Tent heating in Mongolia

I am currently back in Ulaan Baatar after sleeping three nights in a traditional “ger” tent at the Mongolian plains. After five days on the Trans-Siberian train, that freezing tent felt like pure luxury but right now I’m glad to be back in civilization (sort of) with an internet connection.

These tents are circular with a contained fire in the middle. We used wood for the fire but since there are very few trees around, I wonder what they normally use for fuel?

We had about zero degrees in the middle of the nights but during wintertime it can sneak below -40 degrees. Now that’s cold! How do the nomads cope with that? Maybe they drink a lot of airag (fermented mare’s milk with 6 % alcohol) to keep warm. I tried some of it which tasted like sour-cream, so I would rather head for the fireplace.

Traditional ger tent in Ongotstiin Am Valley.

• More photos from Mongolia

Update: It seems they use coal and manure for fuel.

Related posts

• Dawn in Ulaan Baatar