There’s always talk about the Egyptian Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, or the hundreds of cathedrals scattered across Europe. While these are impressive, none reach the simplistic excellence of the humble igloo.
The fact that humanity prospers in the tundra is insane! Tundras are the coldest places on earth. Temperatures far below freezing point are no stranger to polar bears, seals, reindeer, and even the ingenious Inuit!
Who are the Inuit you may ask? The Inuits are the persevering people that inhabit the harsh tundra. They’re a group of 180,000 people of the 4 million people who reside in the Arctic Circle.
Fun fact, though tundras are filled with snow, they’re considered deserts as they get little to no precipitation.
The ability to make shelter out of the very thing that hinders you has got to be the most impressive feature of the Inuits. How many people get to use the thing that’s trying to kill them to save themselves? It’s a love-hate relationship I’d imagine.
Before we further explore the wonderful creation of the igloo, it’s important to keep in mind that modern-day Inuits only utilize the igloos as temporary shelters while out hunting.
The construction of an igloo starts when a particular snow is extracted. It’s neither too solid nor too soft, which is the ideal type. There are over 40 words describing the various types of snow in the Inuit dialect, which shows how precise and planned the construction of an igloo is.
Once enough snow blocks are collected, they’re placed in a circle, in a spiral-like fashion.
The Inuit can complete an igloo in less than three hours which may seem unimpressive, but if the average person were to attempt to create one, they’d be there for triple the time.
As more layers are added the snow is slightly angled to create a dome. The Inuit add the final touches by filling any gaps with more snow.
And there you have it an igloo! Temperatures inside an igloo can reach up to 40 degrees higher than outside! In theory, the more people you add the warmer it gets.
You heard it here first, if you ever want to save money on the heating bill, learn how to properly build an igloo!
