Transparent cap covers

[UKadventurer]

The Mongolian traditional ger (aka yurt) uses all natural materials. I believe the inner and outer canvases are all cotton. In summer, they remove the felts, maybe down to no felt, or just one felt. As it gets colder they add felts, up to 3 layers typically. Since the rainy season is only Summer, I think they've figured out how to avoid mold. The traditional ger is quite well ventilated with the crown the door, and just lifting up the bottom of the canvas. In recent years, I've seen ger dwellers put plastic sheet under the canvas. Is that a good idea?

Also, synthetics weren't really available until last century. Personally I prefer to use natural, sustainable materials.

I'm not saying that works for temperate countries at all. It probably wouldn't work in rainy UK. London (a dry part of the UK) has 3x-4x the rainfall of Ulaanbaatar. It's rainy all year round in the UK, whereas Mongolia is just rainy in June to August. Cumbria is much rainier with 8x the rainfall. So a well-vented yurt, with probably synthetic materials would make a lot of sense.

[TSRalex]

Originally Posted by UKadventurer

The Mongolian traditional ger (aka yurt) uses all natural materials. I believe the inner and outer canvases are all cotton. In summer, they remove the felts, maybe down to no felt, or just one felt. As it gets colder they add felts, up to 3 layers typically. Since the rainy season is only Summer, I think they've figured out how to avoid mold.

And that is the difference of the typical use as we Westerners are handling Yurt life:

They are moving as Nomads or adding/removing

insulation

based on the experiences their ancients made. We´re setting our Yurts up for years.....

Originally Posted by UKadventurer

In recent years, I've seen ger dwellers put plastic sheet under the canvas. Is that a good idea?

In my eyes is that nonsense, but maybe we´ve users, who can explain that.

Originally Posted by UKadventurer

Personally I prefer to use natural, sustainable materials.

Me too, but you gave the answer for by yourself:

Originally Posted by UKadventurer

I'm not saying that works for temperate countries at all. It probably wouldn't work in rainy UK. London (a dry part of the UK) has 3x-4x the rainfall of Ulaanbaatar. It's rainy all year round in the UK, whereas Mongolia is just rainy in June to August. Cumbria is much rainier with 8x the rainfall. So a well-vented yurt, with probably synthetic materials would make a lot of sense.

*thumbsup*

[Bob Rowlands]

UK, how livable a yurt with plastic under the yurt cover would work beats me. Never done it.

As for plastic covering and no canvas, I made our greenhouse from a 10x15 metal wall tent frame that I covered with good quality greenhouse plastic. The wood framed Dutch doors on either end are also covered with plastic.

It can get tropical humid and hot in there, to where water drips down the sheeting especially after the plants are watered and the doors are shut. There is no automatic vent/heat/watering tech in it. All I know is I open the doors if they aren't open, and water the plants, once a day. This is a semi arid environment and right now it is as hot as it's gonna get for the year. Upon entering I immediately feel the change in the temp and humidity. Tomatos and peppers thrive in there.

There's no mold now but the greenhouse in only a few months old. Every greenhouse I've been in has been older and you can definitely see the age.

I don't know if this helps but that's my experience with plastic sheeting.

[Bob Rowlands]

Some hunters erect a fly directly on top of their wall tent, and guy out the sides. How dry the roof fabric stays with a waterproof fly laying directly on it beats me. My experience with tent flies is the bottom is always wet in the morning. If there is no air gap I'd think the roof fabric would get wet. Just a guess, haven't done it.