Mountain Lane Homesteaders

What is a YURT?!!

11:20 AM, Thursday, August 10, 2006 .. Posted in Journey to the Dream .. 5 comments .. Link

Before we were going to convince anyone we could build this house we wanted we were going to have to convince ourselves that we could actually live on the land while building. Continuing to pay rent plus our new land payment would not be an option.

The first thing most people think of when considering doing something like this is to purchase a mobile home of some sort, park it on the property, and live in it while building their house. Though this is the perfect answer for some, it wasn't what we wanted. First of all we weren't able and didn't want to have to spend the money on one and second of all it just didn't appeal to us. So we began looking into our options.

There was the Yurt idea. If you've never heard of one of these you can type the word into google to see what they are. Essentially they are portable round structures created out of a lattice design with a dome type roof and then covered in a heavy canvas. One of our friends mentioned that they look like a circus tent. Yurt

Here is a photo of what one looks like.

These are based on a Mongolian design that nomads have used for years while moving from place to place. We were fascinated with this idea. We did a lot of investigation including going to visit a yurt maker in NW Montana but finally realized that the cost of getting one with all the extras we would need such as a wind kit and snow load kit would have been too expensive. Our temporary living had to be something we could afford to do without added financing. We investigated actually making our own yurt from designs we found but felt that any energy spent on making something ought to be something more permanent. Although this option didn't work for us, we really think they are neat and I'll always wonder what it would have been like to live in a yurt. (Maybe on another adventure!)

So, the yurt led us to the next idea one step down. A tent. Yes, I can hear the gasps now. At one point in my life I would have been gasping along with you! So that you will understand the transformation that was taking place in me, you should know that I am like most females I know. I need stability. I crave order and beauty. A lovely home large enough for my family of 5 is my dream. For years my mom got me a subscription to Victoria magazine (that's NOT Victoria Secrets!) and each time an issue arrived I would fill up our big tub with some bath scent from Crabtree and Evelyn, light several candles, and disappear into dream world while I drooled over all the old beautiful homes with lots of built in this or thats. Antiques and lace galore! The gardens were stunning cottage flower gardens. Most of the photos came from the East Coast where all the very old homes and antiques live. I dreamed of the day my home would look like one of these. Little did I know the journey to getting there!

But we were in Montana now and our dream was within reach. Somehow we found the article I have listed on the sidebar about the Tent in Tok. We were fascinated with the fact that these people packed up everything, found a remote property in ALASKA and lived in a TENT for 13 months! They spent every single day during the winter going out and cutting 2 cords of firewood. One they used to heat their tent that night and the other they sold to get enough money for gas and food so they could do it all over again the next day. During the coldest part of the winter they were burning a cord of wood every day! We figured, "Hey if they can do that in Alaska then surely we can do it in Montana."

So off we went to ask if any of our friends had an outfitters tent we could borrow during our building process. Not glamorous by any means but something we thought we could live with and most certainly within our budget!

Oh the adventure of it all....

Leave a Comment

What? You Left Me Hanging...

3:48 PM, Thursday, August 10, 2006 .. Posted by teapots66
OK, I was with you all the way up to your tent hunt... then you stopped! Eagerly awaiting the continuing story.
Thanks for your message today. In spite of everything, the sun DID come up today....money matters have smoothed over a bit and tomorrow we hope to deal with the family matters.
I saw another blogger on this site with yurt photos - she was living in one and had photos of her home birth. Not sure what her ID was.
Thanks for your prayers and support. Ask Sam about the lyrics... maybe you have to be into the whole Newsboys concert waving the spoons around thing (they really do this, and the Newsboys do have a Breakfast club).
Chris
I'm hooked

6:17 PM, Thursday, August 10, 2006 .. Posted by Pattisea
I have often wondered if we could make do with a tent. I am waiting to hear your full story!

Patti
Untitled Comment

1:50 PM, Friday, August 11, 2006 .. Posted by Tinakay
MaryJane Butters in Moscow, Idaho has lived in wall tents before. She has a website but it is more about organic gardening that the tent. But there is a section on it and in her book. I would live like that. I find it very interesting. I like you, would get the Victoria mag and just go crazy. I had tons of candles, smelly stuff, frilly stuff, too girlie for my hubby. My tastes have changed since finding books on homesteading.
<><
Tina Taylor
PS I think this is the site. www.maryjanesfarm.org
Oh I just love yurts

4:22 PM, Saturday, August 12, 2006 .. Posted by jackiebridgen
Another thing that, over here in the UK, has been 'hi-jacked' by the New Agers :0(
I would really like to go to Mongolia, in fact - I have always been interested in it as a place.
That' s besides the point, though.
What happened next?!
Untitled Comment

9:11 PM, Thursday, August 17, 2006 .. Posted by 4timesblessed
I am so pleased to discover I'm not the only yurt obsessed woman out there LOL I too have thought it would make a great transition home, when we find our dream property.

I really miss the Victoria magazine. I saved every issue I bought.

{ Last Page } { Page 42 of 65 } { Next Page }

About Me

My husband and I along with our 3 children, moved from Iowa to Montana 3 years ago fulfilling a long time dream of living in the mountains. Last summer we purchased and moved onto our bare land and are currently living in our home made cabin which has evolved from a shed to a barn to our cabin and future guest house. The foundation for what we now call "The big house" is dug and waiting for our next burst of energy!