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How to Build an Igloo

SAFETY FIRST: Ask an adult to help with tools you haven't used before.

igloo-feature

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.

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).

BUILDING AN IGLOO

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Diameter: Not to exceed 10 feet. Anything bigger would require a perfect dome, which is next to impossible to construct in the field.

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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.

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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.

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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.


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13 Comments on How to Build an Igloo

  1. i`v never made an igloo but i made a snow cave out of really large snow balls

  2. in ohio my back and front yard is like 2 feet deep!!!!!!!

  3. its winter in il but its to dry

  4. works like an angel

  5. i am gonna try that but without the underground tunnel
    lol lol
    thanks

  6. igloomasrer525 // January 9, 2010 at 10:53 am // Reply

    i am trin 2 make one but i cant

  7. me and my mum have started our igloo

  8. I’m building one right now. And they are hard. But funnnnn. 🙂

  9. scottish boy // January 7, 2010 at 11:36 am // Reply

    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

  10. i done it

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