Inland Iglu has launched

“I think the most important thing with Inland Iglu is the ability to bring out imagination,” said the project’s inventor, Eli Goodner.

Inland Iglu is a self-making snow structure that can be made overnight with the ease of setting up a tent and is also compact and portable. This is the first self-building igloo of its kind. It can be quickly and easily assembled with its innovative and patented one-piece folding design, and it features flexible fiber-glass rods and horizontal struts that clasp together.

Traditional igloos (spelled ‘Iglu’ in native Inuktitut), also known as snow houses or snow huts, were built and lived in for centuries by the Inuit people across the arctic. Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only by the people of Canada’s Central Arctic and the Qaanaaq area of Greenland. The compacted snow walls were historically engineered to insulate the body heat of those inside, making it 50-100 degrees warmer than the outside.

As a child, Goodner built hundreds of traditional igloos and different types of snow structures throughout the years. As he began raising his children, he could see that the Silver Valley winters could be long and harsh, keeping families cooped up indoors.

“Less than a year ago, I was spending a family trip at our local ski resort, contemplating something that I could do or build that would allow me and my boys to travel to snowy destinations all over the United States,” Goodner explained. “I tussled with a few different ideas, like building an ice bar; however, after I had just received a perfectly timed text from one of my best friends, I realized that creating a new kind of Iglu was what my life’s experiences had prepared me for all along.” The text from a friend was a video of his daughter playing and laughing in an ice castle.

“The look of pure, nostalgic joy on her face was the perfect example of the smiles and wonder that I aim to put on faces all across this snow globe that is the Inland Northwest and beyond.”

Using his imagination, memories from building snow structures in his youth, and background as a general contractor, Goodner and his friend got to work, sourcing materials and coming up with different technologies that could someday become a self-building, tent-style iglu.

“Building Iglus with my family has brought us countless hours of quality time together, and memories I’ll hold dear to my heart. They have also been an incredible container for education, history and interactive outdoor play for the entire community,” Goodner said, “These have always been moments of my life that I believe every family deserves to experience and I knew I had to come up with an easier way for anyone to build and share the magic of a winter wonderland fort.”

The Iglu also comes equipped with a central safety plate, which screws into the framework and domed shape, like a tent. The structure also comes with red depth whiskers, which helps show that the ice walls are getting a bit thin, and it’s time to hook your Iglu up to a hose on a chilly night.

“It has always been important to me to create a technique that has the same, if not more advanced, insulating and safe qualities as a traditional Iglu,” Goodner said. “This ensures endless hours of continuous playtime and a structure that you can trust all winterlong.”

Goodner and his team recently launched Inland Iglu on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform that helps creative projects come to life. With community backing, the prototypes can continue to be built and eventually be put on the market in stores or online.

“This will be the first and only opportunity to get an early bird price on this product before we take it to market. I know, from the bottom of my heart, that any amount of success I’ve produced in this short amount of time couldn’t have been possible without the support of my small-town community.”

To support this project, search Inland Iglu on Facebook or Instagram, or visit https://kickstarter.inlandiglu.com/ to get your hands on your very own Inland Iglu.