I live in the Foothills of North Carolina. In the Winter we tend to get very limited snow that may remain in shaded areas for only a couple of weeks. This year we experienced the largest snowfall in the last fifteen years that I have lived here and it was fourteen inches deep in my region. I have always wanted to make an igloo because it is such an iconic snow shelter and this recent heavier snowfall seemed to present the opportunity that I was waiting for.

 

Traditional igloos require a special kind of snow that is dense and wet enough to stick together that makes strong blocks with which to build. Our snow was “fluffy” but I used a clear plastic drawer as a form that was just large enough to accept my loaded snow shovel. I would fill the form half way and tamp it with my foot, then added more and tamped more until it was full. I could then roll the form over and release a snow block for building.

 

I wanted to sleep over night in the finished igloo so I scribed a circle on the ground with a greater diameter than I am tall. I began to lay the snow blocks around the perimeter of the circle to establish a foundation. I added a second row and began to start a third but the blocks had to be supported.

That triggered my memory of previous research that traditional igloos lay blocks on a continual upward spiral so I changed my approach and started the one-block height incline on the third level. The weather was turning warmer and would sprinkle intermittently so I contacted my oldest son to help expedite the project. As it turned out having two people was very strategic as my son would deliver the snow blocks through the small entry and the wall began to rise.

Inside the igloo I would stand the snow blocks on end like a quarry as quarters were tight and gave easy access to the materials for uninterrupted construction.

I used a pruning saw to trim the snow blocks and the surface upon which they would be laid. the blocks became smaller and more key-stoned as I continued. What amazed me is that when the edges were trimmed to match the next block and they were shoved into place they melded together and held in place without additional support!

Because of the intermittent drizzle I placed a tripod pole inside the igloo that held up a large clear plastic tarp so that I could continue the construction. At the end It had to be removed to add the final blocks on the top. Once it was finished I covered the igloo with the tarp and returned that evening to prepare for the nights lodging.

I had made snow shelters before (see Snow Tunnel and Quinzee) so I was acquainted with how to prepare for sleeping in the snow. The key is to stay dry and insulated. I had to clear the snow debris on the floor from it’s construction then spread out a tarp. On top of that I placed a carpet pad for insulation upon which to sleep. I wore surplus Polar Fleece coveralls with a matching jacket and slept inside a down sleeping bag. I had no problems keeping warm. It is wise to include a large lid container for answering Nature’s call in the night to avoid having to exit the snow shelter.

The ground was hard despite the padding and reminded me why I like hammocks for camping. I kept the tarp on that night as the intermittent rain continued so I had no worry of the shelter melting and any possible leaks by rain. It lasted one week as the weather warmed but I was exhilarated to have accomplished a life’s bucket list item. I had to “make-do” with the type of snow and weather conditions that existed but I still had the thrill of a lifetime.

 

Having read a myriad of survival books I have seen a number of corded binding techniques for improvised snowshoes that looped over the fore foot portion of a shoe and then looped behind the heel. This keeps the foot attached to the snowshoe but allows the heal to rise and fall with each step. This enables the snowshoe to stay relatively level with the surface of the snow being traversed. I used some paracord for my bindings but other cordage could be used as well.

I live in the foothills near the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. This year has been particularly cold but our area has had no snow so I went up to higher elevation in the mountains. The snow was not deep but it did allow me to get a feel of these improvised snowshoes. I found that the cordage loosened up a bit as I trekked and required some tightening. I know that there are different types of snow in various parts of the country and of course much deeper, but I have to think that these improvised snowshoes could make a difference in those conditions.

What are the chances and in what environment would finding skateboards occur? An urban environment would probably yield this type of resource. Most likely they would be used where cars can’t go or where there is no transportation. Who knows. I guess the point comes back to “what can you do with what you have in an emergency”. This was certainly a fun experiment with the materials that I had found.

Photo provided by searcher Lucia Gonzalez ©AP

In the process of travel their Jeep had overturned just off a road (see photo) and could not be up-righted nor could they start their engine for warmth. The man who was a mine worker and hunter built a fire beside the vehicle just minutes after the Jeep rolled down the snowy embankment on Sunday and kept the flames going until rescuers found them on Tuesday. They found scrap wood for the fire and burned a spare tire for warmth and to create black smoke for signaling. They also heated rocks for warmth while the group stayed in the upside-down vehicle for shelter. Fortunately they were dressed for cold weather conditions.

I’ve seen hot rocks used to bring a container of water to a boil but I had not thought of rocks as a heating device. In an enclosed area this would exclude the danger of flames and carbon monoxide. Fortunately they had some food and water available.

Although they were located in a patchy cell phone area – rescuers used cell phone signals and footprints to locate the family. Some of the group suffered from slight exposure and dehydration, but none had frostbite.

Under the circumstances I thought that the survival techniques that they employed worked well. A news website article reader, Corey Jordan, offered these suggestions for off-road travel: “1) Never wander far from civilization alone. Always have more than one vehicle. 2) Don’t depend on a cell phone. Have a two-way radio, a CB radio will do. 3) Have an emergency kit aboard. This would include first aid kit, blankets and something to start a fire. Mylar blankets can double as shelter halves. Include anything that you may need in a situation like that which occurred. 4) Have a recovery kit. Recovery straps, come-along (or a high-lift jack). Include a jack board and a compressor (runs on the car battery). If they had a recovery kit, it would have been possible to have righted their Jeep. 5) Food and water for two days. 6) Get some experience driving off road in rugged terrain…”.