Two articles and a video on igloo building from Friday's Washington Post. A year ago today we had enough snow to try this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...ST2011020404134


Video to accompany the article (2 minutes)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...ST2011020404134


BC igloo workshops and a resource for east coast winter camping

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...ST2011020404134

Details: Igloo-building and winter camping

They (in the video) make it look so easy.

HJ

Building an igloo is fun, a lot of work and the results are sometimes surprising. We once built one in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area as part of a training class. Another guy and I had to pack snow with our snowshoes, cut and place blocks, pack more show, cut more blocks, etc.

Using this method it took the two of us about 6 hours to make the igloo. The plan was to sleep in it and we did. However, it was about 20 degrees F overnight and it was so warm in the igloo that everything we had inside, such as sleeping bags were soaked. It was quite warm and wet in the igloo at those temperatures. We did show the technique and we did get an igloo, the conditions both snow quality and the temps were just not right for an igloo! It would have been near impossible to dry those sleeping bags if we would have been staing another night.

Keeping in mind that it would have taken less than 5 minutes to set up a 5 pound, 4-season tent...Still, igloo building is a good skill to know.

I have dug a couple of snow caves on the Peaks. They worked pretty well - at least we did not get soaked.

Might you have the record for the southernmost igloo in the western hemisphere?

Yeah, I think a Gore Tex bivy or the equivalent is a good idea if you're going to do a snow cave, snow trench, or igloo.

I know some guys who built an igloo up at about 9500' in a shady, north-facing area. It lasted a couple of months before a warm spell screwed it up. That'd make a pretty cool base camp for X-C ski touring, snowshoe touring, etc.

I would think that an igloo would beat a 4 season tent in high winds. Tents flap loud enough to wake the dead in really high winds and sometimes shred.

HJ

One breezy night we had to take turns shoveling out our tent even though it was protected behind a wind break about every two hours. Wind chill was -80F. People in snow caves in the same camp slept right on through. The biggest downside to snow shelters is the time it takes to build them in the first place.

Yeah, good point. Heavy snowfall can collapse even a 4 season tent. Still, even in a snow cave, one had better check the entrance and vent holes periodically. Buried alive ain't all that great and neither is suffocation.

The other problem with building shelters is yes time but also sweating. Building a snow cave can work up a good sweat. "You sweat, you die" is I believe an old eskimo saying.

HJ

Any well made igloo or snow cave should have temperatures somewhere just at or slightly above freezing. If you run a stove the excess heat will melt water, which then either drips on your face, runs down the walls or re-freezes.

Avoiding "drip points" is critical in both snow caves and igloos. The curved roof should not have any "stalagmites" where melt water will collect and drip. Any free water should run freely along the concave roof and down the walls.

Also, it takes quite some discipline to avoid powdery snow to invade just about everything inside. Many experienced winter campers will carry a small brush to remove snow from clothing and equipment. But then again, many experienced campers won't bother - they either don't see this as a problem or just ignore it. Snow doesn't stick as well to goretex clothing either - maybe that has something to do with it.

A tarp will provide a much larger "snow free" area than your sleeping pad and makes it much easier to keep the equipment, clothing and sleeping bag snow free. I always bring my bivy bag which unzips to an excellent ground sheet anyway, so I'm well covered.

Another aspect is that if it's cold, "free" water will freeze when the heat source (you) is removed from the igloo/cave. Which means there will be an ice panzer on the inside. Take precautions to ensure enough ventilation if you plan to sleep in the igloo/cave another night.

Writing this, I realize it is time I go snow caving again - my winter camping has mainly been with a big tent and a wood stove.

And I really recommend everyone with the opportunity to build an igloo and a snow cave. It's great fun - but building an igloo is rarely a viable option for building an emergency shelter. Except in some limited circumstances. A proper snow cave (with sleeping benches and so on) also takes long time to dig, but a "cave" can be very much simplified. Combined with a bivy bag it doesn't take long to dig something that could save your bacon.

Ice "panzer?"

Panzer = armor, i.e. an ice crust formed on the inside of your igloo/shelter. But you probably need to fire up your "stove-of-the-week" for that to happen. Unlike in a tent, it is physically impossible to get toasty temperatures inside a snow cave or igloo - the extra energy is used to thaw the interior walls and ceeling. Which will re-freeze when you remove the heat source.

The point is: Watch out for ventilation in a snow cave/igloo.

Gotcha.