What Is the Difference Between Yurts and Teepees?

In the event planning or tent industries, we frequently have customers who ask us about our selections of tents, yurts or teepees, but they often do not understand exactly which is which and what the differences between them are. They simply want a nice-looking structure that will look great and be practical enough for their event.

This is totally understandable—you don’t need to have an extremely technical knowledge of these various types of structures, but it does help us to know exactly what it is you’re looking for so we can best serve you.

Here’s a look at yurts and teepees in Utah and some of the differences between them.

Yurts

Yurts, also known as “gers,” originally come from central Asia, and have been used for more than 3,000 years. They feature a wooden latticework structure for the walls. This structure supports the crown of the yurt, as well as the roof poles. In their ancient, traditional forms, they would have been covered with many different types of animal skins. Yurts were primarily designed for use by nomads, so these yurts would have been able to be set up and taken down in mere hours, with the parts being able to be carried by pack animals across long distances.

Yurts are suitable structures for sleeping in, but they tend to be slightly larger than certain types of tents (such as bell tents). This means if you want to fit a lot of people into a single structure (or if you want plenty of room all to yourself), they are a good option.

Teepees

Similar to yurts, teepees were also formed originally by covering wooden teepee poles with animal skins. The primary difference between teepees and yurts is that teepees do not have walls and a roof in the same type of structure a yurt does.

Like yurts, teepees were specifically designed for nomadic residents who wanted to be able to pack them up and easily take them with them as they wandered from place to place. Teepees were developed by the indigenous peoples of North America and were popular across many tribes of Native Americans.

Teepees are usually significantly smaller than yurts and other types of larger tents. They are often at least five meters in diameter when used as rentals, but can be smaller in other circumstances. Their design means they don’t have as much headroom as a yurt, so depending on what you plan on using the teepee for, it may or may not be a practical option.

Ultimately, if you are choosing between a teepee and a yurt for an event, your choice comes down to both the practical reasons for which you’ll be using them and your own personal preference. To learn more about the difference between yurts and teepees and where you can get your teepee poles in Utah, we encourage you to contact the team at Huberwoods today with any questions you have. We’ll be happy to help you find the right products for your needs!

Categorised in: Teepee Poles

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