How to Stay Warm in an Igloo

For anyone other than an Intuit or someone who has spent time living with them, the idea of staying warm in an igloo probably conjures up images of a generator, space heater, massive down parka and perhaps 8 or 9 blankets. Those images are surprisingly inaccurate. Discover how easy it is to be comfortable in an igloo.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure that the doorway to your igloo has an appropriate entrance-one with a good windbreak situated at the level of the igloo floor.

2. Make sure that the igloo has appropriate ventilation-a hole roughly the diameter of a person's arm cut 2/3 of the way up the leeward igloo wall. The hole should not be higher than this or too much heat will escape from the igloo's interior.

3. Insulate the igloo floor with any available pine needles, boughs or dead vegetation spread over the floor to a depth of 3 or 4 inches.

4. For a heat source, a single lit candle will suffice. The radiated heat and reflected radiant heat will actually melt a thin layer of the interior igloo wall. This then refreezes and establishes a wall of ice insulation.

5. Pay attention to the floor covering while the candle is lit. As the vegetation dries out, it obviously becomes increasingly flammable.

6. Extinguish the candle as body heat further warms the igloo.

Tips & Warnings

• If more than one person occupies an igloo, body heat may allow the temperature to increase to a level where heavy outer garments may be removed.

• It is important to not have the igloo door dip down below the level of the igloo floor. If it does, this creates what is called a carbon dioxide trap.

Resources

• Website that describes igloo thermodynamics and construction.
• Website with article about the Eskimo handbook.