How to build an igloo: a tutorial with all you need to know

Have you ever imagined what you would do if you ever found yourself surrounded by miles and miles of nothing but snow? In the mountains, on a multi-day outing, you may need to put into practice some skills that will keep you and your companions safe, especially if it involves building some mountain refuge to spend the night or take shelter from bad weather. I mean knowing how to building an igloo.

How to build an igloo: what you need to know

Before you start, the minimum you should have is a shovel (better if there are more) and a probe to assess the depth and type of snow on the site. One tool that can be very useful is a hand pruning saw.

On the other hand, it is best to appoint someone to act as site leader. It is best if this is an experienced person who has a clear understanding of the igloo building process so that they can lead the others and know what to do when in doubt.

1. Choose the site for the construction of the igloo

The site for the construction of the igloo should be a flat place with plenty of snow, so that you and your companions can dig the igloo to the desired depth. 

The diameter of the igloo must be 2 to 3 metres in diameter. This distance is necessary for you and your companions to be able to sleep with your legs outstretched.

2. Start digging the cabin

Then, in the chosen spot, start digging until the snow is about knee-high. Make sure that the floor of the cabin is level by sweeping it with the edge of the shovel.

Before continuing, it is necessary to pack the snow surrounding the room with the shovel so that it is very compact and can hold the walls that we are going to build in the near future in a stable way.

3. Choose a "quarry" and extract blocks of snow.

Very close to where the igloo will be located, you and your companions must choose a place that functions as a quarry, i.e. a place where you will dig the blocks that will make up the walls.

For snow to be used to build an igloo, it is necessary to the snow must be dry and compacted. If the snow is not compacted, then we will have to compact it with whatever we have at hand: a shovel, a ski, a snowshoe or even with our feet. If the snow is very hard or forms a layer of ice, then it will be necessary to use the hand saw.

To build a block, mark a space on the ground of 2 x 4 spansCut it using the shovel and, before lifting the block, compact the snow. 

4. Place the blocks to form the walls

Place the cut snow blocks around the room to raise the walls. Keep in mind that the circle, as the wall gains height, should close up. In the construction you have to follow a spiral, to which you place the blocks.. 

Despite the size recommended in the previous section, in reality the blocks can be larger. If this is the case, the process will be completed more quickly. However, the Eskimo manuals for building an igloo recommend that the smallest blocks should be at the base of the walls and the largest blocks closer to the ceiling.

In practice, however, anything goes. In reality, the most important thing is to make the blocks as regular in size as you can.

Important, the door!

Obviously, while you are putting up the walls, you and your companions must leave a hole to serve as a door to the igloo. See below for more details on this. At this stage, just make sure that the hole that will be the door should be on the leeward side - sheltered from the prevailing winds. 

5. Cover the gaps between the blocks and weld them together.

Since the blocks are bound to have irregularities, it is necessary to cover the gaps between them with snow. 

Obviously, the snow you place in these gaps will be loose. You will have to compact it by rubbing the gap and the wall with your hands. This stage also serves another function, that of welding the different blocks together, so that the wall is more solid. 

6. Complete the igloo vault.

This is the trickiest part of the igloo building process. In practice, it will be necessary for some colleagues to be inside the cabin and others to be outside in order to place the snow blocks correctly.

In addition, it will be necessary for the group on the outside to hold the blocks of ice while the group in the living area fills in the gaps and welds the blocks together so that the dome can stand on its own. Both groups will have to work in a coordinated way until they can reach closing the igloo vault.

Please note that the vault must not be completely closed, but that there must be a small hole so that gases that may be generated by a cooker or by breathing can escape.

You can deliberately leave one or two small holes in the vault unclosed or close them all and then open them with the help of the ice axe. 

7. Build the igloo door

The door is the last part of the process of building an igloo. The location of the door cannot be left to chance. It should be downwind, i.e. it should not be in a direction that allows the wind to enter the igloo directly.

To prevent accidental wind entry, the door cannot simply be a hole on a specific side of the igloo. It is necessary to place blocks on the sides to form a small tunnel to insulate the entrance of the igloo from the wind. 

8. Insulate the igloo

With the igloo finished, the only thing left to do now is to insulate it to prevent you and your companions from losing heat. To do this, it is necessary to carry out 2 fairly simple operations. 

First of all, covers the door with the backpacks to reduce the amount of cold air entering the igloo as much as possible. 

Secondly, cover the floor of the igloo with one (or more) mats. If you don't have enough mats, you can use unused ropes, clothes or backpacks to close the igloo door.

An additional tip for keeping warm is for you and your sleeping partners to sleep close together, preferably in the centre of the igloo. Unconscious skin contact with the walls during sleep can cause you to lose heat during the night. 

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