igloos
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Igloo storie - man sleeps in garden igloo through sub zero temperatures
David Munt, 28, from Potter's Bar, Hertfordshire, had spent the day building the igloo from snow and ice with children on his street and promised them he would sleep in it.
The golf and fitness instructor togged up in a mountain fleece, jacket, Goretex coat, Goretex shoes, gloves, balaclava, leggings and snowboarding trousers for the challenge.
“It's really quite surprising to see what a single candle will do to the temperature of a little box,” he said. “I kept myself under wraps and I was fine.
“At 8am this morning I got up and surprised my neighbour who was trying to start his car.
Why doesn't an igloo melt inside?
The snowflakes falling outside of the igloo, in the harsh Alaskan winter, quickly melt when they land on its roof, and provide a replacement layer of insulation for the igloo. The ongoing freezing and re-freezing of the igloo, hardens it, and transforms the blocks of snow the Eskimos used in the construction process into a solid, icy, domed refuge. The igloo can now withstand the weight of a massive polar bear, should one happen along and have the urge to play "king of the mountain."
Igloo Facts
- The term “igloo” comes from the Inuit word “iglu” which means “house”.
- Igloos were usually temporary winter shelters built by Inuit hunters for their families while on a hunting trip.
- Skilled Inuit hunters could be build an igloo in about an hour.
- Some igloos would even have windows built from a block of ice or seal gut
- An igloo could be any size, but normally, they built them just big enough for the family
- Although other countries such as Alaska and Greenland had igloos, the structure was predominantly seen in central and western Canada
- To see a real igloo being built, watch the 1922 silent film documentary “Nanook of the North”
- The only tools required to build an igloo are a snow spade and a saw. In traditional times these implements would have been fashioned from bone.
- A full-grown man can stand on an igloo without collapsing it
- A properly-built igloo can withstand hurricane force winds on the open snow.
How to Make an igloo
Step 1. Cut blocks from dry, hard, hard snow, using a snow saw or large knife. Each block should be about 3 ft. (1m) long, 15 in. (40cm) high, and 8 in. (20cm) deep. | |
Step 2. Form a circle with blocks around the hole created where you cut the blocks. Cut the circle in a spiral from the top of the last block to the ground ahead of the first block. This will make it easy to construct a dome. | |
. | Step 3. Build up walls, overlapping the blocks and shaping them so that they lean inward. Cut a hole under the wall for the cold sink and entrance. Put several blocks along one wall as a sleeping platform |
. | Step 4. The last block must initially be larger than the hole. Place the block on top of the igloo, then, from inside, shape and wiggle it to slot exactly into the hole |
Step 5. Hot air from your body and stove rises and is trapped inside the dome. Cold air falls into the sink and flows away to the outside. It is essential to cut ventilation holes in the walls with an ice axe. | |
Finished IglooWith warmth inside the igloo, the surface of the walls will melt and freeze over, to form a smooth, airtight ice surface. The roof over entrance tunnel prevents snow from blowing into igloo. |
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