Outdoors

Inland Iglu lets you build an "igloo" out of garden-hose water

Inland Iglu lets you build an "igloo" out of garden-hose water
The Inland Iglu is presently on Kickstarter
The Inland Iglu is presently on Kickstarter
View 4 Images
The Inland Iglu measures 5 ft 4 inches high by 11 ft long by 9 ft wide (163 by 335 by 274 cm)
1/4
The Inland Iglu measures 5 ft 4 inches high by 11 ft long by 9 ft wide (163 by 335 by 274 cm)
The user's garden hose goes into a receptacle in the Iglu's ceiling
2/4
The user's garden hose goes into a receptacle in the Iglu's ceiling
Depth whiskers show users how thick the ice covering is getting
3/4
Depth whiskers show users how thick the ice covering is getting
The Inland Iglu is presently on Kickstarter
4/4
The Inland Iglu is presently on Kickstarter
View gallery - 4 images

The igloo is an ingenious form of winter shelter, but building one in the traditional fashion definitely takes some skill – and a lot of snow. That's where the Inland Iglu comes in, as it allows users to build an approximation of an igloo using their garden hose.

Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the Inland Iglu takes the form of a pop-up-tent-like dome consisting of linked fiberglass rods and a fabric mesh covering. An included set of LED rope lights gets wound around the structure, while the user's garden hose is pulled inside of it and connected to a receptacle in the dome's ceiling.

Once the hose is turned on, it produces a spray that comes out the top of the Iglu and settles onto its exterior, freezing into a layer of ice. Red plastic "depth whiskers" on the dome let users know when the ice covering is at least 6 inches (152 mm) thick, at which point they turn off the hose and disconnect it … and drain it, if they don't want it to freeze solid.

The Inland Iglu measures 5 ft 4 inches high by 11 ft long by 9 ft wide (163 by 335 by 274 cm)
The Inland Iglu measures 5 ft 4 inches high by 11 ft long by 9 ft wide (163 by 335 by 274 cm)

According to the designers, it takes about 10 to 15 hours to build up an Iglu in this manner – in fact, a similar technique is used to create much larger ice castles. Once the Iglu is complete, it can reportedly withstand an exterior load of up to 700 lb (318 kg) without collapsing. And yes, the rods, mesh and other hardware are all reusable.

Assuming the Inland Iglu reaches production, a pledge of US$349 will get you one. The planned retail price is $499. Other non-igloo-shaped structures – including a pirate ship, rocket and castle – are available for smaller pledges.

The setup process is demonstrated in the video below.

Inland Iglu: The Chillest Winter Fort

Sources: Kickstarter, Inland Iglu

View gallery - 4 images
5 comments
5 comments
czechster
That is so cool. Pun intended.
MrB
Cool indeed, but these are a massive waste of clean water, and I doubt you would ever buy one if you were on a water meter. $499 for something you might use once a year, but probably never will after the first use? How about a non-plastic version that won't fill the sea with micro-plastics, and you just put it up when snow is predicted, or just throw the snow over it? This takes around 500 gallons of CLEAN water, assuming none is wasted (which it will be), so would you like to run 6-7 baths full, then tip it straight down the drain?
michael_dowling
Where we live,you drain and disconnect your outdoor taps well before freezing temps set in,and it is a hassle-if you forget to completely drain a tap,you will be greeted by plumbing splint wide open. Back to the drawing board
1stClassOPP
I hope our Eskimo people won’t sue for infringement on their survival structures.
ventifact
Hot water freezes faster than cold.