Wednesday, 26 September 2012

A Wide Range Of Tipis For Sale

By Patrice McCoy


A tipi began as a home for the Native American who lived on the Great Plains. They needed a shelter which was quick to erect and take down and easy to transport. This was because they led a nomadic lifestyle, following the buffalo. Today, there has been a revival of interest in the tipi from people who want to live a simpler life to those who have found other purposes for them such as meditation rooms and even playrooms for children. There are many different types and sizes of tipis for sale.

A tipi has a distinctive conical shape and is different from a tent in that a fire can be made inside it. This is because of the way it is constructed with a smoke hole and flaps at the top. Another difference from a tent is the liner which is mainly for insulation but also creates an air flow which encourages the smoke out of the flaps.

In order to make these simple shelters, the only elements which are needed are suitable poles, a canvas or hide cover, a liner and a door. The poles provide the support structure for the cover and the lattice for hanging the liner on the inside. The liner is used mainly for insulation but it also helps to create an effect like a chimney, helping smoke out of the flaps.

A tipi can be comfortable in both hot and cool weather. It can be made cooler in summer by leaving the smoke flaps open and rolling up the bottom of the tipi cover. An open fire gives essential heat in winter as well as heating water and cooking food. The smoke flaps can be open or shut according to wind direction, letting the smoke out and preventing rain from coming in.

There has been a great revival of interest in the tipi. Native Americans are returning to it as a symbol of their cultural heritage. Historical buffs use them to re enact how a nomadic culture lived. They are also popular with those who want to experience what it is like to live a more simple way of life. Others use them as workshops, meditation rooms and even for camping holidays.

Today, the original tipi has been modified, while still retaining the conical shape. Canvas is used instead of hides for the cover, liner and door. Certain variations to the smoke flaps and doors may be made to offer better insulation. A tipi may be considerably larger than any traditional tipi and some even have elevated wooden areas for sleeping to protect bedding. Wooden stoves are often used today. There are people who choose to equip them with electricity and even indoor plumbing.

In the past many of these shelters were not painted but were decorated with buckskin fringes, bear claws and pendants made of porcupine quills, leather, deer toes and horse hair. Today a tipi is often a work of art, with folk art designs painted on to the canvas and beautiful woodwork.

Today a tipi may have many different uses. There are those who choose to live in them permanently and those who appreciate them for symbolic, spiritual or artistic reasons. Then there are those who just enjoy camping in them. Whatever the use, the variety of tipis for sale is testimony to the fact that there has been a resurgence of interest in them.




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