Marthony
01-27-2013, 08:33 PM
Afternoon!
This is a bit of an obscure example to be practical for many, but I think is a decent example of how using inexpensive materials can improve a shelter.
This is the 9' igloo model as built by the Icebox igloo building tool; it is 9' wide on inside of the floor & 6'7" high to the outside of the wall. I then lined the inside with mylar emergency blankets to determine what kind of temperature difference it would make. The mylar doesn't touch the snow wall at any point. The process was this:
1- I started by creating small holes through the igloo wall with one of the Icebox poles.
2- I then used the same pole to push through popsicle sticks with string tied to the center of each, with the string hanging inside the igloo. A slight tug and the sticks were in place.
3- I folded single-ply cardboard & punched a hole through the center. Then, using a punch, pushed each string through the hole and secured the cardboard against the igloo wall with a piece of duct tape on the string/cardboard.
4- A tape loop was made and pressed against each anchor point.
5- Emergency blankets were unfolded, and installed one at a time, by pressing the material against an anchor point and gently tensioning before pressing against the next to maximize airspace and limit sagging of material.
6- Before starting on the floor, I used clear packing tape to connect one blanket to another, snug things up a bit, and close all gaps.
7- The air hole liner is simply mylar-air bubble-mylar material, rolled up, that I'd bought for an earlier home-made solar oven experiment. I snugged the blanket around it and taped it into place.
8- The floor is cardboard pieces cut to match the curve of the wall taped together with duct tape, with the mylar taped onto it, then taped to the wall mylar.
9- To cover the entrance trench once inside, a piece of carboard was cut to fit and mylar taped onto it. It then sits in place; it is not sealed like the rest of the setup.
And the answer is: 8C at 1' above the igloo floor, via my bodyheat & a few candles! I'm well aware I should have arranged to take readings at 2, 3, 4' etc., but by that time I was rather comfortable and had lost the balance of motovation & sobriety to leave the igloo to get, say, a 4' level & duct tape to run more tests. Without candles the temp at the same height dropped to 4C.
I've since learned that my air hole was twice as large as it needed to be; mine was 2.5-3" across, and 1.5" would have been ample for 1-2 people not cooking food. Someday I'll repeat the experiment with improvements and take full readings. If this was to be used for more than a night or two, I'd want to have put plastic under the cardboard first to prevent it from moisture, and perhaps also on top to prevent tearing. I used 6 e.blankets for this, with material left over
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/marthony/
This was time-intensive to do, but experiments always are the first time around...
Thoughts?
This is a bit of an obscure example to be practical for many, but I think is a decent example of how using inexpensive materials can improve a shelter.
This is the 9' igloo model as built by the Icebox igloo building tool; it is 9' wide on inside of the floor & 6'7" high to the outside of the wall. I then lined the inside with mylar emergency blankets to determine what kind of temperature difference it would make. The mylar doesn't touch the snow wall at any point. The process was this:
1- I started by creating small holes through the igloo wall with one of the Icebox poles.
2- I then used the same pole to push through popsicle sticks with string tied to the center of each, with the string hanging inside the igloo. A slight tug and the sticks were in place.
3- I folded single-ply cardboard & punched a hole through the center. Then, using a punch, pushed each string through the hole and secured the cardboard against the igloo wall with a piece of duct tape on the string/cardboard.
4- A tape loop was made and pressed against each anchor point.
5- Emergency blankets were unfolded, and installed one at a time, by pressing the material against an anchor point and gently tensioning before pressing against the next to maximize airspace and limit sagging of material.
6- Before starting on the floor, I used clear packing tape to connect one blanket to another, snug things up a bit, and close all gaps.
7- The air hole liner is simply mylar-air bubble-mylar material, rolled up, that I'd bought for an earlier home-made solar oven experiment. I snugged the blanket around it and taped it into place.
8- The floor is cardboard pieces cut to match the curve of the wall taped together with duct tape, with the mylar taped onto it, then taped to the wall mylar.
9- To cover the entrance trench once inside, a piece of carboard was cut to fit and mylar taped onto it. It then sits in place; it is not sealed like the rest of the setup.
And the answer is: 8C at 1' above the igloo floor, via my bodyheat & a few candles! I'm well aware I should have arranged to take readings at 2, 3, 4' etc., but by that time I was rather comfortable and had lost the balance of motovation & sobriety to leave the igloo to get, say, a 4' level & duct tape to run more tests. Without candles the temp at the same height dropped to 4C.
I've since learned that my air hole was twice as large as it needed to be; mine was 2.5-3" across, and 1.5" would have been ample for 1-2 people not cooking food. Someday I'll repeat the experiment with improvements and take full readings. If this was to be used for more than a night or two, I'd want to have put plastic under the cardboard first to prevent it from moisture, and perhaps also on top to prevent tearing. I used 6 e.blankets for this, with material left over
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/marthony/
This was time-intensive to do, but experiments always are the first time around...
Thoughts?