"What's a Ger?"
Gers are traditional portable nomadic houses. For centuries,
these rugged dwellings have been used by nomadic peoples in Mongolia, Siberia,
and Central Asia.
Traditionally made of felt over a wooden frame, these portable
homes make excellent camping structures - steadier, sturdier, and stronger
than a tent or pavilion, and more flexible in its use of space than either,
as well.
Gers from Singing Horse Designs, Inc. have a variety of uses,
from the original camping design to use as a gazebo, greenhouse, ice-fishing
shelter, hot tub hut, artist studio, or gardening cold-frame. This incredible flexibility
of use makes a Ger an investment worth its while.
"Why a Ger?"
From a spiritual point of view, living or camping in a ger is centering.
The feel of a secure, comfortable ger almost has to be experienced to be
believed. Knowing that you and your gear are as safe as they can be in
the out-of-doors completely "grounds-out" your anxieties.
From a functional view, the Ger is a strong, reliable structure,
easily able to withstand high winds and bad weather. Only the best woods
are used in our Camping Gers, making the Singing Horse Designs Ger durable
and long-lasting.
The biggest disadvantage to a commercial tent is the lack of
storage space. Since the walls of a Ger are strong, they readily lend themselves
to the addition of gear-hooks, clothes bars, and a variety of shelving,
leaving
the floor space clear and open.
"Can one person set up a Ger? How long does it take?"
Since Singing Horse Designs Gers are meant for camping, ease
of assembly is essential. One person can set up or take down any Ger up
to 14 feet in diameter on their own. For wider diameters, two people are
recommended, although it is possible to do it alone.
We have found that two people can set up a sixteen foot Ger in an
hour, and take it down in half that time. Smaller Gers require less setup
time. Lightweight and easily transportable, these structures provide warmth
and security in the Steppes. For the Modern Nomad, a Ger from Singing Horse
Designs provides the same quality of shelter from the environment, and
you don't need the camels to move it around!
"What about heat? Can I build a fire in it?"
We do not recommend the use of an open fire, but a safely contained and ventilated heater will quickly and easily warm a Ger to comfortable temperatures. We do not currently offer an insulation package.
"What about instructions?"
Every Ger is shipped with a complete Assembly Manual, illustrating each step of the assembly process. Here's a short description of the steps involved in setting up a 12
foot ger, chosen for an example. It is quite possible for one individual
to assemble a 12 foot ger in under 45 minutes.
-
Lay out Door and Wall Sections (about 5 minutes)
-
Attach Wall sections to Door (about 10 minutes)
-
Raise the Wall and lash the back together (about a minute)
-
Attach Girdle Cord (about 2 minutes)
-
Add Roof Ring and a few poles (about 6 minutes)
-
Add remaining Roof Poles (about 10 minutes)
-
Attach Wall and Roof Cover (10 minutes)
-
Add Door Flap (about 30 seconds)
That's it. Easy, fast, and sturdy.
"What about transportation?"
Camping Gers from Singing Horse Designs are designed to pack small,
and easily lend themselves to automobile roof-racks. The longest component
in our 16 Ft. "Base Camp" model is under 8 ft in length, so it all takes
up only a fraction of a small-truck bed. Our smaller
models require even less space.
"How come your prices aren't as high
as others that I've seen on the Web?"
Because our Gers are made to be portable. While you could leave a Singing
Horse Designs Ger up for any length of time you desire, it is not intended
to be a permanent structure. Most of the "Yurts" found for sale on the
web are semi-permanent homes, not intended to be easily portable.
"Your pictures show fabric doors. What's with that?"
Our basic set comes with a fabric door cover; we also supply solid doors
with lock/latch.
"What are they made from?"
Our Gers are made from hand selected Poplar and laminated
hardwoods. All wooden components are water-sealed. At the Customer's request, they can be left plain so that they can be painted. Metal Components are Industrial Grade.
We use ITEX Excello canvas, which meets CFAI-84
specifications for Fire Retardance, and is rated by the Manufacturer for 10 years of constant exposure.
"What if I break it?"
All components and replacement parts are available at reasonable cost, and can be replaced with common hand-tools.
As we are constantly improving our manufacturing
techniques and design, the photographs on these pages are prototypes, and
are not *precisely* identical to the advertised product.
