The classic canvas bunk tent has been around since the late 1880s. The basic shelter was used to house miners in informal settlements and as mobile camps in the Civil War. Now the canvas tent can be found all over the world as charming Airbnb hotspots, in state and national parks, and in people’s backyards. Tented camps are a common way to stay in Tanzania’s national parks and conversation areas. However, one of the most romantic designs still prevails. The safari tent has long been coveted as one of the most ideal outdoor shelters. Usually built on a wood platform, the safari tent features f ..read more

I would like to thank Tiny House Blog for the opportunity to present the Temple of Light. A 20-foot diameter round slipstraw temple was built in the summer of 2023. I am hopeful that this will give you an idea as to the benefits of building with slip straw and how simple it actually is. My name is Eli Adadow and you can learn more about my Ancient Earth School Of Natural Building here. Slip straw, also called Lite Straw Clay, or Super Adobe is basically straw mixed with clay slip and packed into a framework. In my case, I used 2×8 studs framed in a circular 20-foot-diameter pattern. I found t ..read more

A modern tiny house is considered a structure that is less than 400 square feet in size. Jay Shafer the pioneer created the standard look of the modern tiny house by putting an attractive style design on wheels. Now known as the THOW or Tiny House on Wheels. However, a tiny house can be any type of structure and as basic as a canvas tent on a platform. Canvas Tent as a Tiny Home When our kids were little we went to Yosemite National Park and chose to stay in a canvas tent provided by the park. They have a tent city of at least 100 canvas tents that vary in size. Most are around 10×12 feet and ..read more

Meghan enjoys off grid living on her yurt homestead in Northern California. She’s been living on her property for almost five years, while her 30-foot yurt home has been here for 20 years. Since she became the owner, Meghan added a yurt bedroom connected to the main dwelling, a 16-foot yurt tiny guesthouse, and another long-term yurt home rental. Additionally, she has maintained a robust solar power system, a chicken coop, and a big garden. There she grows food for her local catering business. In the shed barn, Meghan has the brains of the operation for her 100% off-grid yurt homestead. Insid ..read more

Southern Utah has a special draw for anyone looking for adventure. Whether it’s the secret slot canyons, red hoodoos, or brazen night sky, this area of the Beehive State attracts outdoor lovers from all over world all year long. Utah camping options go way beyond the tent and RV. Yonder Escalante With so many visitors coming to this beautiful area, some traditional campgrounds (especially in the national parks) can fill up quickly with tents, RVs, and other personal rigs. My husband and I recently returned from this part of Utah and were lucky to find a camping site in a state park, but other ..read more

Ethan and Janet have decided to pull back the curtain and discuss this subject on his podcast. Janet is the Founder, President, and Treasurer of Tiny House Alliance USA and is currently leading an exploratory initiative to develop new global building standards with ASTM. Janet does a great job of explaining what ASTM International is, what standards are, how they would impact the tiny house building industry, dwellers, DIYers, not just in the United States or North America, This is really an exciting effort that could effect the entire world and tiny houses. More people need to get involved ..read more

Six years ago, Mike, Lacie, and their three kids downsized left the city and moved into a small yurt in the country to try their hand at homesteading. Like so many people, they dreamed of living off the land and growing their own food, and with a lot of hard work, they’ve made their vision a reality. Mike and Lacie grow and raise a lot of their own food, they earn living selling vegetables from their market garden and they homeschool their kids from the comfort of their yurt. Video and text from Exploring Alternatives YouTube Channel. Follow their channel here. Follow Mike and Lacie on YouTub ..read more

I’m always on the lookout for options for you test out tiny house living. Making the step to downsizing to a tiny space is a big thing and you really need to see if it will work for you before you invest your life savings into it. Living in a tent may not be the option you were thinking of but this Portland, Oregon company called Life inTents has a quality product at an affordable price, that just might interest you. This option also opens up other potential opportunities. Building a tiny house (see other examples here and here) can be a challenge, Even purchasing a yurt can be fairly expensiv ..read more

When most people think of yurts what comes to mind are the fabric or canvas options that might feel a little less secure than your average camping tent. While the traditional yurt is made to be broken down, a wooden yurt offers the same spiritual round shape but on a more permanent basis. Traditional yurts made of canvas are made to be moved regularly. Photo by pxhere Smiling Woods Yurts in Methow Valley, Wash. still celebrates the round shape, but with stronger and safer materials. Their handcrafted yurt home kits are made with solid wood walls and solid glass windows. The company works to so ..read more

Are you looking for a tiny house for an off-grid location? Weather Port Shelter Systems of Colorado has updated the yurt for a year-round all-weather experience with their luxury yurts. Here is what they say: Our modern yurts combine the time-tested concept of a Mongolian “ger” (yurt) with the latest engineering principles and manufacturing methods to produce a building solution that will outlast and outperform all other yurts on the market. No other yurt manufacturer produces a building system capable of withstanding the same wind and snow loads as our yurt structures. It’s an advanced frame ..read more