Yurt Tips

Here are a few hints about living in the yurt and preparations that you may want to make.

Getting to plan-it earth.

The Directions that you will be given are quite good, but don't bother looking for the location using an on-line map yet. As of the time I write this all you can see is Google Map to plan-it earth Which doesn't really help. This is how the site is actually laid-out:

Click to enlarge.

Moving around the site.

Once you are there it is a short stroll down to the yurt field, although doing it a dozen times a day isn't recommended - use the wheelbarrow to cart down many things at once and try and think-through what you're taking and what you'll need to avoid stupid trips for a single tiny item (speaking from painful experience here)

Unless the grass is baked dry and you will be avoiding early-morning dews make sure your footwear can take getting a bit wet from the long-ish grass. Likewise watch-out for nettles/bramble.

If you have need to take a pushchair (or similar) around site, it is possible, but little fragile wheels can take a battering (and provide a bumpy ride for the occupant) - so bigger wheels would be really nice (again, painful experience)

The whole site is used by many animals - including some slightly grumpy sheep:

Using the yurt.

The yurt itself is fairly hassle-free although it is worthwhile keeping shoes/boots near the door to prevent grass (or potentially mud, if the weather is poor) from making its way inside. The woodburner in the yurt is nice and easy to light, although it's worthwhile reading Light a Fire in a Fireplace beforehand so you can not faff around too much for the first time when you're there. Build the fire at the very back of the woodburner as you light it, this will prevent much of the initial smoke from billowing out into the yurt. If you leave the vent at the front completely open until the fire is established (wood is alight, rather that just paper) and then close it to about one quarter open you will get a long, not too fierce fire. Nonetheless the whole thing will get very, very hot and you need to be very, very careful.

It may get cold in the early hours of the morning (watch out for a clear sky), so it may be worthwhile preparing the woodburner before you retire for the night.

The only real problem that we had with the yurt itself was the double bed. It was, shall we say delicately, a little firm for our liking.

Keep the door of the yurt closed or under observation to keep the local wildlife out (including the many cats that prowl around).

Using the kitchen tent.

The kitchen tent was practical, although it could have used a ground sheet - if heavy rain is expected then you would probably want to keep things off the ground.

The stand that the gas cooker sits on is a little unstable and you would want to keep little people well away.

The kitchen tent has a mains water feed, with a simple tap - the water tasted very different from home, but I guess that's just regional variation.

Taking a shower.

The woodburner heated water system in the shower is awesome - just prepare your fire the night before so you can light it in the morning. No need to keep the fire near the back of the woodburner, also no need to fill the whole of the burner up - just a small fire, topped-up after about fifteen to twenty minutes will create a tank full of hot water, plenty enough for a few people to take a brief shower each, or for two people to take a really nice shower each.

The water does get very hot (top temperature that I saw on the water temperature gauge was 60 degrees C - really a little too hot and the result of a too-hot burn) but the consistent pressure and the fine controls make it easy to use.

Only use plant-based soap/products in the showers - don't bother bringing other products with you unless you plan on using facilities elsewhere.

I would totally have one of these at home.

Having a poo.

Outdoors, composting toilets have the potential to be fairly skanky, but the two in the yurt field are perfectly nice. The lower of the two, with the turf roof has a solar-charged florescent tube - so better to use that one at night - just don't forget to turn it off when you're done and take a torch with you - just in case the charge runs out when you're mid-movement.

The chicken wire that covers the steps to the toilets (for a good non-slip surface) is pretty unforgiving on bare feet.