The best-known snow shelter is the igloo. A brilliant use of engineering and resources, this simple dome made out of snow blocks is both strong and versatile.
THE MOST FAMOUS SNOW SHELTER
Arctic cultures such as the Eskimo and the Inuit developed it, and over time they came up with a hundred tricks to make the shelter more comfortable and sturdy, including making the entrance small (to help keep heat in) and melting the inside of the dome and letting it refreeze (for increased strength).
The earliest reference of igloo use came from the Vikings, who settled parts of Greenland and explored the eastern Canadian coast about a thousand years ago. They found natives living in igloos, but didn’t use them themselves because they considered the technology inferior.
History has proven otherwise, as the Vikings lasted for only about four centuries in the harsh climate of Greenland, while the native peoples are still carving igloos from the landscape today. Six hundred years after the tough Vikings were defeated by the tougher weather of the Little Ice Age, Boy Scouts still use the design of the igloo to keep warm.
BUILDING AN IGLOO
Diameter: Not to exceed 10 feet. Anything bigger would require a perfect dome, which is next to impossible to construct in the field.
Materials: Top layers of dry powder won’t work. Pack mounds of snow until they harden, or cut blocks of snow from the depth where your feet stop sinking.
Entrance: Build a door in the ground, about 18 inches lower than the ground inside the igloo, and tunnel below the wall into the igloo. For proper ventilation, never seal or close the entrance.
Walls: Cut the blocks into a spiral layer, leaning one block against the next. Keep the interior wall smooth so moisture can run down the side of the wall, instead of dripping from the ceiling. Include a vent hole to allow for better circulation.
Tags: Winter
Awesommee! Dude best igloo making guide ever!! Whhoo hoo
Cool, it seems to keep your body heat in it
My boys used 1 gal ice cream buckets packed full of snow to build their igloo and it was so great the local paper published a picture of it.
I hope OH gets a little more snow this year so that I can try this.
That would be awesome(:
it’s AWESOME!
i cannot wait to try this!
it is awesom that we get snow in Mi
I would like to try it if we ever get enough snow Here in RI.
I wish there was more snow here in Minnesota so I could try this
I just left Minnesota. looks like you got your wish!
Awsome, I used it and it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish it snowed in TX more. I would like to try it.
if it does not get to cold in tx then i would like to move there!
never tryed it before:]
It snows alot here in MA
Doesnt everyone wish there was snow in FL then on some days we wont have any school and only a whole day of playing in the snow and just having some fun