Geodesic domes...

[ged]

For no reason that I can fathom, another thread about a tipi reminded me that I was planning to post a link to this.

The guy who made it worked for me a few decades ago when I lived in Oxford. I think there was a picture of it on a Christmas card he sent me or something, otherwise I'd probably never have come across it. I don't know how much he's used it, he says it's very roomy but it strikes me as hard work to pitch!

 

[Kerne]

Interesting! I love the way they make the joints from water pipe. I can feel a project coming on.

 

[Graham_S]

Toddy had one at a meetup we had at Loch Tay once.
It was far roomier than a tipi.
I didn't set it up, but it came down very easily.

 

[locum76]

If I had a big enough car to transport it and a workshop to build it I'd have one already. I think geodomes are very cool.

 

[Toddy]

I loved that geodesic dome All good useable space, lots of natural light through the roof and the stove kept it warm and was great for cooking on. Didn't guzzle fuel either.

It packed down into,
One bag of canvas (size of a black binbag)
One bag of sticks (another binbag load) Two kitbags would have been brilliant for the cover and sticks, & another for the flue.
One tin of split pins
The stove and it's flue pipes.

That was it. I got it easily with all the rest of my kit in a Renault Clio to get it back down to Geoff at Loch Doon.
It's storing one and finding room to dry all that canvas that's my issue.
It beats tipis, chutes, yurts and dome tents hands down

M

 

[locum76]

smarty pants. ;P

 

[Toddy]

You know you want one
Besides, Geoff (greenwoodworker) runs courses on how to make them. Guaranteed at least one finished G.D. by the end of the weekend

atb,
Mary

 

[Seoras]

I saw a couple of these up on the Isle of Lewis this week. Not for camping but they were being used as a type of greenhouse/pollytunnell construction.

I see the sense in it as the winds up there are strong to say the least.

 

[Asa Samuel]

I remember making a geodesic dome out of newspaper sticks and cellotape when I was younger, I cam imagine it would be quite a good design for a tent although how easily would it shed rain?

 

[Retired Member southey]

Just out of interest, does anybody use one for anything other than a prolonged stay somewhere? and how long on average does it take to erect?

 

[Toddy]

Fiona put up the one I used. Under an hour, and that was someone who'd never seen the GD put up before and without instructions, just a very brief, "make so many pentagons", kind of thing.
We had it down and packed in less than half an hour.
I only used it for a weekend.

M

 

[Retired Member southey]

Thats quick, for the space provded, cool, i really like the look of them, kind of moon base style,, do they need any kind of tie down or do they rely on there own weight?

 

[Toddy]

Geoff provided stakes and I found things like staples that were supposed to go over the bottom ring joints iirc, and there are guylines that *could* be used. I know we didn't use much of anything to hold it down though.
Part of the appeal for me is the lack of the spiderwebs of tripable lines around it

Ged's link is very good, lots of clear detail in it.

cheers,
M

 

[Jolyon]

We had two 10m diameter dome tents that we buoght in 1999.
They were buoght at WOMAD from a guy who did them as emergency shelters for OXfam (i think)
They were made from 32mm drain pipe and used 40mm 6 inch sections at the joins. The shelter was made from triangles of damproof membrane and was tied toghther.

I think they are both still going strong and are used by a local charity, we used them for a Millenium party and then gave them away. I am sure i can pull out some detailed picks if anyone is interested! Packed down would fill the boot of a Golf (and back seat)


Ours took about an hour to put toghther and needed some real beef work to put the last pipes in! , plus a bit of head scrathing if the wrong length pipe went somewhere.

 

[Jonsky]

For no reason that I can fathom, another thread about a tipi reminded me that I was planning to post a link to this.

The guy who made it worked for me a few decades ago when I lived in Oxford. I think there was a picture of it on a Christmas card he sent me or something, otherwise I'd probably never have come across it. I don't know how much he's used it, he says it's very roomy but it strikes me as hard work to pitch!

Thanks for the link ged. That was an interesting post. Maybe I'll build one myself one day.