Comments on: Tips on building igloos

Question: Tips on building igloos

GernBlandston — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:42:07 -0800

I would like to build some igloos this winter for fun. I found this bad boy: Icebox Igloo tool, but it's almost $200. Do you know where I can find a cheaper version of this tool that works well, or any tips that you can pass along?

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:53:05 -0800

They used to sell igloo block makers on TV for a few bucks. But that was probably over 20 years ago. (Only in Canada you say? Pity!) All you need is a box that's the right shape and size that's missing one side to put the snow in and get the block out. You could probably make one out of plywood or MDF for $10. Shaping the blocks is done with a big knife/machete, but even hard packed snow doesn't need a very sharp knife.

By: saffry

saffry — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:57:02 -0800

Here is a website that shows how to build an igloo using inflated tire tubes. I haven't tried it, but it looks easy.

By: amro

amro — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 07:58:58 -0800

How about one for $3? I don't think you have to order this online; I'm sure you can find one at Toys R Us.

By: Milkman Dan

Milkman Dan — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:04:36 -0800

Do you have a spare Rubbermaid container or two lying around? You can pack snow into those, dump 'em upside-down, and WHAMMO! Instant cubed snow for stacking into customizable Igloo shapes.

By: jk252b

jk252b — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:05:37 -0800

You don't need any tools to build an igloo. Just make a pile of snow large enough to form an igloo that you'll be able to fit in. Let the snow sit for a couple days (the longer the better), then hollow out the inside with a shovel (or pick ax if it's iced over).

Viola! An Igloo.

This seriously works. We used to do it growing up in Minnesota all the time.

By: splice

splice — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:10:22 -0800

Whenever we made igloos when we were young, we just cut the blocks out of packed snow. It's not very complicated. Take a look at this page, it's a bit more technical than what we did, but there's really no reason you can't make an igloo without some block making device.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:28:36 -0800

any tips that you can pass along?

Be careful. You don't want someone to find your boots sticking out from a pile of snow a couple of days after you go missing. Do it with someone. Also, make sure it is well ventilated, and don't sue a stove inside that could gas you. You don't want to be found blue and dead in your nicely constructed igloo.

As for construction technique, the web is covered with instructions (try here, here, and here, for example), and none of them use a box to mold snow. It is better, apparently, to find hard packed snow and then use a saw to cut blocks of the appropriate size.

By: saffry

saffry — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:56:02 -0800

Oh jk252b, you've brought back fond memories for me. I was once in a Minnesotan built igloo, with four other college students. My friend built it on a frozen pond right near the water's edge, so that the embankment was part of the wall. I couldn't believe how warm it got with all of us in there.

By: Meatbomb

Meatbomb — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:57:50 -0800

I am a white male and have never made an igloo, so just talking out of my ass here, but I have seen Inuit do it on television numerous times - I figure that makes me an expert...

You don't want to pack snow into molds to make bricks, because each brick needs custom shaping as it is placed - like this. All you need is a machete - do you think inuit are buying custom $200 tools?

By: clord

clord — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:16:22 -0800

We built the pile-igloo's all the time as well in alberta. You can pre-arrange things in the walls, for example a chimney. They can be very dangerous if you make the walls too thin. Snow is very heavy!

What we would do is put foot-or-two-long sticks into the snow while piling. Then if you encounter the sticks while digging, you've gone far enough in that direction. Make the edges steep so kids and animals don't climb on it.

By: substrate

substrate — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:42:16 -0800

A friend of mine bought the Icebox for him and his kids, he's got a page up here. I don't see that you need the special tool, but the little parabola at the bottom of the page illustrates the shape of igloo for maximum strength.

By: gnutron

gnutron — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:15:23 -0800

i'll second (or third) jk252b. just use some shovels to create a massive pile of snow. then dig out the inside.

By: nelleish

nelleish — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 10:18:07 -0800

Build a quinzee instead, no ice blocks needed! This is exactly what jk252b is describing.

Here are some photos. (lower half of this page and next page) of friends of mine building one during our Sub-Arctic Themed Weekend in high school. In particular, this should be inspiring.

By: furtive

furtive — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:49:30 -0800

Tips:

Stamp down the area where you are going to put the area. Walk around in circles wearing snowshoes over the area for five minutes or so. Don't forget to do the same for the path towards your latrine.

Don't build it on a lake or river, or swamp or marsh. This may sound like obvious advice, but in the winter time it's a lot harder to tell a field from a lake without a map, although I have to admit it's pretty cool to watch a camp fire go through the ice and continue to glow under the ice for a few seconds as it extinguishes.

Building it over deep snow is better because then you can excavate inside the igloo, create benches and give yourself more head room.

Take into consideration the surrounding area and prevailing winds before deciding on where to put the door.

When crawling in through the entrance there should be a slight slope upwards, so that the bottom lip of the inner entrance is higher than the top lip of the outer entrance. This limits escape of warm air.

Pine bows make excellent lining to protect against the moisture of the snow. I take a fallen tree and split it up as logs to reinforce the edges of the benches inside too.

Don't forget a vent for your chimney.

A machete is excellent for making blocks, but I find the easiest igloos are the ones where you just make a big pile of snow, stamp it down, then repeat until its about 5 feet high. Then hollow it out.

By: lilithim

lilithim — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 19:19:13 -0800

The success of your snow-cave-hut/igloo is going to depend on the moisture content of the snow that you get. The wetter, the denser. (Seems obvious, but if it's too wet, it's going to suck.)
Are you building one for fun/practice, or are you going to try and go snow camping?

By: holyrood

holyrood — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 21:02:53 -0800

If you just want to make a place to hang out in your backyard or something, the tool amro linked to works well (I used to have one, and the bricks come out with a slight off-square shape so they stack together well). It also works when you are somewhere without a snow pack to cut into, or when it is too warm or there's not enough snow to easily pile & hollow out as per jk252b. I would not use it to make a shelter while winter camping, as it takes a long time to make one using that tool.