Rainier's Eagle model yurt is the ultimate yurt with unsurpassed quality. We use durable, top-of-the-line marine grade fabrics for the outer shell, which is made from reinforced vinyl with an acrylic top coat that even meets the tough fire codes of California. The fabric is treated at the mill with coatings that provide water repellency, mildew and mold resistance, UV resistance, and (as mentioned) flame retardant.

Just how flame retardant? This is a true story: I received a call a couple of months ago from a custodian of a Buddhist Temple who shared with me how a wildfire swept through their acreage in Carmel, CA. The fire destroyed several buildings – sixteen in all. However, their Eagle yurt was basically unscathed. The flames just danced right around it as it moved to the next structure. The only damage (besides the nasty smoky smell throughout the yurt’s interior) was a football-sized ember from a nearby structure that landed on the roof and burned out a hole in the time it took to burn out. The yurt was the only structure standing and salvageable.

The unique modular wall system in the Eagle allows you to move your side wall panels around. Why…? Let’s say you have a harsh wind coming from the south. You would want to have a solid wall panel there. But in the spring, summer, and fall months that is the money-shot view of the mountain or lake! So in about 5 minutes you can un-Velcro, unzip, unhook, and swap the two wall sections. Zip back into place, enclose the zipper in the vertical Velcro seam, and voila! The instant window where there wasn’t one 5 minutes ago.

If a wall panel on the yurt in Carmel that survived the wildfire had been damaged, it would have been a very minor repair. It wouldn't have burned (because it’s fire retardant), but maybe a falling burning tree could have snagged the outer wall. We can make a replacement section and ship it out in just a couple of days, where it can be zipped back into place and the yurt is good as new. All other yurts, including our Raven, would need to have the entire outer wall replaced.

The modular wall system (sometimes called “Swap-a-Wall”) is perfect for being able to rearrange your yurt’s views, or in case you didn’t quite get the window placement quite right. You can change the window placement easily seasonally or on a whim.

The Eagle Yurt has another unique sidewall feature - the two-tone design which allows for two different colors on the outer wall. This is a tremendously important feature. It is easier to heat a yurt than to cool one, so you’ll want to address this by having lighter colors on the upper two-thirds of the side wall. Lighter colors, like Eggshell (our most popular upper wall color) reflect the sun’s rays; whereas dark colors absorb the UV rays and heat the yurt up.

In contrast, you’ll benefit from having a darker color around the lower third of the wall. This is where rain can splash mud onto the lower part of your yurt, dirty snow melts, or animals rub up against the outer wall.

Whatever color combination you choose, ask yourself if it is suitable for your environment, UV exposure, temperatures, and taste. Don’t pick something you like today but might not still be crazy about ten years from now. It’s not like house paint that can easily change if you get tired of it.

I’d be more than happy to assist you if you have color questions.

Enjoy the journey!