The Lavvu Cover
What is a Lavvu? The Lavvu is a temporary dwelling used by the Sami people (also spelled "Saami", but derogatorily known as 'Lapps' or 'Laplanders') of northern Scandinavia and the Nenets and Khants of northern Russia. Its simplicity enabled the Sami to move quickly with their semi-domesticated reindeer herds at a moment's notice. This structure enabled the indigenous cultures of the treeless plains of northern Scandinavia and the High Arctic of Eurasia to live in harmony with nature. Although the Lavvu can be easily confused with the Native American Tipi - it's not a Tipi! The differences between the two structures are reflected in their respective environments and cultures. The lavvu is normally smaller and can be set up by only one person.  Being more centered to the ground, the Lavvu is also better able to endure the fierce winds of the Scandinavian tundra, thus a more stable structure. Few structures used by indigenous peoples, with the exception of the Inuit (Eskimo) Igloo, are as stable in strong winds. What are the materials in this lavvu?
The lavvu material is made of 10.10 ounce Sunforger fabric, which is a common standard in North America for renactor tents and shows.  Most tipis in North America are made of the material and it will last for many years with proper care.  Sunforger is a chemically treated (a compound of salt) material that can withstand mold, mildew, and is fire and water resistant. In the official terminology, it is called a marine grade, boat shrunk, mildew resistant, flame retardant, and water repellent. Our Sunforger fabric meets CPAI-84 requirements for flame retardantcy of the State of California (which US material manufacturers use as the industry standard). Sunforger has been used for many years in other tent structures such as tipis, and it has been essential for lavvus that will be set up for over the entire season and/or in wet environments. There is little difference in fire resistance between cotton duck and Sunforger material. This fabric is most recommended for the following conditions: a) If your lavvu will be set up for a longer period of time in one place, such as over the season; or...
b) If you live in a damp/wet environment such as east of the Mississippi River or along the Pacific Northwest. There is only one disadvantage with Sunforger, and that isit is only in one color - which is white. There are other colors in Sunforger, but they are not CPAI-84 rated and therefore, not fire resistant. This is a traditional lavvu, meaning that there are other tents out there that claim to have a 'lavvu', but are something very different.  Our traditional lavvus is not made of synthetic materials, which means you can have a fire inside without the worry of polyester melting or fire hazards.  There is no center pole in the real lavvu, which means you can have a campfire inside to cook or keep warm - in winter or summer. What does the lavvu look like? This lavvu is ten feet in diameter and about eight feet high and can sleep three people very comfortably with a fire inside, or four people without the fire.  There is a smoke hole at the top to let smoke rise out of the lavvu and during set-up, can be made small enough to keep rain or snow out.  There is an attached door, a carrying bag, and a thirty-plus page booklet that describes everything you need to know about the lavvu.  Similar to a Native American Teepee, there are no guy-wires or ropes to worry about as with other tents.  The poles do not need to be buries into the ground.  The lavvu can be set up quickly by one person in about ten minutes and taken down in half that, with the total weight of about 28 pounds.

You can either, cut down your own poles from the forest or make your own from a lumber yard.  The booklet that comes with the order will tell you what to look for and how to do both.  To save time, you can also purchase lavvu poles separately through our other Ebay site.What are these poles
The poles that you are viewing on this page are lavvu poles for a ten foot diameter lavvu.  A lavvu is the traditional tent used by the Sami People of northern Scandinavia used mostly by the reindeer herders and is still in use today.What does the order include
There are a total of nine complete poles that extend out to ten feet long when assembled; and eight-teen, five foot long poles when

.   These poles go with the ten foot lavvus that are also sold on Ebay by this seller.  The whole order includes the following:    * Eighteen, five foot long wooden poles, that extend to nine, ten foot poles when assembled
    * One carrying bag to carry everything in one package
    * Nine metal spacers to connect two poles together
    * Three fork rods for the three 'forked' poles to support the structure when setup (see detail of top half)
    * Three slats that go with the door of any 10 foot lavvu (Sunforger or Cotton Duck)
    * Instruction sheet on how to assemble them togetherSetting up
The poles can be assembled in less than five minutes and can support the structure of the lavvu with no guy wires or rope support.  Three 'forked' poles are interlocked together to form a tripod that is the main structural support, while the remaining 'straight' poles are laid up against the tripod. Total weight for the entire package is about 55 pounds, and when bagged the dimensions are 63 inches long by 10 by 8 inches.  These poles can go with either the ten foot Cotton Duck Lavvu or Sunforger Lavvus that are also sold on Ebay.  See our lavvus in the "