What Makes for Good Teepee Poles in Utah?

January 30, 2018 3:19 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Interested in making your own teepee? It all starts with a great teepee pole. But if you’ve never made your own teepee before, you might be wondering what qualifies as good teepee poles in Utah.

Here’s some information to help you out as you begin your teepee-making adventure!

Pole selection

Teepee poles should be as straight as possible, without faults such as notches, knots or cracks. All poles should be peeled and cut while still green, then thoroughly dried out before being put to use.

Here’s some helpful sizing information to consider while selecting your teepee poles:

  • 5-6 ft. diameter: Teepees with a five to six foot diameter should have nine poles at nine feet each, with a half inch top diameter and a bottom diameter of two inches.
  • 9-10 ft. diameter: Teepees with a nine to 10 foot diameter should have 11 poles at 12 feet each with a half inch top diameter and a two and a half inch bottom diameter.
  • 12 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 12-foot diameter should have 13 poles at 18 feet each with a half inch top diameter and a two and a half inch bottom diameter.
  • 15-16 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 15 to 16 foot diameter should have poles measuring 21 feet each with a half inch top diameter and three inch bottom diameter.
  • 18-ft. diameter: Teepees with an 18 foot diameter should have 17 poles at 24 feet each with a half inch top diameter and a three inch bottom diameter.
  • 20-21 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 20 to 21 foot diameter should have 17 poles at 27 feet each with a three-quarter inch top diameter and a three and a half inch bottom diameter.
  • 23-24 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 23 to 24 foot diameter should have 17 poles at 30 feet each with a one inch top diameter and a three and a half inch bottom diameter.
  • 27 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 27 foot diameter should have 17 poles at 35 feet each with a one inch top diameter and a four inch bottom diameter.
  • 30 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 30 foot diameter should have 19 poles at 40 feet each with a one inch top diameter and a five inch bottom diameter.
  • 33 ft. diameter: Teepees with a 33 foot diameter should have 19 poles at 40 feet each with a one inch top diameter and a five inch bottom diameter.

All poles should be peeled with a draw knife, or a similar type of tool. We recommend using lodgepole pine for your wood, but Douglas fir is also acceptable. Some people like using Western Red Cedar, but this can be difficult to find and more expensive.

When you begin cutting the poles to length, you should first cut the top to the desired size, then measure down the rest of the pole for length. The size of the top is more important than the size of the bottom.

For more information about creating teepee poles and selecting wood, contact us and we’ll be happy to teach you more about teepee poles in Utah.

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