How to build an igloo
By Michael RutlandIllustrations by Robert Prince
From the February 2009 issue of Boys' Life magazine
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.
iv always wanted to know how to build an igloo
wow this is awesome
looks awesome, but real hard. (plus, when will you get that much snow?!)
really cool but i dont get how are you supposed to keep it from falling on you ?
ive heard of making one out of plastic milk bottles
NEED GAME!!!!!!!
my dad and i built a huge igloo last week we put a blanket in side and my two dogs used it like a dog house
its confusing
it is cool
I thinks it’s really nice to have 5 feet of snow on your lawn to practice building these snow shelters!
That’s right: 5 feet!
BE JEALOUS!!!
Has any one done it in 6 feet of snow?
HA HA!
Sorry GEAR MAN, but I had a great 11 FEET OF SNOW in the winter of ’09.
A really helpful thing to have is a snow saw. They really help when you build an igloo, or any other winter camping shelters. Igloos are kind of harder to build, but are pretty cool.
I started mine yesterday
i`v never made an igloo but i made a snow cave out of really large snow balls
in ohio my back and front yard is like 2 feet deep!!!!!!!
sweet
you should see what it is like in iowa, its about 3 to 7 feet tall:] !!
mine is too
its winter in il but its to dry
works like an angel
i am gonna try that but without the underground tunnel
lol lol
thanks
i am trin 2 make one but i cant
me and my mum have started our igloo
I’m building one right now. And they are hard. But funnnnn.
it was snowing lots in scotland and i had about 1 meter of snow in my back garden and i cleared a big space in my back yard and i managed very easily and im only 14 when ever you have snow do it it didnt take me long about 30-60 mins.
i found it very fun but cold lol
i done it
i watn to try one of these
so do i. i just make a big pile of snow and dig a hole then ho-lo it out
Thats what I do.
who doesnt do tht? lol tht how simple ppl like us feel like weve actually acomplished sumthin
you need a lot of snow to do that
um sounds cool but hard so i started one and these tips will help me later i guess (:
how much does it need to snow before i can make a proper igloo? (feet)
I really want to try it!