One of the many reasons I favour igloos for winter shelters

[PineMartyn]

When winter camping, my shelter of choice is some sort of snow shelter. I used to build quinzhees, but in the last three years I've gone the way of the igloo.

When describing igloo camping to people, I can usually count on two questions. The first is, 'Isn't it too cold to sleep in an igloo?', and the other is, "Don't you worry the whole thing could collapse on you in the night, or if there is a sudden warm spell, or if it rains?"

That first concern is rather easy to alleviate: Snow is a fantastic insulator. Igloos trap heat well. The interior temperature hovers close to the freezing point even when it's bitterly cold and windy outside, and, of course, the Inuit lived in them and seemed to thrive just fine. That's usually enough to put people's minds at ease about the warmth and comfort of igloos.

But the second concern, about the stability of an igloo has proven harder to deal with, because no matter what I've told people, they can't shake the intuition that an igloo is fragile and would need to be carved of solid ice to be stable. Even experienced winter campers have expressed their misgivings because - as anyone who's slept in a quinzhee, snow cave, or snow trench knows - one commonly wakes up to find the ceiling of the shelter has lowered alarmingly by morning. Most snow shelters are therefore too cramped, unstable, or unusable after just a few nights due to 'roof sag'.

So, to this end, I've made a little video to illustrate the superior stability, strength, and remarkable durability of igloos which are constructed properly in a catenary arch shape.



Hope this helps,
- Martin

[finallyME]

Some day I am going to get that igloo making setup. Thanks for the video.

[PineMartyn]

Some day I am going to get that igloo making setup. Thanks for the video.

The IceBox Igloo Tool is great fun to use. It's makes for a warmer winter shelter than any cold tent, and it's lighter too. It's also cheaper than a decent 4-season tent. But, it takes practice to learn to use in any snow condition. You wouldn't want to rely upon it in a survival shelter unless you knew how to use it and be able to do so solo.

Hope this helps,
- Martin

[postman]

That is an awesome tool, how long does it take you to put one of those up? Where did you get it?

[Winter]

Damn Martin, do you sell those slip forms? Hhhaahaha.

Igloos are awesome for those few that have snow for one.

[PineMartyn]

That is an awesome tool, how long does it take you to put one of those up? Where did you get it?

postman,
Build time depends on the size of igloo you're building, how many people are working on it, snow conditions, and practice. My wife and I can build an 8-footer (that's 8 feet interior floor space) in about 4 hours (including breaks), in just about any snow conditions. An 8-footer sleeps two people comfortably with room left for a fair bit of gear.

When I go solo camping, I build at 7-footer and that takes me about 4 hours. Two average-sized adults can sleep very snugly in a 7-footer, and my wife and I build them in that size in about 90 minutes.

Our very first igloo, built in only 6 inches of dry, granular sugar snow (just awful stuff) was a 9-footer, and because it was our first time, we took it real slow and built it over 3 afternoons. One's first couple of builds are always discouragingly slow until one learns the proper snow-packing technique and how to handle the slip form. After that, they start to go up pretty fast.

As for where to get the tool, they are sold by their inventor Ed (Igloo Ed) Huesers of Grand Shelters Inc (http://www.grandshelters.com/) and there's a list of retail vendors on his site which might be closer to you. Igloo Ed's renowned over on the Rocky Mountain National Parks forums because he's well into his 60's and still regularly does backpacking trip into the Rockies using igloos for shelter instead of tents. For years now he's been guiding and escorting inexperienced hikers up into the Rockies on camping trips at no charge, just to share his love of the mountain camping and encourage younger people to give it a try.

Winter asked if I sell them (a fair question), I should mention that I do not sell them, nor do I have any commercial connection with Grand Shelters or Igloo Ed. I'm just an enthusiastic user of the tool because I have always preferred snow shelters to tents when winter camping, and igloos have proven to be a great improvement over the quinzhees I used to build. For those who are interested, I have other vids on my YouTube channel showing how the tool is used, including a how-to series on winter camping where I build and camp in an igloo solo.

I should also mention that the Icebox tool's not cheap, because it's not some kid's toy, though kids do go crazy for igloos, so my wife and I build some in our municipal parks every winter for local kids to play in. The tool's intended to replace a 4-season tent when winter camping and, for that reason, packs up flat and weighs less than 5 lbs, which is less bulky and lighter than a 4-season tent.

Here's a pic of me from last winter, shortly after building one in the park for the local kids:
Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

Hope this helps,
- Martin

[Artzi]

Hi Martin,

I have been building regular igloo's (from snow tiles) a couple of times and problem with them is that it just takes ages to build one. Have been looking chance to try Icebox for some time now, because many people are telling good things about it!

[PineMartyn]

Hi Martin,

I have been building regular igloo's (from snow tiles) a couple of times and problem with them is that it just takes ages to build one. Have been looking chance to try Icebox for some time now, because many people are telling good things about it!

Artzi,
I'll be happy to answer any questions about the use of the Icebox igloo tool, if you have any.

Cheers,
- Martin