The main difference between yurt and teepee is that a yurt has walls and a roof, while a teepee does not have walls or a roof.
Both yurts and teepees are transportable and flexible during various climatic conditions. They serve as full-time residences, backyard play caves, and wilderness getaways.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is a Yurt
– Definition, Features
2. What is a Teepee
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Yurt and Teepee
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Teepee, Tent, Yurt
What is a Yurt
A yurt is a circular tent made using a collapsible wooden inner structure with wool felt draped around it. We can easily set them up and take them down, so they are ideal when moving from place to place. It takes from half an hour to three hours to set up. However, you can set up or break down the most portable modern yurts in around an hour. In fact, yurts originated in Central Asia and are an old version of a modern tent. In Central Asia, mainly, the Nomadic tribes were using them and still the people in rural Mongolia use yurts.
Though yurts are camping tents, they are more like real homes, protecting their inhabitants. At the center of the yurt is a space for a chimney and a wood stove so that the users find it comfortable even during the winter season. Traditional yurts have decorative patterns which symbolize the culture and sacred traditions. We can find them in Central Asian modern yurts as well. In Central Asian regions, people also use yurts as restaurants, cafes, museums, and cultural centers.
At present, yurts also use modern materials like metal frames, plexiglass domes, tarpaulin, and wire ropes. Yurt camping is also popular in backcountry regions in North America, like Colorado and Europe.
What is a Teepee
A teepee is a conical-shaped dwelling used by Native Americans. They were traditionally made using animal skins, but at present, they are also made using canvas. They are generally made by stretching buffalo skin over wooden poles. Moreover, they use about 15-25 poles – two for smoke flaps and the others for the frame. All the poles are tied together at the peak of the cone. But they extend several feet beyond the place they are tied. In Northern Plains, people use lodgepole pine for poles, and if not, they use tamarack, yellow pine, or cedar for poles. Women were responsible for making and maintaining teepees.
During hot seasons, you can open up the teepees’ smoke flaps and catch moving air. During cold seasons, wood fires and additional liners can help to heat them. These are smaller than yurts. They are around 5 meters in diameter.
Native Americans decorate it during the winter season with their hunt and colourful paintings. Teepees are famous as the home of all indigenous Americans.
Difference Between Yurt and Teepee
Definition
A yurt is a circular tent made using a collapsible wooden inner structure with wool felt draped around it, whereas a teepee is a conical-shaped dwelling used by the Native Americans.
Roof and Walls
A yurt has walls and a roof, while a teepee does not have walls or a roof.
Size
Yurts are larger than teepees.
Cost
Yurts are more costly than teepees.
Structure
Moreover, teepees are simple structures, whereas yurts are intricate structures.
Headroom
In addition, yurts have more headroom than teepees.
Heat Retention
Teepees are not good at holding in heat, but yurts are good at holding in heat.
Conclusion
A yurt or ger is a circular tent made using a collapsible wooden inner structure with wool felt draped around it. It has walls and a roof, unlike Teepees. A teepee is a conical-shaped dwelling used by the Native Americans. Moreover, yurts are larger, more costly, and more intricate in structure. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between yurt and teepee.
Reference:
1. “Tipi.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “Yurt.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Beautiful camping destination” (CC0) via Raw Pixel
2. “Sand, windmill, wind, monument, tent, native, sculpture, shelter, western, teepee, native American, indigenous, rural area, tipi, tee pee” (CC0) via Pxhere
Leave a Reply