Some of us love that time of year when the leaves have all fallen off the trees, the air starts to turn colder, and the snow falls for the first time of the season. For everyone else, those white snowflakes bring back memories of slipping on ice, shoveling our cars out of our driveways, and that gray slush that covers the roads for months. (Of course, if you’ve never seen snow, you’ll just have to imagine.)
No matter how you feel about it, though, cool uses for snow and ice are limited only by our imaginations. Here are 10 of the most mind-blowing and entertaining uses we have today.
10 Snow Can Be Turned Into Drinking Water
If you ever are in desperate need of drinking water or just want to have some fun, having snow on the ground could come in handy. To make drinking water from snow is not as simple as just letting it melt. There are a few steps that you have to take first.
The snow that you collect needs to be “clean.” This will usually be snow that is white and does not have sticks or branches in it. Once your snow is collected, you will need to melt it by mixing it with purified water in a pot. You will then need to use a strainer to get any unwanted toxins out of the water.[1]
Finally, boil the water again. This will also work if you are camping. The water can be boiled using a pan, an open flame (campfire), and an article of clothing through which to drain the water.
Remember, however you make your drinking water from snow, it is important to keep it in a place where it will not freeze. This can include close to your body if you do not have access to heat.
9 Ice Can Be Used To Make Fire
In the case of ice (or water) and fire, opposites really do attract. To make fire from ice, the ice will act as a magnifying glass. Yes, you will be like a young child trying to burn ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass. As funny as that sounds, this concept will work and look very similar to that.
You will need a thin, clear piece of ice—the kind that can be found over frozen water. You will then hold your piece of ice so that the Sun refracts through it to where you want your fire to be. Refracting the light onto sticks or grass can help the fire to start.
Something else to consider is the curvature of your ice lens. The curvature will help in refracting the rays from the Sun so that their magnification will be greater. Higher magnification equals a higher chance of starting a fire.[2]
When a child uses a magnifying glass, it is made of glass rather than ice. The index of refraction for glass is 1.5–1.9. The index of refraction for ice is 1.3. To make up for the difference in refraction, the curved lens will help to magnify the Sun’s rays and get the same end result (fire) as using glass.
8 Ice And Snow Can Be Used For Shelter
Still seen today, igloos are a form of shelter that are made from ice. The Inuit people have been known for making these structures for thousands of years. Igloos are temporary houses made of ice and snow that they use for shelter while out hunting or on another type of expedition.
Building an igloo involves a combination of gathering snow and then digging through that snow to fit inside. The Inuit work together to build igloos because they require so much effort.
If you are looking for a quick way to find shelter in the snow, there are other ways to stay warm besides making an igloo. Wolves have been known to make shelters from snow in Arctic regions. They dig into the snow just high and wide enough so that they can fit inside. If there is too much extra room inside the tunnel, it will get too cold and the wolf could die.
The key to survival with this shelter is to make it just big enough for you to fit. That way, your body heat will not escape from the tunnel and less cold air will reach you inside.[3]
