American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 219 Inuit Igloo

After Lin Yu'an finished processing the snowshoe hare, he carefully rolled up the intact pelt, tied it with thin rope, and prepared it for making warmer gloves or boot insoles.

He cut the rabbit meat into small pieces suitable for cooking and preservation, and put them into Yukii's refrigerator.

The sky was no longer gloomy as before, but had turned into a leaden gray that was almost black, so heavy that it seemed as if the dome of the sky was pressing down on the ground inch by inch.

What were just small snowflakes in the morning have now turned into dense and thick snowflakes.

A more violent northerly wind swept in, no longer lashing at an angle, but like white arrows, slamming against Lin Yu'an's windproof coat, making a "rustling" friction sound.

A long-brewing blizzard is announcing its gradual domination of this land, plunging the entire world into a white chaos.

"It seems another blizzard is coming, and today's long exploration plan is going to be ruined."

Lin Yu'an stood at the entrance of the shelter. Although he only opened the heavy door a crack, a gust of wind pierced in like thousands of steel needles, making him shiver instantly.

He quickly closed the door again and bolted it shut. The heavy door seemed like a fragile barrier, separating two completely different worlds.

Inside the door was a warm and peaceful orange flame, while outside was a raging and icy white hell.

Walking to the hearth, I added a few pieces of durable birch wood, and the warm flames immediately rose, dispelling the chill that had just crept in.

December seemed to sense the harsh weather outside and didn't play around as usual.

Instead, it quietly curled up on its wolfskin bed, its little ears perked up warily, listening to the wind outside that sounded like thousands of wild beasts galloping and roaring across the wilderness.

Lin Yu'an sat down, looking at the GoPro camera that was always on in front of his chest, even with a calm smile, as if the raging wind and snow outside the window were just the grand backdrop of a stage play.

"In this kind of weather, any rational creature would choose to stay in its warm nest. To forcibly venture out is not only challenging nature, but also showing contempt for life. But..."

He changed the subject, a glint in his eyes, "This also gives me an excellent opportunity to complete another long-planned project: building a cold fumigation room."

"I have a lot of fish and meat stored up. To be honest, I really, really don't want to eat only salted roasted meat for every meal for the next twenty days."

"Therefore, I need another food preservation technology—cold smoking. It can not only extend the shelf life of food, but also give it a complex smoky flavor."

"However, there is a huge problem in building a cold smoking room."

He continued his analysis, “It requires digging flues and building walls, but the ground here is frozen harder than stone. Using the tools I have, digging through the frozen ground is almost an impossible task.”

"But now, this blizzard has solved my biggest problem! It has brought me the most ideal building material that can be used on a large scale in this frozen land—snow!"

He faced the camera and explained with utmost seriousness the opportune moment behind his seemingly crazy decision.

"Conducting outdoor construction in such severe snow and wind sounds like a crazy idea. Why not wait until the snow stops and start construction on a sunny day?"

"Because a blizzard itself is a 'natural building materials factory' that is operating at high speed, and the top-quality materials it produces have a shelf life."

"The strong winds are constantly breaking up, grinding, and compacting the snowflakes. Only under such extreme weather conditions can the most suitable 'wind-blown snow' be formed."

"Now, these top-quality snow brick materials are readily available on the ice of the lake."

"Once the blizzard stops, a thick, useless layer of loose, fluffy snow will cover the solid snow underneath like a blanket, and it will take me several times the effort to dig it out."

"What's worse is that snow has a very short shelf life on ice. After the sun comes out, even if the temperature is still low, the radiation from the sun will cause these compacted snow layers to sublimate rapidly."

"It starts to become loose and crumbly from the inside, like it's gone bad. By then, if I cut it into ten pieces, eight of them will probably fall apart."

"Besides, I wouldn't be able to do any long-distance hunting or exploration during a blizzard anyway. It's a waste of time. If I can use this time to complete my infrastructure project..."

"Then when the weather clears up, I can take my weapons and go after bigger goals. In the wilderness, accurately judging and utilizing opportunities is also more important."

He finally admitted, "I have assessed the situation. Although the wind is strong, it is not strong enough to knock me over. The risk is manageable."

"So I'm not fighting the blizzard, I'm taking advantage of it. I have to seize this ongoing 'golden window'."

Without hesitation, he put on his thickest full set of winter gear, as well as a windproof down jacket with a hood.

He checked his tools; a logging axe hung at his waist, and on the other side was the beautifully patterned Damascus hunting knife.

He didn't bring the ice drill, but he tucked the small, sharp triangular handsaw into his pocket in case he needed to cut wood quickly.

"December, go to sleep, I'm going out for a bit." He gave one last instruction before unlatching the door and throwing himself into the raging snowstorm.

The moment I stepped outside, the entire world was instantly swallowed up by the tremendous roar of the wind. All other sounds vanished, leaving only the howling of the wind.

He was like a lone boat sailing into an ocean churning with white, towering waves. He could only lower his head and bend slightly to reduce wind resistance, taking each step with utmost steadiness.

Braving the wind and relying on their memory of the terrain, they walked step by step with difficulty toward the lake.

He didn't go to the center of the lake, but stopped in an area near the shore where the wind was strongest.

The ice surface here has been almost "polished" by the strong winds, leaving only a layer of snow that has been pressed down to be as hard as stone.

He stomped his boot heel hard, the snow making a solid "bang bang" sound like striking a wooden board, leaving only a shallow mark.

"This is it," he murmured to himself, his voice almost carried away by the wind.

He knelt on the snow and began the first step of the entire project: cutting snow bricks.

He didn't have a suitable snow knife, but he had a better alternative: he took out the triangular handsaw from his pocket. It was a perfect match for cutting through dense windblown snow.

He first used his hunting knife to precisely draw a rectangular outline on the snow, then aimed the tip of his handsaw at one corner of the line and easily pierced the snow, pulling it back and forth.

The fine serrations cut rapidly through the compacted snow, making a hissing sound. The saw not only saves effort but also produces straighter and smoother cuts.

He sawed four neat grooves along the outline. Finally, he wedged the back of the logging axe into the bottom groove, then used the handle as a lever to pry upwards.

With a "crack," a snow brick, as big as a giant block of tofu, was pried up completely.

Lin Yu-an held the first snow brick up to the GoPro camera to show it off. Snowflakes frantically hit the snow brick, but it just slid off in vain.

"Look, everyone, this is a perfect 'wind-blown snow' brick. Its texture is very dense and uniform, with almost no visible ice crystal particles. It's quite heavy in your hand, weighing at least ten kilograms."

"Its compressive strength is sufficient to support the weight of an adult, which is the foundation of all our engineering projects today."

For the next hour, Lin Yu'an worked like a tireless machine, repeatedly drawing lines, sawing, and prying amidst the raging wind and snow.

Soon, twenty or thirty snow bricks of varying sizes were neatly stacked around him, like a small white quarry.

After preparing enough building materials, Lin Yu'an began his construction. He did not simply lay the snow bricks vertically one by one like he would lay a brick wall.

He wanted to use the architectural methods that the Inuit had inherited for thousands of years, methods full of geometric wisdom.

The first step was to precisely draw a perfect circle about 1.5 meters in diameter on the snow at the selected location; this would be the foundation for the smokehouse.

Then, arrange the first layer of snow bricks closely along this circle, but do not build them into a horizontal ring.

Lin Yu'an used a hunting knife to trim the upper surface of this ring of snow bricks into a gently sloping spiral ramp.

"Now, we are at the most crucial step in the entire construction process."

He explained to the camera, "These igloos can't be built layer by layer, because the walls won't hold together and will easily collapse. A spiral ascent structure is needed."

As he spoke, he placed a new snow brick at the lowest point of the spiral ramp. Due to the slope, the snow brick naturally tilted inward at a slight angle.

He tapped it gently with the back of his hunting knife, adjusting its position and shaping the side that contacted the previous snow brick into a perfect bevel so that the two could fit together snugly.

Then, he laid new snow bricks one by one up the spiral ramp.

Each snow brick is positioned slightly higher than the previous one and tilted inwards at a greater angle.

Like a skilled sculptor, he constantly used his hunting knife to refine the contact surfaces of each snow brick, making them support and mesh with each other like precise gears.

Soon, a white, spiraling wall began to converge inward, gradually taking the shape of a perfect hemispherical dome.

He stopped when the wall was almost finished. Using a handsaw, he cut a semi-circular arched doorway in the wall facing the shelter.

Then, using the same method, he cut out a smaller square opening opposite the arched doorway, where the flue was about to connect.

After all this was done, the last carefully crafted trapezoidal snow brick was used, like a keystone, to fit perfectly into the central void of the dome.

With the placement of the last snow brick, the entire hemispherical igloo structure instantly completed its mechanical loop, becoming exceptionally sturdy.

Lin Yu'an patted the outer wall with satisfaction, then bent down and stepped into the newly created white dome. The sound of the wind was instantly shut out, and the world suddenly became quiet.

“Alright, the main structure is complete. A sturdy shell will protect us from the wind and snow.” He said to the camera, his voice echoing strangely inside the igloo. “However, for a cold fumigation chamber that requires precise temperature control, sturdiness alone is far from enough; it also needs stability.”

He touched the inner wall of the igloo and continued to explain, "Snow itself is a poor conductor of heat, so it has good insulation properties."

"But with the outside winds blowing at tens of degrees below zero, the cold will continue to seep in, causing the internal temperature to fluctuate wildly."

"Cold smoke isn't just about smoke."

"First, there's the adhesion efficiency of the preservatives, those invisible phenols, aldehydes, and acids in the smoke. These substances need to effectively adhere to the surface of the meat and penetrate it."

"This requires a relatively stable temperature environment, slightly above freezing. If the temperature is too low, a layer of fine ice crystals will form on the surface of the meat, greatly hindering the adhesion and penetration of smoke."

"Smoking for dozens of hours may not be as effective as smoking for a few hours at a stable temperature."

"If the temperature drops drastically, the saturated humidity in the air will decrease, causing water vapor in the smoke to condense into a film of water on the cold surface of the meat."

"This film of water not only washes away the smoky flavorings that have already adhered to it, but worse, it creates a damp, anaerobic environment, which is a breeding ground for certain deadly bacteria!"

“Cold smoking at unstable low temperatures may not result in delicious smoked meat, but rather a culture medium for bacteria wrapped in smoky flavor.”

"Therefore, a perfect cold smoke must be carried out within a highly stable temperature range."

"Only in this way can the food absorb the smoked substances evenly while slowly dehydrating, thus achieving that perfect state of rich flavor."

"Therefore, to achieve a perfect cold fumigation, we must create a 'temperature-controlled chamber' capable of withstanding drastic changes in the external environment. And that's what we'll be doing next."

As he spoke, he began the next step, which best showcased the professional design of the project—building the interior walls.

Using the same method, but with smaller snow bricks, begin building a parallel, lower inner wall along the base of this hemispherical igloo.

He built it very carefully, ensuring that there was a uniform gap of about fifteen centimeters between the inner and outer walls. He did not finish the inner wall, but only built it to form a circular inner ring.

"Now, here is the core solution to all the problems we just encountered: the double-wall structure."

He pointed to the gap between the inner and outer walls and said, "The real secret to insulation is not snow, but the still air trapped by the snow."

"Air is a poor conductor of heat, and a layer of almost completely still air is a highly efficient insulation layer."

"It's like the wall insulation layer in our modern buildings. It greatly slows down the rate at which the cold outside penetrates into the interior, minimizing the risk of a sudden drop in temperature that we were just worried about."

“I didn’t build it very high because the smoke enters from the bottom and circulates mainly in the lower half of the smoke chamber, which is the core area where I hang the food.”

"All I need to do is ensure that the temperature in this core area is highly stable, preventing the meat surface from freezing and preventing water vapor from condensing."

“Building the interior walls too high not only wastes physical strength and materials, but may also affect the smooth discharge of smoke from above.”

"With the protection of this air wall, the temperature in the lower part of this smoking chamber can be stably maintained in the ideal range of a few degrees above zero, which is most suitable for cold smoking."

"This allows for perfect control over moisture release, ensuring efficient adhesion of smoke substances and thus avoiding all risks."

This white, hemispherical building stands silently amidst the wind and snow, with only an arched entrance and a reserved chimney.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary igloo, but from the inside, its ingenious double-walled structure has transformed it into a professional food processing machine.

Aesthetically, it resembles a probe from another planet, brimming with sci-fi geometric beauty, instantly creating an absolutely peaceful workspace for him.

Next is the flue.

He laid several of the longest snow bricks side by side on the ice, extending two meters from the center of the bottom of the U-shaped snow wall.

Then, with his Damascus hunting knife, he scraped and trimmed a semi-circular groove in the middle of the snow bricks.

Although this process is slower than using specialized tools, the results are just as perfect under his precise control.

"Now, we need to solve a core problem: how to prevent the flue from being melted by the residual heat in the smoke."

"We need water, preferably warm water."

He turned and strode back to the shelter, where a warm atmosphere greeted him. He went straight to the fireplace, picked up the iron pot that had been simmering hot water, and walked back to the construction site in the wind and snow.

The iron pot's excellent heat conductivity became a minor problem at this moment; he could feel the heat being lost rapidly, so he had to hurry.

He placed the iron pot steadily on the snow, put on nitrile gloves, and tested the water temperature with his hand; it was still lukewarm.

"Using warm water to make ice glaze not only allows the water to better penetrate the pores of the snow bricks, forming a stronger bond, but also prevents my hands from freezing instantly while I'm working with it."

Then, he dipped his hand in the warm water from the pot and began to quickly and evenly spread it on the inner wall of the entire flue groove.

When warm water comes into contact with snow bricks that are tens of degrees below zero, a thin layer of ice forms almost instantly on their surface. Several layers are applied repeatedly, each layer making the ice shell thicker and smoother.

Repeat this process several times, and a layer of crystal-clear "ice glaze" will be formed.

"This layer of ice glaze is key; it preferentially absorbs heat before the heat from the smoke reaches the fragile snow brick structure."

"Most of the extremely limited heat in the smoke will be consumed in the process of sublimating this thin layer of ice, without causing it to melt and drip. It is a self-healing design."

After finishing the interior wall treatment, he carefully inverted another batch of similarly treated snow bricks onto the wall and completely sealed the joints with snow slurry.

A sealed flue, about two meters long and smooth inside, capable of resisting heat, was thus created.

Its end, like a silent white python, precisely probed into the foundation of the hemispherical igloo.

Now, only the last part remains—the fire pit.

“A few days ago, in order to make ice diamonds, I used a triangular handsaw and spent a lot of effort to cut a stone slab from a huge soapstone and build a small forging furnace.”

"Now that the forging is complete, these soapstone slabs with excellent fire resistance and heat storage properties have become the perfect prefabricated parts for me to build the new equipment."

It took a tremendous amount of effort to move these heavy stone slabs one by one to the construction site on the ice.

He first laid a thick layer of moist spruce wood on the ice as a basic insulation layer.

Then, the largest soapstone slab was laid on top of the logs to form a flat, insulated platform.

"The wood provides basic insulation, while the stone slabs provide fire resistance and load-bearing capacity. Double protection ensures absolute safety," he said, patting the hard stone platform with satisfaction.

On this sturdy platform, he began to use other cut soapstone slabs, interlocking them in a jagged pattern.

Because the edges of the stone slabs were carefully cut, the joints between them are almost seamless.

Soon, a rectangular "stone box" with four sides enclosed began to take shape.

Connect one end of the stone box precisely to the previously built snow brick flue inlet, and seal the joint completely with moist snow slurry and gravel, leaving no gaps.

This will be the stove's "exhaust vent".

Lin Yu'an stood up, walked around his new work, and began to explain in detail the ingenuity of the design.

"This enclosed stove is actually divided into three functional areas. The air and smoke will take a journey from beginning to end inside."

Lin Yu'an crouched down, aligning the camera with the low air intake. The wind and snow swept past him, making a howling sound.

"The principle behind this stove is not how complicated it is, but how straightforward it is."

He pointed to the frontmost air intake with his gloved fingers. "This is the starting point. Fresh air is drawn in through this single, low-lying inlet and into the first part of the furnace."

"I will be here, using the most durable hardwood to maintain a small pile of high-temperature charcoal fire, which is the power source for the entire system."

His finger moved along the smooth top of the stone furnace toward the center. "Look here, the hot air, carrying the exhaust gases from the combustion, will inevitably flow backward."

"In this area, I will pile up damp wood chips and moss, which will not be burned, but will be continuously baked and distilled by hot air flowing from below at over 100 degrees Celsius."

"Just like putting a wet towel on a hot iron plate, the heat will force out the moisture and form thick smoke. This is a smoke factory."

His finger finally stopped at the end of the stove, at the opening that connected to the white flue.

"Finally, all gases, whether high-temperature exhaust gas or low-temperature smoke, will converge here. Finally, they will be forcibly drawn into the flue by the negative pressure suction system of the fumigation chamber."

"All I need to do is add enough charcoal before going to bed and pile up the wet materials, and producing smoke all night shouldn't be a problem."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)