Grant Olson contacted me about a portable Ger he built and lived in for 3 months and he asked me to share his project with you. I am impressed with his ger and think it would make a perfect temporary shelter or home. I’ll let Grant tell you more about it.
About this time last year, I was finalizing plans for a 7-month natural building apprenticeship in the Irish countryside. Though lodging was unavailable, our instructor invited us to camp on the property if the idea of renting a room in town was a bit pricey. Having spent my last dimes on the plane ticket, I began designing a shelter to bring with me: something portable enough to disguise as luggage, yet comfortable enough to keep me satisfied for the duration of my stay.
Inspired by the simple and tested design of the Mongolian ger, I set to work miniaturizing its components; the resulting structure measures 8′ in diameter and 6′ at its peak when set up, but folds down to fit inside an 11″ x 8″ x 48″ box. Its total weight is just over 20 lbs, and it cost less than $150 to build (though a few connections allowed me to obtain materials for cheap/free).
Its performance exceeded expectations – set atop a platform of pallets, it kept me and my belongings dry for the 3 months I called it home. Though an immigration issue cut my stay in Ireland short, I do plan on moving back into the tiny ger once the snow melts here in Wisconsin.
My recent re-post of the construction details at http://northwinddesignworks.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/grants-ger-repost/ provides all the information necessary to begin building the framework for a miniature ger of one’s own. Running out of time towards the end of the project, I had to skim over some of the sewing process. When weather allows, I’ll set it up for a close-up photo shoot of the components not well-illustrated by the current pictures. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to answer individual questions.
Thanks Grant for sharing your cool project with us. Be sure and visit his blog to get all the details.