until the cord is tight around it. Hammer the peg into the ground at an angle, removing any last wrinkles.
Stick two pegs
crossed in a V form in the ground either behind the fireplace/smoke
hole or to the side.Anchor the rope hanging in the centre of the tipi
securely to them. This is usually only necessary when the winds are
strong, otherwise the rope can hang down behind the lining.
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7 Hanging the lining
Pass the lining rope around the outside of the poles, but inside the cover. On a 14'-18' tipi the rope should be about waist height, on a 21' or larger tipi the lining rope would be about chest height. Tie the ends of the rope to each other with reef knot. Unroll the lining on the ground inside the tipi starting from the doorway, with the ties in towards the centre. Starting at the door, from the outside of the tipi, peg the lining down just inside the poles. Stretch it between each peg as you go and fold the bottom 6" to the inside.When you have gone all the way round go inside the tipi and tie the webbing ties at the top of the lining up to the rope you passed round the poles. Tie each with a bow knot for easy release. The rope may be too high or too low. If too high the ties will not reach all the way round and you will have to slacken it off. If too low.the lining will sag, you will have to tighten the rope and take up the slack. Pull and peg the lining until it is tight, it takes a little time.
The lining is there to insulate the tipi and exclude drafts, but let air rise up. That is why the cover doesn't reach all the way down to the ground. The air is drawn up by the heat in the tipi and keeps the space ventilated and dry, like a chimney in effect.
To make it homely you have to make a tipi warm and comfortable - no tipi is complete without a fire. Make a fireplace forward of centre under the smoke hole, using good stones to enclose it, like you would an outdoor campfire. Choose your fire stones carefully making sure they will not crack or explode when fired. Good wood is fairly essential, dry seasoned hardwood holds a bright flame . Avoid wet wood and any thing that smokes a lot. Green rushes make good ground cover (traditional), mats, rugs and sheepskins all help to finish the space.
To enjoy your tipi it will take a little looking after. Choose a suitable location and aspect for your tipi, one you feel comfortable with.
Care of your tipi canvas and woodwork will ensure that your tipi will last for years.
When pitched it will have to be secured against wind and rain and also opened wide to the air and sun When derigged the canvas must be stored dry. Poles should be stored outdoors but undercover. Sand and oil (linseed) your poles each autumn to protect them from weathering, it cleans any soot of them and smooths any rough areas caused by drying out.
Choose your pitch well, a good pitch should be sheltered from the weather from the west and north and open to the sun from the south and east. Traditionally the tipi is pitched facing east which is good for protection from prevailing winds and catching the morning sun. But it is not obligatory and your pitch may have some features that affect this, like a large tree or a fence to the east etc.
If you are making
a permanent camp a good floor is essential in a tipi especially in the
cooler months. First make sure that all the water drains off round the
out side of your pitch. It may even be necessary to level your pitch
before pitching or to dig a ditch on one side to take any surface water
away. If you go to the trouble of terracing your pitch you may want to
put some gravel on top to encourage surface drainage. Reeds and rushes
make a good base layer next to the ground as a barrier and for
insulation. If your camp is not a permanent one a layer or two of coir
matting will do or some such equivalent. These coverings will allow the
ground to breath and any spillages, drips etc. to drain away. Plastic
floor coverings are not a good idea. Colourful rugs, sheepskins
backrests, baskets all help to insulate your lodge and make it homely.
Air out the under layers on dry days every few weeks.
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9 Lighting the fire
When you have pitched your tipi and laid the floor lighting your fire is the next important task. Always choose the driest wood, especially when first lighting, like dead seasoned branches up in trees which are air dried. Even in the wettest weather dry twigs and branches can be found in most trees. Choice of wood is very important. Trees to steer clear of are Willow, Blackthorn, Rhododendron, Elder, Ewe. Excellent woods when seasoned are Ash, Holly, Apple, Oak heartwood, Sycamore. Pine is good kindling but tends to spark and spit so watch your rugs. Remember to empty your ashes out sometimes, especially if they are damp (the fireplace should be positioned under the smoke hole and collects any drips from above).
As you light your
fire you will see how well the smoke draws out the smoke hole, you may
have to adjust your smoke flaps. Getting your smoke flaps right
shouldn't be a problem but can be a matter of trial and error with
changing winds In general they point away from the direction of the
wind, stretched tight. The gap between the flaps is wider on finer days
than on days when the weather is poor. When the weather is fine it is
good to open them wide and let the air through your tipi. At first the
smoke flap poles seem a bit large and unwieldy but you will soon get
used to handling them. After you have adjusted them always push the
flap upright by pushing the pole up and in towards the base of the
tipi, taught flaps help wind deflection and smoke draw.
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10 Operational advice
In bad weather peg your tipi securely. Make sure the anchor pegs are solid, the rope is taught and tied well to them. Check the peg ties on the cover, making sure that they are tight around their pebbles and then peg down well. Always start pegging from the lifting pole and then round each side stretching the cover down and round towards the front. Tipis are quite aero dynamic and are resistant to most winds when properly secured.
In good weather unpeg your tipi cover occasionally and air out the base of of the lining. Roll back the lining away from the door loosening a few ties and lining pegs to create a large entrance, this allows air and sun in to dry out floorspace especially round the door area. You can take out the lacing pins and roll the cover right back onto the lifting pole on fine days, with the sky above using the lining as a wind break.
When you must leave your tipi for a time it is always wise to batten its hatches before you go as weather can change suddenly and sometimes you can't always get back. Rap the smoke flaps around the crown of the tipi, by placing one flap and pole inside the other bringing the butt of the pole round to the door. Then push the other flap and pole over the first, bringing its butt round to the door also. ( insert diagram of closed smoke flaps here ) Crossed poles or sticks over the door being symbolic of there's no one in and the doors shut, and it helps keep most of the rain out. Pull/fold any rugs away from the fire area , hang sheepskins and blankets on the lining rope between the poles. Peg the anchor rope well especially on larger tipis and check the pegs round the cover often.
Repitching your lodge is a good idea at least every six months for the sake of the ground it is on (see Pitching Instructions), canvas and ropes also stretch and everything is restretched and tightened when you repitch. If you don't want to use it over the winter take it down after a couple of dry days make sure the seams and hems are dry. If you don't have some dry days and must take it down or the lower parts of the cover and lining are still damp hang up in a shed, airing cupboard or by the stove until it is well dry before folding and storing.
11 How to fold your tipi cover
Lining: fold along vertical seams until canvas is in a bundle one panel wide then roll up, rolling from the top of the lining to the bottom. Make sure that where it is pegged to the ground the is dry before storing.
Always dry your canvas before folding and storing.
Sometimes you may have to take down your tipi down when it is wet; always unfold and dry thoroughly before putting it away.
Poles should be
rubbed down by hand with medium sandpaper and then oiled with linseed
oil before storing. Either upright in a bundle against a tree/building
or under cover
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12 The Ozan
When
pitching an ozan for the first time the Tipi should be well pitched and
and the poles evenly spaced, using the lining seams as a guide for the
pole spacing, this will help your ozan fit in future. Read these
instructions through and look at the diagrams before pitching the ozan.
The fire place should be directly under the hole between the smoke
flaps and the fire should be completely out.
To pitch the ozan
spread it out in the tipi with the two long ties towards the door. You
will need a chair or a step ladder to reach up to tie the long strings
on to the door poles. The front edge of the ozan (the straight edge)
should come half way across the fireplace - see plan.
The two ties should be tied up to the door poles about a foot above the
bottom of the smoke flaps leaving about 15"- 20" of string between the
poles and the edge of the ozan, you may need to get someone to take the
weight of the ozan while you do this.
The ties to the poles will be put in at the correct places by using the
pebble technique that we use to peg down the tipi, tying a clove hitch
around the pebble and leaving two long ends.
Then stretch out
the ozan towards the back of the tipi (if you have an 18' or 21' tipi
the centre crease of the ozan will tie to the lifting pole, a 14' or
16' the ozan centre will be between the lifting pole and the one to the
left as you look at it from inside the tipi). Hold the centre crease up
to the lifting pole or the space between the poles and stretch the
canvas back from the door poles - there should be enough canvas to tie
to the lifting pole at or just above head height and then to reach down
behind the lining. (If there is to much canvas going behind the lining
or not enough when you hold it up to the lifting pole you can adjust
the length of the ties to the door poles) Adjust the height of the
lifting pole tie position until the canvas looks in the right place,
then tie a pebble into the cloth with 2' of cord, the pebble on the
inside of the ozan and the ties outside - next to the poles. Then tie
to the lifting pole at the correct height. Go to the next pole and do
the same thing - stretch the canvas back from the door pole ties and
from the the lifting pole and tie a pebble into the cloth at the
correct height - then tie to the pole. Proceed round both sides of the
tipi, stretching and tying pebbles into the ozan and tying up to the
poles until you reach the front edge. Make sure you are happy with the
look of the ozan at this stage before going on to the next stage.
The ozan should now be stretched above your head and sloping up towards
the smoke hole with the excess fabric to tuck behind the lining hanging
down. Go to the back of the tipi again and pull the excess fabric down
to meet the lining. Where there is a lining tie make a hole in the ozan
with a sharp knife or the point of a pair of scissors. Untie the lining
tie and push the ozan down behind the lining - pull the ties through
the hole you have made and retie tightly to the rope. Do the same with
each tie round the lining on both sides, until you reach the leading
edge of the ozan. The leading edge may need tidying up with a tie from
the edge to the next pole.
Your ozan should now be pitched tightly between the poles sloping up to
the smokehole and tucked neatly behind the lining.
Pitching Instructions by Laubin & Laubin