Igloo!

The Plan

As my backyard is completely cleared of any trees or bushes, my only options for materials for this project were snow and my Christmas tree. So I decided to use the deep snow drift in my backyard to be the foundation for my igloo. I would then shovel a massive pile of snow, about 3m in diameter, and then dig out the center. I would then saw off some of my Christmas tree branches and use those as insulation for the floor of the inside of my igloo. 

I also chose to build an igloo because snow is comprised of mostly air and some water, and the air is a great insulator which would allow for heat to be conserved which is key for survival. Also, the snow will stay frozen in the freezing temperatures we have been experiencing lately. Finally, the igloo will provide a great shield from the wind with walls built to be at least .3m thick. 

The Build

The first step was to pile the snow on top of the snow drift to make a snow pile about 1.5 meters high. 

 Digging out the cave... 

Testing out the igloo, making sure there was enough room for two people. Actually room for about three people to comfortably sit down and room for two people to lay down. The igloo is probably better for smaller people, as I made sure I could comfortably sit and lay down, however, I have since realized that I am much smaller than the average sized person and that the igloo may be a bit less comfortable for a taller person. 

Adding Christmas tree branches for insulation, the pine will help conduct body heat... At the first attempt I used the pine branches as a door but then later, once the entrace to the igloo was made into a narrow tunnel, the pine branches were more useful on the floor of the igloo for comfortable insulation.

Almost finished... 

After letting the igloo rest for a few hours, I went back to work on it some more. I realized that the opening was still a bit too large and would let too much wind inside, so I decided to make a little tunnel to crawl through to reach the main cave of the igloo. This allowed the people inside to remain much warmer and much more protected from the elements outside. 

These pictures show the inside of the igloo and the size.

Final Igloo

front view

Side views

Final igloo measurements:

Walls .3m

Outside Diameter 2.5m

Inside Diameter about 2m

Height 1.5m

How to crawl in and out of the igloo:

                                             

Special thanks to my mom for photographing me inside of my igloo and checking in on me every once in a while to make sure the igloo had not caved in on me.