The top rope must always be tight as this guarantees the solidity of the yurt. This is especially important in the winter! If you are not certain that the rope  is tight enough, another option is to exchange the ropes with ratchet straps. IMPORTANT: If you are tightening your ropes or straps and the bagaans (central poles) start to lift, you are too tight!  

Unfortunately, horse hair ropes do not last forever in a humid climate. However, we’ve decided to keep them because they provide a consistent source of income for families in rural Mongolia.

We’ve tried different horse hair rope treatments for  the outside ropes with coconut oil and Fabri Guard water repellent. Both seem to make the ropes last longer. Unfortunately, the coconut oil seems to create stains on the canvas.

You can exchange them for other products which are listed below.

Renew Them

If you like the feel and look of the horse hair ropes, we do sell them in sets or individually.

 

Other kind of ropes

There are many other rope options that you can look into. For natural ropes, you may consider hemp ropes and the likes. If you are willing to go  synthetic, you can find products that will have a longer life expectancy than natural products. Some options on the market are nylon ropes or poly-nylon straps.  Ropes used for boats are  a good alternative, as well.

 

Straps with ratchets

Straps are stronger and have a longer lifespan.. You can purchase them at your local hardware store or directly from Groovy Yurts with the correct strap length according to your yurt size.

 

 

The rawhide fastenings that hold the lattice walls together can wear or break over time if exposed to prolonged humidity. There are a few solutions to this problem. 

 

Soft Iron Wire

Rawhide fastenings can be replaced easily with a soft iron wire. You just need to push the wire through the fastening hole and fold it over. 

Rope

You can also use ropes instead of iron wire and make a knot on each side.

 

Quick Fix

For a quick, temporary fix, you can easily use tie-wrap.

Virginia Deer Rawhide

We do not have confirmation of how this solution works yet, but we believe that there is no reason why it shouldn’t. Definitely an option to consider if you want to keep the same look and do not have easy access to camel rawhide.