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.
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.
Sources: Kickstarter, Inland Iglu
