NSW Nordic Ski Club
Eskimo Nell's Igloo Building Guide
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GEAR
snow shovel (useful, but not essential)
snow saw (essential)
pair rubber or dish washing gloves per person (essential)
PLUS OTHER GEAR (usually in pack)
pair nylon under gloves per person (silver reflectorised nylon ones. Essential to keep your hands reasonably warm).
waterproof parka per person (essential)
pair waterproof over pants per person (essential)
3 people (this makes a good team)
REMEMBER THIS GOLDEN RULE
If the temperature is above freezing, or. looks as if it will go above freezing during the night, pitch the tent and avoid all the problems (and abuse, if you are the builder!) when your igloo collapses at 11 p.m. (as happened to me).
The temperature in the Australian snow fields frequently rises above freezing, even at night - so tents must always be carried It is a dangerous fallacy that you can build igloos anywhere there is snow any time during the winter, and that you don't need a tent.
Now, assuming that the weather is suitable (always a big IF) - don all your waterproof gear and grab a saw.
THE SITE
Should be shaded from the sun as much as possible. If the weather is fine, and the igloo is needed for overnight shelter only, - pick a spot that is shaded in the afternoon (i.e. to the east or south-east of a big patch of snow gums or boulders). Remember the golden rule - if the sun is shining on your igloo building site - it may be too warm to build one.
Should be sheltered from the elements if possible (as with any campsite). An igloo will withstand high winds and snow without any problems (but not rain!). However, its construction will be more difficult in an exposed spot - to say nothing of the problems of midnight walks!
Have snow deep enough to cut blocks. the side of a snowdrift is good. It is also better to cut the blocks with their largest face vertical, rather than horizontal.
Note: In Australia just about any snow can be used, provided it is cold enough (I have even used compressed sago).
The igloo should preferably be built into the side of a slope or a snowdrift - this saves time in construction (see Diagram A).
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CONSTRUCTION
The following method works okay, although some points differ from the usual igloo building guides (mostly American) which are written for much colder areas.
Firstly, mark out the site by standing in the middle and scribing a circle with the opened shovel. This is the inside circumference for a three man igloo. Obviously, move the line outward for a four man igloo or larger (in the larger cases, you can scribe the circle with your stock or the tip of a ski). However, if the base of the igloo is too large, it will be very hard for the blocklayer to reach high enough to complete the dome. It is a better proposition to make two smaller interconnected igloos. However, there should be only one outside opening, otherwise the igloos get too draughty.
If the site is sloping, commence digging into the slope with the shovel. This both warms you up, and saves in block cutting (a half snowcave/half igloo is very quickly erected). Shovel all the snow out of the hole. If the igloo is on flat ground, a shovel is not strictly necessary, but is useful.
While the person with the shovel is making like a wombat (or 16 Irishmen) the other two are prparing the block quarry. If you can get a steep face, it makes it quick and easy.
By the time the block cutting team has finished cutting all the blocks required, the shoveller should have finished the hole. The floor should be level.
THE BLOCK QUARRY
With a snow knife, make a series of terraces, or in cross section, steps (see Diagram B). The person below uses the knife to cut the blocks all around, while the person above uses the tail of a ski, wedged down the cracks, to force the blocks loose after they have been cut free of the quarry face. (N.B. Do not try to pry the snow blocks away until you hear them settle down with a slight thump - you risk breaking them if you do).
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Quarry Notes
Do not walk on the blocks, or the area to be used for cutting blocks - you will set up strains in the snow that will cause the snow blocks to break as you lift them out.
Make the blocks as large as possible (within reason) - the larger the blocks the quicker and easier to make the igloo.
Make all the blocks the same size - 18" x 12" x 6" is good. Mark your snow knife with the appropriate measurements to make the job easier.
Stack the blocks to one side - the longer you leave them the stronger they get. (If operating from a base camp for a few days, you can cut all the blocks and lay the first course (lowest layer) of blocks in the morning, leave the blocks to set while you go skiing, then finish the job when you get back. The blocks will be much stronger for being allowed to stand after cutting).
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CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS
The igloo builder, or blocklayer, works from the inside - his only tool the side of his hand used for fine shaping the blocks. The other people supply him with blocks from the outside.
A brief description of the process is:
Lay a complete circle of blocks, tapering the ends so they will fit into the circle without any large gaps (see Diagram C). When the circle is completed, shape the tops of the blocks with the edge of your hand so that the tops slope inwards as shown. This makes subsequent layers slope inwards to form the dome. YOU MUST SLOPE THE TOPS OF ALL LAYERS, STARTING FROM THE LOWEST, OTHERWISE YOU WILL HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN BUILDING A DOME.
Once the circle is completed, and the tops of the blocks shaped as described above, with your hand or a shovel CUT a block in a sloping ramp, as shown in Diagram F (some other articles say to cut the sloping ramp into two or three blocks). When a block is shaped to fit neatly on top of the cutout block, the spiral is started and it is then only a matter of laying the blocks in place in sequence. You will find that as you lay them, the blocks will spiral higher and higher. But don't forget to taper the tops to make them lean inwards! It is very important to commence "lean in" from the first layer of blocks, otherwise you end up with a very high peaked structure instead of the stronger and easier to erect dome.
Snow sticks remarkably well, so long as there are two surfaces of each fresh block bearing on the rest of the structure - hence the spiral construction. With the spiral, this sort of contact is simple - without it, it's very difficult. The final blocks of the structure are almost horizontal - but the blocks should still stick once they are shaped by hand, wedged into position, and held for a few seconds.
The builder is slowly entombed as the walls rise. The final key block is, however quite easy to place. It is placed from inside the igloo, and the block layer tailors it to shape before inserting it in its hole. (Actually, the igloo will stand quite securely without this final block!)
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Once the structure is complete, there are several other important jobs:
Cracks are plugged from outside with blocks of snow, or you can pack loose snow in with the shovel.
An entrance hole is cut with a saw from the outside and the person inside pushes the rubble out. The entrance should be cross-wind to prevent its being blocked with drifting snow, and may also be dug down with a shovel. It is not necessary in Australia to dig the elaborate entrance trenches shown in American publications. The problem in Australia is letting out enough heat to avoid melting the structure (highly embarrassing!) rather than trying to keep in as much heat as possible, which is the reason for the tunnel entrances.
A ventilation hole is made at the top (or. else a hole is not "patched" with snow). Note: this is VITAL if cooking in the igloo.
The interior of the dome is smoothed with a shovel or a gloved hand. As people move in and cook, the heat will cause sore melting, and the inevitable drips from any overlooked projections or rough spots. Smoothing the inside of the done lessens that particular problem.
The floor is smoothed with the back of the shovel or the saw blade.
If necessary, a small wall can be constructed upwind of the entrance to make entry more pleasant in high winds.
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You can now move in Your hands will probably be wet with condensation, but the light Inner gloves will soon dry from body heat.
A pack is used to seal the entrance. However, if cooking, MAKE SURE THERE IS PLENTY OF VENTILATION. Niches are cut in the walls for candles and knick-knacks.
An igloo is a very strong structure - but you can't stand on it as soon as it is built - you'll go straight through! However if the night is cold enough, it could be strong enough to take your weight in the morning (but be careful).
The above should take three experienced people, properly equipped, about half to three quarters of an hour to construct. The important word is EXPERIENCED practice makes perfect. You cannot expect to learn it all from a book - you must get out and try it, in favourable conditions. Trying to learn the job in a howling is too late - a first attempt at igloo building inevitably takes hours in favourable conditions, much longer in bad weather. The more you make, the quicker and easier it becomes. But note!! Because it takes so long to build, an igloo is NOT an emergency shelter.
TOOLS FOR THE JOB
You need special tools for building an igloo. You have to make the snow knife, but you can buy the snow shovel (or a disposal stores trenching tool). Your skis are used for levering out cut blocks from the "quarry".
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Snow Shovel
Snow shovels are imported and to my knowledge are stocked by many of the outdoor shops. Trenching tools are made largely of steel, the blade is smaller than that of the snow shovel and is curved in section (which makes it harder to cut a straight line). The blade folds, and can be used in line with the handle, as a normal shovel, or at right-angles, as a kind of hoe. There is also a type of pick blade opposite the shovel blade. It weighs a lot more than the snow shovel, and costs something like a third to half the price. If you do a bit of country driving, or car camping, one of these trenching tools is a recommended item of equipment.
Skis
Skis, like the poor, are always with us. Just don't' ask the people in the shop what kind is best for digging holes in the snow. The poor fellas will probably have a fit!
Snow Knife
To make a snow knife you need a piece of aluminium strip about 1 inches (50mm) wide and one-eighth of an inch (3mm) thick, plus a couple of pieces of thinnish (quarter inch) flat pieces of wood for the handle. You can buy the aluminium in seven foot lengths (enough for three snow knives) from large hardware stores fairly cheaply.
To make the knife, first cut yourself a suitable length of aluminium. The MINIMUM length for toothed section is 18 inches (45cm), but with within reason the longer it is the better. Twenty to twenty-four inches is good - just remember that you might want to be putting the knife in your pack, so don't get carried away. As for the handle - four inches (10cm) is about right. So, the length of aluminium you need is (at the barest possible minimum) 22 inches (55cm), with a better length being 24 or 26 inches (60cm).
So with a soft pencil draw on the aluminium the outlines of the teeth, about an inch deep and a minimum of an inch apart. There is no need to have them pointed - all you need is a series of V-Shaped cut-outs with about half an inch to an inch of untouched aluminium between them (see diagram). Cut out the teeth with a hacksaw, using a new blade or an electric sabre saw with a metal cutting saw blade. Start each cut by making a V-shaped notch in the aluminium with the edge of a file to prevent the saw slipping. You can also cut the end to a blunt point, as shown in the diagrams. Then cut a couple of four-inch pieces of wood for the handle, and glue them to the aluminium, using contact cement (it works!) When the glue has set, drill a couple of holes through the whole thing for the bolts, plus another at the end of the handle for the wrist-loop, and one at the end of the blade, in case you want to lash the knife to the outside of your pack. Drill out the bolt holes slightly so as to accommodate the bolt heads and nut (NB. Instead of bolts, you can use brass machine screws and countersink the holes on that side of the handle. You can also tighten them up with a screwdriver, unlike the bolt). When the handle is bolted/screwed to the knife, give it a double coating of RED paint, to waterproof it, and make it stand out against the snow. Then get a file, on its side, and sharpen the edges of the teeth, and the point of the knife. Add a wrist loop of nylon cord, and you're more or less finished and ready for business.
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Just one thing though - if you are planning to put the knife in your pack, I'd suggest you make a sheath out of a piece of thick canvas. Otherwise the teeth could damage some of the softer gear in your pack (sleeping bags, f'rinstance?)
Well, good luck and have fun!
P. F. H.
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