How to Build an Igloo: And Other Snow Shelters

Norbert E. Yankielun
Illustrations by Amelia Bauer

 

Praise for How to Build an Igloo:

"Whether you opt for an igloo, slab shelter or quinzee (a hollowed-out dome of snow), this expert's guide, enlivened by Amelia Bauer's witty illustrations, will ensure that you impress the neighbors."

—The Washington Post Book World

 

"If you've ever wondered how something so cold can keep a person warm, Yankielun has the answer. Back-yard builders will appreciate the concise instructions and diagrams. My favorite tip: Start by making a snow angel for an idea of the minimum diameter needed for your igloo."

—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

 

"Touching on everything from snow science to structural physics, Yankielun's whimsical instruction manual offers how-tos for building igloos, slab shelters, spruce traps, and more. One part survival guide and one part snow-party primer, How to Build an Igloo is equally suited to the serious explorer and the backyard builder. Follow Yankielun's lead, and you'll be the coolest kid on the block—or at least the warmest on the tundra."

—Ready Made

 

"[W]ell written with useful illustrations."

—The Salt LakeTribune

 

"With an informative, yet almost sarcastic but always entertaining tone, this fun instruction book seems fit for both armchair travelers and outdoor enthusiasts alike."

—Desert Living

 

"[T]he well-illustrated text explains how to 'make' snow blocks and even lists the shovels, axes, and saws you'll need to help shape them."

—This Old House

 

"[W]himsical illustrated guide."

—Science News

 

"If you've ever built a backyard snow fort, said The Salt Lake Tribune, here's your chance to improve your game. Norbert Yankielun is a research enginner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and his 'well-written' how-to shares the pile of knowledge he's accumulated in 15 years of building igloos, drift caves, quinzes, and other snow shelters."

—The Week

 

"[T]he must-have book of the season on building snow domes."

—Architect

 

"Any collection located in an area that gets winter snow will relish this fun, appealing title!"

—The California Bookwatch

 

"The book is fun for those of all climes, as an exploration of the numerous and ingenious structural possibilities of a natural material."

—Herman Miller's DesignLink

Overview

How are the ice blocks of igloos so perfectly formed and fitted, and able, it’s been said, to withstand the weight of a polar bear? How can you determine if the fresh snow that’s fallen outside your front door is as good for making a slab shelter as a snowman? What is a slab shelter, anyway? For that matter, what are drift caves, spruce traps, snow block walls, and bivy bag shelters, and how would you go about building them, whether for winter fun or protection from the weather? In this instructive, whimsical, illustrated manual, Norbert E. Yankielun, a seasoned cold-regions explorer and researcher, takes readers step-by-step through the process of constructing and inhabiting a range of useful snow structures—from the most basic to the more complex. Whether you’re a veteran backcountry skier or a backyard builder, this is one book you won’t want to be without.

About the Author

Norbert E. Yankielun, PhD, is a former research engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cold Regions Laboratory in New Hampshire. In his spare time, he conducts igloo-building workshops, which draw hundreds. His Web site is www.DoctorWhy.com.

ISBN 10: 0-393-73215-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-393-73215-3
100 line drawings / 208 pages / paperback
November 2007