Monkey hut tarp mod for less wind loading concept.

mikep_95133 · Post by **mikep_95133** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:55 am

I am seriously thinking about building a monkey hut to add to my yurt. It seems to me that the parachute effect of the wind getting under the hut could easily be minimized by not using one solid tarp, but a minimum of 3 tarps overlapped like very long roof shingles. So if a 20 x 10 tarp is normally used, maybe three 4 x 20 tarps stretched out length wise across the monkey hut frame, and over lapped by a foot or so. I know there are no 4 x 20 tarps, but I use that dimension to help draw the concept.

Imagine the wind blowing sideways across your camp....

1st idea: If the roof tarp goes on first, and the side tarps last, with the side tarps overlapping the roof, then air flow can exit going up through the roof from inside the hut if the edges of the sides are just a little loose. This would not allow so much lifting force. Airflow could not happen in the opposite direction so it would reduce dust ingress. But it would allow some rain to come in.

2nd idea: If the side tarps go on first, over lapped by the roof tarp, then the airflow could only move from outside the hut to the inside. I'm not sure that's desirable. But it would keep the rain out. Hmmm. Maybe if the roof tarp was left looser with longer cords/bungees than the sides, or maybe only bungied to the end pvc loops, it would allow wind to escape by raising up some and letting the wind out. It would also keep the rain out. After thinking about it I like this idea best.

When the wind blows into the hut, it will have a route to escape through the two overlapping seams in the roof. But when wind tries to blow down onto the roof, the wind is blocked. The overlap of the 3 tarps provides a sort of one way valve for the air flow.

I thought of this because of street banners having so many crescent shaped cut outs made to allow the wind to blow through the banner, lowering the wind loading substantially. The problem with cutting crescents into a monkey hut tarp is that the wind and dust could blow into and out of the hut.

What do you think?

Bluemandrew · Post by **Bluemandrew** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:05 am

I've never heard that monkey huts had an issue with lifting from the wind. We used a piece of shade cloth last year, so it wouldn't have been an issue for us, but our friend has a solid one this year so we'll see.

There's quite a bit of tension holding the hut to the rebar. remember those PVC pipes want to be straight.

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:24 am

Oh those monkey huts do want to lift sometimes.

My PVC has the bend permanently as well...

Guy lines, one in front one in back

also you can use candy caned rebar along the side, and run bungee balls from the unused grommets to the rebar

Bluemandrew · Post by **Bluemandrew** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:37 am

Fire_Moose wrote:Oh those monkey huts do want to lift sometimes.

My PVC has the bend permanently as well...

Guy lines, one in front one in back

also you can use candy caned rebar along the side, and run bungee balls from the unused grommets to the rebar

We're replacing ours this year, left it set up in CT since february. Ours has a really odd shape now, especially because our legs are 5 foot sections with a 2 foot coupler on them.

swampdog · Post by **swampdog** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:28 pm

I'm pretty fond of shade cloth - nice and shady but doesn't block the wind. Of course that means things get extremely dusty "inside".

I think that if you plant it sideways to the wind that should also help (it's what I've always done). Less for the wind to get under.

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 5:52 pm

I left my hut up for a 3 week test. When I tore it down the pvc had taken on a curve, and the rebar was slightly bent also.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 5:55 pm

Bounce530 wrote:I left my hut up for a 3 week test. When I tore it down the pvc had taken on a curve, and the rebar was slightly bent also.

What dia rebar was it?

-Badger

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:01 pm

your basic 1/2" home imp. store rebar. 24" lengths sunk 12" into the ground.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:09 pm

Bounce530 wrote:your basic 1/2" home imp. store rebar. 24" lengths sunk 12" into the ground.

Thought so. 1/2" always seemed too small to my eye. 5/8" or larger in my book.

-Badger

haolegolucky · Post by **haolegolucky** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:22 pm

I've only had my MH lift up maybe 2" total in heavy wind. My lovely partner had the amazing idea of running heavy duty line through all the grommets along the bottom of the tarp and then we put 12" metal stakes snugged up against them and tied it off at the ends to the PVC.

This basically cinches the entire tarp down along the length, not just at the ends where it attaches to the outer PVC pipes. I also align my MH with the wind so it passes through it for the most part.

Go for it though if you think it'd help. MH seems playa proven and tested. I've had mine for three burns and don't think I'd do anything else (other then a hexayurt.)

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:24 pm

DAMNIT! the hut was the one thing I thought I had done, and ready to be packed...now you have me questioning it...

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:40 pm

Bounce530 wrote:DAMNIT! the hut was the one thing I thought I had done, and ready to be packed...now you have me questioning it...

If that's the only thing left to be done, you're way ahead of the game.

-Badger