Outdoor Winter Shelter! Blog #3

For those living or stay outdoors, the winter is a very scary time.  Temperatures in the northeast often drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and remaining exposed in to the elements is simply not an option.  Therefore, a shelter becomes absolutely essential to living.  Here, I have created a living space that would not only shield a wanderer from the elements, but would keep him warm and dry, and sufficiently protected against any force of nature.

The fort is about 5 feet in length and 4 feet in width and could easily accommodate two adult men.  The deck height is around 4.5 feet, so sitting is optimal in this situation.  When the weather conditions grow too difficult to bear, one can easily place the piece of plastic perfectly cut to fit the entryway.  This way, they will be completely out of harm's way and can begin to huddle in their sanctuary from the cold.  By doing so, they will create heat inside the structure and will remain warm for however long it is necessary.  This took about 1.5 hours to construct with only the finest snow.  It was gathered from the moderate snowfalls of the past week or so and will endure with the weather.  This is a phenomenal structure.  It is well built and sturdy with tightly-packed snow.  Nothing will bring this shelter down until the weather grows too warm to support it.  It will be present as long as anyone needs it and will be the saving grace for anyone who happens to be stuck in the unwavering cold.

Snow Day Snow Fort Blog #4

The cold weather and snowfall creates a serious concern for those living in outdoor conditions.  This dates back to prehistoric times.  So, in order to accommodate oneself, a snow/natural shelter of some kind become immediately essential.  In this task, I built a snow shelter with only the finest of snow brought to us by natural forces on this lovely winter day.  It is quite large and could easily support 3 big people, and is strong enough to keep them safe, and advanced enough to keep them warm and dry.  It was a challenging task, as it required about two hours spent in the icy cold January weather working with snow packed over a foot deep.  This would be quite challenging for an individual attempting this in the wilderness, as he/she will soon grow too cold too work, and the shelter may not provide enough heat to bring the person back to optimal temperature.  This type of structure is optimal for multiple people, due to its complexity to construct and sheer size.  Anyway, the shelter is about 7 feet by 4 feet with a height of about 5 feet.  It can easily support three adult males sitting down.  They can comfortably huddle together to stay warm, and the shelter will certainly not allow any force of nature inside.  It is strongly-packed snow that is sure to remain until the weather grows warmer.

It was constructed from the snow kicked up from my large driveway when passed through with a snowblower.  It has ample room for adequate shelter and, in intense weather conditions, one can be confident that they will be safe in this beautifully constructed product of engineering.  It is a perfect snow day experience!

Building a Shelter

By: Liam Godin

I made a small scale model of a shelter rather than making it outside. I am allergic to being outside and using my entire body for a task. I probably still ended up putting in just as much effort for this as I would if I made it outside.

These were my materials

To build this, I used brown pipe cleaners for sticks, I tore up a cardboard cup for leaves, and used a piece of felt for the tarp.













I began by hot gluing the pipe cleaners to the paper. This project was taxing, and I even burned myself! This assignment is harmful towards the students that are given it.

The glued on pipe cleaners. I bent them to be shorter and cover more space.

All of that fluff was going to be snow but it looked terrible. It's in most of the pictures but rest assured that I did not use it.

The sticks were used to support the shelter. They would provide a good base.

If this was a real shelter, these would be leaves.

The leaves were used for warmth. The idea is that several layers of broken down leaved would provide decent insulation for the shelter. Being cold is worse than smelling decomposing leaves.










As the leaves were being set, I burnt myself again. This is the worst assignment I have ever received.

The tarp.

The tarp would weather proof the shelter. this would also block light from coming in, so you can sleep in all you want.












Here's some images of the finished shelter in better lighting.

From the right a little

This shelter is my Magnum Opus, and it is now the centerpiece of my house. My parents are proud of me again, and I now see bright things for my future. Thank you so much Mr. Gray, I have seen the light, and have decided to go into architecture for homeless people. This has been one of the greatest experiences of my short time on this earth. I genuinely do not believe that I will ever enjoy something more than burning myself on hot glue while making a miniature shelter. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Pretty much straight on

Building a Snow Cave

By Liam Godin

I used brute force and a small purple shovel in order to dig into a hump in the snow in my yard. I made sure that the snow I was digging into was crunchy and would stay standing as long as it was cold enough.

Here's a picture of the tools that I used to make the cave. 

The cave ended up large enough for me to climb into and have my body in it. Near the end of building it, the entrance began to cave in, so I poured water onto it, so that it would freeze more than it was already. This seemed to work, as the entrance became sturdier.

This is what the cave looked like without anyone in it.

I fit inside of the cave

The cave became more challenging to dig out the farther I got into it. I would have to dig at the walls, and move the snow around me and kick it out of the entrance. I blocked the light coming into the cave in order to gauge when I should stop digging upwards. Once the snow allowed a small amount of light through, I would stop.







Since the entrance began to cave in, the cave became wider and slightly shorter. I could fit into it entirely if I bent my legs slightly.

A picture from inside of the cave, with my brother's legs in the background

I asked my brother to help me dig the cave, and because he is such a good friend to me, he came out a few minutes before I went inside to take a picture of me.

Snow Day project

 I decided to draw an igloo instead of actually building one because it seemed much faster and easier. Stacking snow bricks seems fun but building an entrance is definitely the most difficult part. My father and I used to build igloos using coolers to pack the snow into bricks but back then I was a lot smaller so the igloo when finished was also small. if I were to build an igloo that I could fit into then it  would take a long time and the snow and temperature would need to be just right for the snow to take the shape of the cooler and not crumble.

Shelter Project

 My shelter has 3 walls each wall is 3ft tall but it is based on a larger 6ft tall model. The two stone walls that form a perfect 90 degree corner were pre existing and cannot be moved by the elements making only the front wall susceptible to damage. The two stone walls make an excellent wind barrier and can store thermal energy well. The third wall is a tarp which drapes over a stick that was laid across the two stone walls connecting them. The tarp is also laid on top of the two stone walls and secured by rocks placed on top of the tarp. Just like a chain my shelter is only as good as its weakest link so I secured the bottom of the tarp wall to the ground with tent stakes. the last part of my shelter is the cardboard that I placed as a flooring which as a barrier between the person and the frozen ground. there is also an evergreen tree which branches over the shelter and provides further protection from the snow and wind.

snowday fun

"Fort Snowsworth"

 To make my fort I used a large shovel to move snow and pack it down to make walls around 3 feet high.

this is an aerial view of the fort.

This fort includes walls that can protect from incoming snowballs, and even RPG's!!!, and a alcove to hide your own snowballs

Here I am laying in my fort, you can tell how happy I am from my smile:)