A Mongolian man steadies the central supports for a ger while his companions add the poles that will brace the central supports.

Gers are designed to be taken apart, moved, and reassembled very quickly. A ger has an internal framework of wood, covered with layers of greased felt and canvas. (Modern gers add a waterproof layer of polyethylene for extra measure.) Some gers have dirt floors, while more permanent gers have wooden floors. We watched a group of four or five men break down a ger and put it back together in less than an hour. They probably could have done it much more quickly if we hadn't been invited to "assist" them.

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