Tipi.  (Pronounced TEE-pee).   Commonly spelled tepee (correct) or teepee (incorrect.)

Indeed, we are refering to the conical tents, best known as a traditional Native American dwelling.   Variations on this design have been employed by other nomadic tribes in Northern Europe, but cannot compare to the mastered elegance and durability of the Sioux tipi.

The tripod frame provides a strong base for 12 support poles, creating the cone shape upon which the cover is laid.  When staked to the ground, the tent is (almost) impervious to the elements.  We’re talking many miles-an-hour of wind.   The design includes smoke flaps for ventilation, and allow for a fire to be kept in any precipitous condition.  Easily set up and taken down, this is a most practical and simple home (assuming you have a way to transport your poles.)

In paralleling the respectful methods of the Native Americans in their approach to the Earth’s resources, we are taking waste produced from the lumber industry and transforming it into something useful.

A quick look at the PPP tipi: (what a rhyme!)

Our covers are sewn from discarded lumber wrappers, which are used to protect palettes of wood for their journey from yard to yard.  Similar to tarpaulin, it is a woven polyethylene.  These plastic sheets are typically not accepted by recycling facilities.

The cover edges are reinforced with reclaimed car seatbelts and nylon webbing.

The structure is made from bamboo we harvested in South Carolina, where the invasive species grows rampant in most people’s backyards.  Once infested with the grass, it’s difficult to remove the crown, and will spread rapidly across property lines.

The pattern we have followed for construction is a formal Sioux template, and is brilliant in accuracy and functionality.