How to Make an Igloo

Knowing how to build an igloo can be the difference between life and death when you are out in arctic conditions. Igloos provide a sheltered area strong enough to withstand a hurricane and warm enough to keep you alive in subzero temperatures.

Things You'll Need

• Hard-packed snow
• Snow shovel
• Saw or knife

Instructions

1. Clear a site for your igloo. You need a site that is between 7 and 15 feet in diameter. You can clear a site as you cut the blocks for the igloo, or you can stomp down the snow.

2. Cut blocks of snow for the walls. The snow must be hard and compressed. You can compress the snow by stomping it as flat as possible and allowing it to set for 30 minutes. Cut several blocks for the igloo, beginning with blocks that are 2 feet deep and 6 to 8 inches wide. You can use smaller blocks as you near the top of the dome.

3. Construct the igloo's dome. Layer the blocks in a complete circle around the site that you have prepared. Each layer you add must overlap the blocks below it and angle in toward the center of the site. As you layer, trim the edges of the blocks on the inside and outside of the igloo. Shape and angle the blocks into the shape of a dome.

4. Insert the keystone, which is the last block at the top of the igloo. It must be larger than the opening, and you should insert it from inside the igloo. Shape and wiggle the keystone into place so that it will exert an equal amount of pressure on all sides to create stability.

5. Dig an entryway into the igloo. Dig the tunnel from the outside of the igloo under the snow blocks into the interior of the igloo. Place the entryway opposite the wind to prevent cold air from blowing into the igloo.

6. Finish the igloo. Add three or four airways for carbon monoxide to vent to the outside of the igloo. Stuff snow into any cracks that will not be used for ventilation.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want a sleeping platform, you must stack blocks along one wall before you build the walls too high to get the blocks inside.

• Clear out the inside of the igloo as you work.

• Carbon-monoxide poisoning can occur if your igloo is not vented properly.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish