My reference to Outer Mongolia wasn't related to income, or cost of bike parts, but strictly about availability.

I started touring long before parts for my Italian 10s bike were readily available throughout the USA. Those who toured back then learned to rank reliability, and field serviceability above almost anything erlse. Even so, we were often forced to do some very creative field repairs just to make it to the next town, then better field repairs to get to where parts could be found. (I once rode 50+ miles on s10 inches of spiral wound surgical tape, traction was terrible but it got me to civilization, that doesn't mean I'd make a surgical tape tire for my commuter)

There are so many salvageable wheels out there headed for the dump, that unless one find's themselves totally stranded otherwise, there's no reason to attempt the desperate type of repair described in the most recent posts here.