Winter Survival/Inuit Lifestyles Igloo Building Workshop
Two couples from Argentina!
Getting ready to go to sleep in an igloo.
Ranked as CAA's #1 Manitoba Winter get-away, spend a weekend building and sleeping in an Inuit-style igloo! This winter thrival (rather than survival) course is offered January 25-26 and February 1-2 (postponed a week or two if we don't have snow!!). Participants of all ages are welcome; the eldest was 85 years old and the youngest was a toddler, and a few years ago we figured an 8 1/2 month pregnant medical doctor who took the course was about to produce the youngest ever!
Participants build an igloo, learning how to identify igloo snow, cut snow blocks, fit and set snow blocks, and prepare the igloo for sleeping. You have an opportunity to sleep in the igloo on caribou skins provided by the instructors. You also learn how to use signal mirrors with search and rescue planes overhead giving you feedback on how you're doing. Other survival techniques are practised, turning winter camping into something to look forward to - no mosquitoes!
The instructors: Drs Rick Riewe and Jill Oakes have travelled with Inuit on the land in winter, throughout the circumpolar region since 1970 and 1982, respectively. Lessons learned from the Inuit are shared throughout the weekend.
Equipment to Bring:
- Sleeping bag or comforters
- sleeping mat or skins
- tarp
- snow shovel
- camera
- flashlight, Sorry - no candles as the caribou skins are extremely flammable
- layers of warm and wind resistant clothing plus a dry change of clothing
- 'pot luck' food for breakfast, lunch and supper (coffee, tea, drinkable tap water, condiments, utensils, kitchen equipment provided)
- Sunscreen and Sunglasses
Contact <jill.oakes@ad.umanitoba.ca>
