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[incendiary_dan]

I finished with the vertical poles today.  Actually, I finished yesterday but I had to fix some stuff to make it slightly less crooked.  The whole thing is slightly uneven, and not a perfect dome like I'd hoped.  Oh well.  Here are some pictures.  The first one was taken when I'd started to arch some of the poles, the next two were taken today after I'd bound together all of the arches in something resembling a dome shape, and the fourth is a view of the top from inside.  I can't wait to put the horizontal poles on (I'm thinking white pine, because I have a ton) and then the covering.

[incendiary_dan]

I found a couple hours to work on it again today, and put up two rows of the horizontal poles.  As I had been hoping, it helped to even out the shape a bit, and made the whole thing a lot more stable.  This week I should be able to finish off the frame, and get to work covering and furnishing it.

[incendiary_dan]

I'm basically finished with the wigwam itself, and now all that's left is to furnish it and fix any leaks I find next time it rains.  I ended up covering it with industrial tarps for now, because the bark I planned to use wasn't suitable, and I'm spending a lot of time trying to get a business going.  The door is a polar fleece blanket I had around, and the smoke hole and parts of the sides have old plywood leaning against them.  Not 100% primitive like I'd hoped, but functional.  These pictures include the outside, tools of mine hanging on the wall near my partially completed sleeping platform, and pictures of the smoke hole both opened and closed.

[incendiary_dan]

More pictures, this time of the door flap and hearth. 

[BlueHeron]

I can't see the photos.    For some reason rewild.info gives me problems in the image file department.

[misko]

Is the smoke easily evacuated in a wigwam?

Thanks for sharing the pictures. It incites me to plan for new projects, etc.

[incendiary_dan]

Is the smoke easily evacuated in a wigwam?

With the smoke hole and door flap both open, the ventilation is good.  Even with just the smoke hole, plenty can escape, especially since the walls aren't air-tight.  I had a problem a couple nights ago with moist wood smoking the place up, and the smoke cleared pretty quickly.  Today, I made sure to have bone dry wood.

[Selkie]

I really appreciate the info. I am doing my Senior project on Rewilding, and I'm planning on making a Wigwam in the playground area at my school.

I was wondering, what other kinds of materials can you use for the covering that are easiest to find? I don't know where to get cattails or barks that would work, and I'm not sure about canvas or hides. I would love to use hides but I haven't the slightest idea of where to find them in the Portland area...Any ideas?

[incendiary_dan]

Aside from the burlap that my high school class used, I don't have any other ideas.

[acousticdryad]

Lookin good Dan   I may be doing something similar at the new place, I'll letcha know.

[heyvictor]

http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/topic/18677

[incendiary_dan]

That's way cooler than mine, though I did notice the door looked a bit tall.  Mine requires hunching over, and I'm not very tall.  I didn't see it anywhere, but did he say what he used for the door flap and smoke hole cover?  I'm looking to replace the piece of plywood I use for my smoke hole for something easier to handle and that will block more of the airflow when closed.

[heyvictor]

I think he said he's gathering the materials to weave a mat for the door. I imagine he's using one of those bark slabs for his smoke hole.

[incendiary_dan]

Ah, neat.  I'm still hoping to get some bark sheets for mine.  Might just put them over the tarps, for extra insulation.

[heyvictor]

Yeah, make it usable now and continue to work on it or another one while you get familiar with how to live in it.