Hi,
Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk(a)yahoo.co.uk> said:
I have a feeling that in survival situations you
don't make an igloo, but
a tunnel that you lay down in. Dig a trench into the snow first, then you
just use a few blocks above surface level to make the roof. Pack snow on
top of that to seal the gaps. One end is sealed, then after reversing in
you use your pack to seal the entrance up beind you.
The other alternative is to dig a tunnel. You make it T-shaped for some
reason that currently eludes me; the entrance is at the lowest point of
the T and you lay across the 'arms'.
The cold air sinks to the bottom, and the warm air, from your own body
heat, rises to the top, so you lie as high up as possible. You should
make a small air hole from the top of your tunnel and make sure you keep
it open so as not to suffocate. The small entrance low down reduces the
amount of cold air blown in. I hope I never have to do it for real :-)
I made the mistake one winter evening of not making the step large enough and
found my face frozen to my sleeping bag in the morning. My EX became
claustrophobic while in the snow shelter and tried to dig her way through the
roof. My current wife has managed to avoid my usual christmas camping trip,
but she tolerates my machines in the basement and lets the overflow go into
the dinning room.
I've got a pair of commodore Pets to pick up as well as few apples and I
can't hide any more in the house. She found the terminal I had in the car
trunk today.