hikingfish
New member
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2005
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Hi All,
I made a homemade snowsaw (2' long with big teeth) and I tested it last weekend by trying to build an igloo. After 2-3 blocks, I already gave up on using my snowsaw...it took too much energy because of the huge range of motion my saw needed to cut efficiently. So I decided to go get my hunting knife (which has a 5" blade) and try to immitate the inuits I saw on some videos I watched and online pages I read.
I decided to follow the technique I read online:
1) Stomp the area with snowshoes (should have plenty of snow there, at least 4 feet). I did this the night before...cheating?
2) Mark the middle (I used the tip of my walking poles) of the igloo
3) Mark the circumference of the igloo's wall on the ground
4) Mark a trench 2 feet wide that runs through your igloo
5) Remove a wedge from one of the trench's end
6) cut blocks 2 feet wide, 2 feet tall, by 6 in deep through your entire igloo's length and make a levelled first row that's very slightly tilted towards the inner of the igloo ** see below for cutting technique
7) To place a block, gently drop it near where it needs to go and run a knife between the block you want to position and the block under it. This will ensure a good fit with the block under it.
8) Slide it next to the previous block (same row), run your knife between the block you want to position and the previous block. This will ensure a good fit with the block next to it.
9) Once you're done with your first row, you'll be 4 feet inside your igloo already and out of the wind, yay! Your blocks are 2 feet tall, resting on the outdoor floor...and you dug 2 feet deep deep to get the blocks. This outdoor floor -2 feet will now be the floor of your igloo.
10) Once your block has 3 good point of contacts (lower left, lower right and upper right corners), give your blocks a semi-gentle fist tap to set it firmly in place. You'll have to decide, based on snow quality, what semi-gentle is...
11) Choose 3 unlucky consecutive blocks and cut a slope through all three blocks
12) Continue making blocks from inside the igloo. Once you've used up your trench, carve blocks out from the rest of your igloo's floor and set them using the technique described before.
13) ?? cap the igloo ??
14) Excavate at least 2 feet deep (put the snow in the igloo on the side if you're alone and have to dig out) where you want the entrance to be and then move towards the outside of your igloo until you reach daylight Then move the snow excavated outside.
15) Create a ventilation hole over the entrance. Any cold air coming in will drop in the cold well that is the entrance and when you clear it of any snow that might block the hole, it'll fall in the entrance and not in your sleeping bag.
Here's a little something I picked up online (monkey see, monkey do as they say ), check the attached JPG.
1) Run your knife up and down 2-3 times on the left side of the block you want to create (red line). Make this cut 2 feet long.
2) Do the same for the right side (green line). 2 feet long.
3) Do the same for the under side (blue line). 2 feet long.
4) Do the same for the line that will determine the thickness of the block (gray line). Obviously, with your 5" knife, you won't be able to cut all the way in...
5) But here's the magic part: Fingers straighten out...jam your fingers and hands into the gray line's cut in one swift motion. If the snow is consistent, the block should pop out, almost perfectly cut 2'x2'x6". Give it a try, it's surprising!
Unfortunately, I ran out of time when building my igloo (the disadvantages of building an igloo alone!), so I covered it with a tarp. However I'm planning to build another one this weekend (7 foot diameter instead of 9) and will hopefully be able to finish that one. At which point I'll add instructions on how to cap the igloo.
So other than using an icebox, how do you guys/gals do your igloos? Do you do anything different?? I'm real curious to see what others do...
Fish
I made a homemade snowsaw (2' long with big teeth) and I tested it last weekend by trying to build an igloo. After 2-3 blocks, I already gave up on using my snowsaw...it took too much energy because of the huge range of motion my saw needed to cut efficiently. So I decided to go get my hunting knife (which has a 5" blade) and try to immitate the inuits I saw on some videos I watched and online pages I read.
I decided to follow the technique I read online:
1) Stomp the area with snowshoes (should have plenty of snow there, at least 4 feet). I did this the night before...cheating?
2) Mark the middle (I used the tip of my walking poles) of the igloo
3) Mark the circumference of the igloo's wall on the ground
4) Mark a trench 2 feet wide that runs through your igloo
5) Remove a wedge from one of the trench's end
6) cut blocks 2 feet wide, 2 feet tall, by 6 in deep through your entire igloo's length and make a levelled first row that's very slightly tilted towards the inner of the igloo ** see below for cutting technique
7) To place a block, gently drop it near where it needs to go and run a knife between the block you want to position and the block under it. This will ensure a good fit with the block under it.
8) Slide it next to the previous block (same row), run your knife between the block you want to position and the previous block. This will ensure a good fit with the block next to it.
9) Once you're done with your first row, you'll be 4 feet inside your igloo already and out of the wind, yay! Your blocks are 2 feet tall, resting on the outdoor floor...and you dug 2 feet deep deep to get the blocks. This outdoor floor -2 feet will now be the floor of your igloo.
10) Once your block has 3 good point of contacts (lower left, lower right and upper right corners), give your blocks a semi-gentle fist tap to set it firmly in place. You'll have to decide, based on snow quality, what semi-gentle is...
11) Choose 3 unlucky consecutive blocks and cut a slope through all three blocks
12) Continue making blocks from inside the igloo. Once you've used up your trench, carve blocks out from the rest of your igloo's floor and set them using the technique described before.
13) ?? cap the igloo ??
14) Excavate at least 2 feet deep (put the snow in the igloo on the side if you're alone and have to dig out) where you want the entrance to be and then move towards the outside of your igloo until you reach daylight Then move the snow excavated outside.
15) Create a ventilation hole over the entrance. Any cold air coming in will drop in the cold well that is the entrance and when you clear it of any snow that might block the hole, it'll fall in the entrance and not in your sleeping bag.
Here's a little something I picked up online (monkey see, monkey do as they say ), check the attached JPG.
1) Run your knife up and down 2-3 times on the left side of the block you want to create (red line). Make this cut 2 feet long.
2) Do the same for the right side (green line). 2 feet long.
3) Do the same for the under side (blue line). 2 feet long.
4) Do the same for the line that will determine the thickness of the block (gray line). Obviously, with your 5" knife, you won't be able to cut all the way in...
5) But here's the magic part: Fingers straighten out...jam your fingers and hands into the gray line's cut in one swift motion. If the snow is consistent, the block should pop out, almost perfectly cut 2'x2'x6". Give it a try, it's surprising!
Unfortunately, I ran out of time when building my igloo (the disadvantages of building an igloo alone!), so I covered it with a tarp. However I'm planning to build another one this weekend (7 foot diameter instead of 9) and will hopefully be able to finish that one. At which point I'll add instructions on how to cap the igloo.
So other than using an icebox, how do you guys/gals do your igloos? Do you do anything different?? I'm real curious to see what others do...
Fish