S07.E08: Up In Smoke

[Quilt Fairy]

Quote

One survivalist rushes to prevent their shot at a million dollars from going up in smoke. Another struggles to complete their shelter in time for winter, while another must defend their territory from an unwelcome visitor.

Air date: July 30, 2020

Edited July 31, 2020 by Quilt Fairy
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[LittleIggy]

I can’t watch the poor rabbits still alive in the trap. ☹️
Wow, only 4 left.

[Auntie Anxiety]

The episodes are getting increasingly, um, what’s the word? Boring?

[Yeah No]

I actually think this season has been pretty interesting.  The show has been in the Arctic before but I don't remember this many rabbits.  It was hard to see them struggling in the traps, though, especially after seeing a sweet little bunny bouncing around on my lawn this morning.

We have been seeing some wildlife we didn't see in previous seasons, like musk ox and fox.  

I just knew the tall skinny guys would be the next to tap out.  I think their high metabolisms and need for more calories don't help, plus now the contestants don't seem to want to do any major harm to their bodies - good for them.  It does seem like more people are tapping out relatively early, but maybe my expectations were raised this season by the 100 day goal.

Going into this episode I told my husband that Amos is the dark horse this season.  I still think so.  He seems to be comfortable dealing with difficult circumstances given his background.  Although I would ideally like to see a woman win this season (finally) and Callie has become my favorite.  Callie and all her many bunnies.  How great that both of the women are still there with only 4 left!

No Roland this episode - I pictured him spending all those days chewing on his musk ox bones.

[LeighAnne]

This episode surprised me.  The rhythm of this series has been that there is only one tapout (or none) per episode, so two caught me off guard.  That said, Mark really does look like he's starving, and of course, talk about child = time to leave.

Good to know that they're not allowed to kill the foxes (the foxes are protected).  I wonder if there's a "the fox is attacking me" exception to the law.

Callie seems to be in the best spirits of the remaining four, but of course, Roland has that giant musk ox to eat.

[AZChristian]

Wow.  Two-thirds of the men are gone, but all of the women remain.  

Who would have predicted that?

 

[Auntie Anxiety]

11 hours ago, Yeah No said:

The show has been in the Arctic before but I don't remember this many rabbits

I remember watching a Life Below Zero Episode in which the Hailstone daughters went out rabbit hunting. The rabbits were abundant. Rabbit numbers, like everything else, are cyclical. Lots of them some years, very few of them in other years. Weather, food, predators, etc. are all factors.

Kielyn’s cute bob hairdo is reminiscent of the Catherine Zeta-Jones character in Chicago.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Auntie Anxiety

[humbleopinion]

Kielyn's eyes are dark brown.

Callie's eyes are lighter, greyish.

That is one way to differentiate between the females.

Joe's never ending shelter build was never completed.....at least Jose had a maiden and scarily tippy voyage in his boat.

[mlp]

I figured Kielyn had tapped out after all her talk about being lonely and, once again, crying.  I'm sure that's what the producers wanted viewers to think as they showed the boat crossing the lake and they got me.  I couldn't feel too sorry for Joe because he was still building his shelter at almost the halfway mark.  What was he thinking?  

I didn't understand what exactly happened with the fire.  It looked at first like the interior of the shelter was ablaze and Mark (?) ran out without his safety gear but then he was seen the next day removing burned stuff from the outside.  How were his hands not burned?

 

 

[DrewPaul2010]

15 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I actually think this season has been pretty interesting.  The show has been in the Arctic before but I don't remember this many rabbits.  It was hard to see them struggling in the traps, though, especially after seeing a sweet little bunny bouncing around on my lawn this morning.

We have been seeing some wildlife we didn't see in previous seasons, like musk ox and fox.  

I just knew the tall skinny guys would be the next to tap out.  I think their high metabolisms and need for more calories don't help, plus now the contestants don't seem to want to do any major harm to their bodies - good for them.  It does seem like more people are tapping out relatively early, but maybe my expectations were raised this season by the 100 day goal.

Going into this episode I told my husband that Amos is the dark horse this season.  I still think so.  He seems to be comfortable dealing with difficult circumstances given his background.  Although I would ideally like to see a woman win this season (finally) and Callie has become my favorite.  Callie and all her many bunnies.  How great that both of the women are still there with only 4 left!

No Roland this episode - I pictured him spending all those days chewing on his musk ox bones.

In a sense its probably the thought of a hundred days that is doing a lot of them in. If its last person standing they always think everyone else is as bad a shape as they are in so hang in another day and they don't know if the next day is the day they win.  They're just past 40 days and already starving. If they simply stood still they'd burn tons of calories just to stay warm. Winning was an impossibility so why continue to suffer? I'd like to see a year contest for 2 million only start at late spring and give these brave people a whole summer to create a great shelter, actually grow food as well as hunt for it. Probably only loneliness or injury would take them out...

Soap would be a mandatory item...

 

[DrewPaul2010]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I figured Kielyn had tapped out after all her talk about being lonely and, once again, crying.  I'm sure that's what the producers wanted viewers to think as they showed the boat crossing the lake and they got me.  I couldn't feel too sorry for Joe because he was still building his shelter at almost the halfway mark.  What was he thinking?  

I didn't understand what exactly happened with the fire.  It looked at first like the interior of the shelter was ablaze and Mark (?) ran out without his safety gear but then he was seen the next day removing burned stuff from the outside.  How were his hands not burned?

 

 

I thought so also but she bounced back nicely. Still I see the weight loss in her face. I think she hangs in for a while more. She has no food stores so she is living pay check to pay check so to speak. I still don't know if it comes down to the last person do they still have to endure a 100 days?

I notice Roland always talks to the camera and uses the word we or us a lot. We got to lug this meat back and forth. We'll have to store this meat in a locker. I believe he creates company for himself this way. Its like we're on this adventure with him. 

[rmontro]

15 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Going into this episode I told my husband that Amos is the dark horse this season.  I still think so.  He seems to be comfortable dealing with difficult circumstances given his background.  Although I would ideally like to see a woman win this season (finally) and Callie has become my favorite.

Callie has such a great attitude it's hard not to like her.  Two of the final four are women, this reminds me of a previous season where the women did very well.  I remember there was discussion about certain advantages females might have in this situation, but I don't recall what was said.  

I agree Amos is a good dark horse.  It looked like it was him in the preview who comes across a large herd of musk ox, it's almost hard for me to believe he wouldn't be able to take one of them.  

There's also a possibility no one makes the 100 days.  We're not even halfway through and most of the contestants are gone.

[DrewPaul2010]

1 hour ago, humbleopinion said:

Joe's never ending shelter build was never completed.....at least Jose had a maiden and scarily tippy voyage in his boat.

The idea of a really good shelter isn't a bad idea. Theoretically a shelter that can be heated to 40+ degrees will help stop the hemorrhaging of calories.  His plans were too grandiose and he never got the calorie savings benefit. 

I recall on a few occasions being so thirsty that I gorged on drink and was still thirsty. It took time not more drink for the thirst to quench.

[TVbitch]

When will the bunnies stop crying?! I think I would probably starve to death before I would be able to club a crying bunny, but then I have not been tested in a starvation situation, so you never know. 

Mark didn't really have a choice, but I am continue to be flummoxed why these guys do not put on 30 extra pounds for this adventure.

Joe did not use his time wisely earlier on when he had more energy. You are only going to get more weak and tired, so why put something that strenuous off. 

Go Callie! 

[rmontro]

48 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

When will the bunnies stop crying?! I think I would probably starve to death before I would be able to club a crying bunny, but then I have not been tested in a starvation situation, so you never know. 

Think of it as putting them out of their misery.  But I could certainly do without the bunny screaming.  I probably won't stop watching, but I'm starting to consider it.

[roamyn]

I've liked Callie since the beginning, even though I think she struggled initially.  Her attitude is great.  Now that Joel is gone (my fave), I'm liking Amos as my second choice.  He - like Roland - seems to just roll with the punches.

However, I still think this is Roland's to lose.

[Eataton]

I predicted early that Mark and Joe wouldn't make it. I'm kinda rootin for everyone now.

[Eataton]

13 hours ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Rabbit numbers, like everything else, are cyclical

 

8 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

She has no food stores so she is living pay check to pay check

I really like Kielyn, but I'm not too sure she'll make it. I was surprised at the belly fat of her hare. I still don' think it's enough, probably less than a piece of bacon. There's a thing called rabbit starvation where your belly may be full but too lean of meat doesn't digest right. Anyway, she's a sweet girl and her loneliness might get the best of her.

[ProfCrash]

Joe was too set on his game plan and didn’t adjust. A perfect shelter is not necessary. A warm shelter with a good fire place is.

Thrilled that Mark tapped because he was seriously sick. I wonder if he would have been pulled for medical reasons if he hadn’t tapped?

Amos better hope he scared off that fox. That thing had no fear. Dang was it bold.

Callie wears the camo gear, Kielyn wears the headband or red hat. They both seem to be doing pretty good. Callie has lived through some hard times; two dead brothers? Ughhhhh that sucks. 
 

I am glad Kielyn had her moment. It is better to be sad and let it out then try to hold it in. Have that time, embrace the suck, and move on.

They cast a great crew this year.

[PaperTree]

17 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

I notice Roland always talks to the camera and uses the word we or us a lot.

I've lived alone for 35 years and do that all the time 🙂 

Amos' shelter looks flammable.  A spear is not a bad thing to have.  Nice job snaring the bunny and getting to it before Mr. Cute Fox.

Callie.  Spruce brushing.  LOL.  Down 20% body weight is not good.  Good bunny catch!  I love Halloween.

Kielyn.  Getting lonely.  I feel bad the Lynx (or something) chowed all her bunnies, but If you need somebody to hold your hand and tell you it’s ok, you are in the wrong game.  What did you think you were signing up for?

Stoicism.  OK.

She’s made the final four, but I think Rock House Roland has this in the bag.

Amazing how a no fat, no carb, all protein diet is really bad. /s

[snarkish]

Go, Ladies! Surprised they surpassed the two military dudes. Callie continues to surprise me. She has a awesome attitude and seems to be having a great time, her head is in the right place. She hasn't complained of loneliness or fatigue. 

Scary about Mark's health! I keep thinking that a diet based only on fish or rabbits can really do a body in over time, and you have to be concerned about parasites of what the rabbit/porcupine/squirrel might already have onboard, no? When there is no balance to the diet, and you're in it for this long, I totally see health issues cropping up, especially also dealing with extreme cold and having to keep warm. I agree with the previous poster who said they should have started it earlier and give them a chance to build a better shelter and or gather more food before the Winter hit.

I had to giggle a little bit at Amos yelling at the fox, "See? You don't listen!" That would be me, talking to my pets. I do like him, and am thinking that he and Callie are who I am rooting for now.

Not that sorry to see Joe go, he always seemed a bit grumpy, even the wind bothered him. 

I think Kielyn will last an episode or two more and then tap. I don't think she can handle the isolation much longer. 

Odd that no show of Roland, who I believe has been in every episode thus far. But my stomach needed a break from him for sure.

I think we're going to have more tap outs per episode now. We are on episode 8 and barely at the halfway mark. Wondering if anyone will make it 100 days. 

[DrewPaul2010]

Considering there is usually only one woman to every 5 men the odds are stacked against them. For two to remain out of four is outstanding. Woman have some advantages and some disadvantages but this is an even competition. You can nearly count on every tall HWP person to bow out. There was one woman who bulked up before her second appearance but unfortunately a fish hook deep in her hand ended her season.

I think I'd pound down the hamburgers before I left and get at least 50 pounds overweight. Lose that in the first week concentrating on a great shelter.

The funniest part of the show is where they advise us not to try this at home. No worries here...

 

 

[mlp]

1 hour ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

You can nearly count on every tall HWP person to bow out.

What does HWP stand for?

1 hour ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

The funniest part of the show is where they advise us not to try this at home. No worries here...

LOL  It hadn't crossed my mind either.

[Yeah No]

43 minutes ago, mlp said:

What does HWP stand for?

From this site:

https://www.cyberdefinitions.com/definitions/HWP.html

Quote

What Does HWP Mean?

HWP means "Height Weight Proportional."

The abbreviation HWP is used on dating sites (e.g., Tinder, Zoosk and Match.com) as a way of describing a person's physique without actually giving body measurements. For example:

5 feet 4 inches. HWP.

6 feet 2 inches tall and HWP.

It is generally believed that the majority of users on dating sites who state they are HWP are usually at least slightly overweight.

Dating sites are full of specialist abbreviations (see our list of dating terms), which have their roots in a time when personal ads featured in local newspapers and users were charged by the word. A term like HWP would incur a fee for just one word while still offering a fair amount of information. "Height Weight Proportional" would, of course, cost three times as much.

 

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

The funniest part of the show is where they advise us not to try this at home. No worries here...

You mean I don't have to play recordings of bunnies screaming while I'm trying to sleep?

[whydoiwatchtv]

Yeah, I know humans eat meat but I did not need the bunnies screaming. Poor things. Then I realized that all the frozen, trapped bunnies died of strangulation or being trapped while a fox might eat you. Almost ready to tap out, myself lol. Is there a thread for speculation and possible spoilers?

[ProfCrash]

I will readily agree that the bunny screaming is over the top. It’s awful. Just don’t need it.

[mlp]

15 hours ago, Yeah No said:

HWP means "Height Weight Proportional."

Thanks.  I don't go to dating sites and I never would have figured that out.

[Jeanne222]

I think 100 days is impossible.  I also think it only one is left the show will go on until the 100 days are up!  Sad but true.  I much prefer the last one standing wins.  For some reason this season just doesn't seem fair to any of the contestants.

I think we are seeing so many bunny deaths because they have nothing else to show.

It also seems the contestants were sent in with odds stacked against them.  The brutal cold.  The protected animals and the same 10 items the other shows allowed.  When your expected to achieve the impossible there should have been more concessions!I

It's funny how they pay contestants on some of these game shows and reality shows big money but put a man or woman out with nothing in the Arctic and probably almost starve until they say uncle and lose the prize.

I don't like this 100 days at all.  It's so unfair to all the contestants.

[ProfCrash]

I think that 100 days is possible. It might not be pretty but it is possible. They choose a bunch of Contestants with solid skills and experience, which is a huge improvement over past seasons. I think the really issue is going to be finding fat sources. I think there is enough protein out there but the fat is going to be the bigger issue. 

The four remaining contestants have good shelters and seem to have identified good hunting locations. I am not sure how many episodes are left, I think only a few, but there can't be a ton of action at this point. They are all going to be wearing down and moving into conservation mode, so they can move through days more quickly. 

I won't be surprised if no one makes 100 days but  won't be surprised if someone does.

[mlp]

5 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

It's so unfair to all the contestants.

I think it's hard on the contestants but I don't think it's unfair.  They all knew what they were getting into when they agreed to do the show.  My grandfather used to say, "You walked in, bub.  Nobody dragged ya."

[Quilt Fairy]

I think 100 days, while challenging, might be more fair to the contestants than last man standing.  I think you can prepare for it better psychologically, which we've seen is a huge part of the battle. 

[Jeanne222]

Hummm not even at the 50 day mark and 6 have folded already.  Can you really train for this?  Or the four remaining two are women.  I'm impressed with the women.  I really like Amos too.  Right now I can't remember the fourth.

Yes they walked right into this but in 'our' world they have so little.  Was this their only chance to make a better life for their families.  Did they ignore consequences?

I'm torn.  I do think with such a brutal 100 day challenge they should have had more then 10 items.  It's almost like a mission impossible!

The show gets what it wants out of the experience with filming and money from sponsors and commercials.

Most of those competing go home with nothing.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Jeanne222

[AZChristian]

9 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

Most of those competing go home with nothing.

Contestants in earlier seasons have alluded to the fact that they got something.  One guy said he "got enough to pay off a few bills," and Sam (in his first season) said he bought a used car with what he received.  

Given that folks have to leave their jobs and are probably not being paid while they are out in the wilderness, though, I think the non-winners' earnings end up being next to nothing of benefit to their families.

[overtherainbow]

I wonder if the big predators around the lake have started to catch onto the show and the participant’s traps and are becoming a little more confident in braving the humans to get a taste of their meat this season.

So if no one makes it to 100 days, is there a deal that whoever is the final one only takes $500,000 like in the previous season? That seems like it would make the most sense to me, and if 2 or more people make it the 100 days they have to split the million.

I wouldn't say they necessarily go home with nothing. They might not get the money, but hopefully come back with a deeper understanding of themselves and their priorities in life with all that time to be alone and think. 

[Jeanne222]

I haven't read of a consolation prize and I think it three of them make it to 100 days then 3 would get $1,000,000 each.  According to the wording.

[Yeah No]

On 8/2/2020 at 2:50 PM, mlp said:

Thanks.  I don't go to dating sites and I never would have figured that out.

LOL, neither do I, I just Googled it.  😃

10 hours ago, overtherainbow said:

So if no one makes it to 100 days, is there a deal that whoever is the final one only takes $500,000 like in the previous season? That seems like it would make the most sense to me, and if 2 or more people make it the 100 days they have to split the million.

I think whoever stays there the longest if under 100 days should get the regular $500,000.  But if two people make it to 100 days I think they should each get $1 million.  I hate it that we don't know these details.

[ForumLou]

Hi Everybody.  Good grief cant believe i finally found y'all.  I was going crazy thinking no way there isn't a forum, there had to be!  Lol turns out i kept looking up 'Alive', not 'Alone'!!  Rofl!  Ok now that Im here, Im a lil behind in eps.  Im up to the bull ox thing and the ep after.  Man what a score that was!  Some of them made me teary.  Anyway, my question:

A couple few eps back at the end there was a memorial dedicating the ep to 'Toby'.  Was that the young kid who won a couple seasons back?  What happened?  Thanks

[batesj]

On 7/31/2020 at 4:09 PM, DrewPaul2010 said:

In a sense its probably the thought of a hundred days that is doing a lot of them in. If its last person standing they always think everyone else is as bad a shape as they are in so hang in another day and they don't know if the next day is the day they win.  They're just past 40 days and already starving. If they simply stood still they'd burn tons of calories just to stay warm. Winning was an impossibility so why continue to suffer? I'd like to see a year contest for 2 million only start at late spring and give these brave people a whole summer to create a great shelter, actually grow food as well as hunt for it. Probably only loneliness or injury would take them out...

Soap would be a mandatory item...

 

no, it woudn't. You can scrub things just fine with hardwood ashes, sand and water.  There is not enough income from this show to keep the medical teams, liability insurance, etc, in place for more than a few months. You're never going to see a warm climate or spring start. 100 days makes it easier and more likely to go longer, cause they know that if they get that far, they will at least get a piece of the million. In all previous seaons, second place gets nothing at all.

[batesj]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:39 AM, ProfCrash said:

I think that 100 days is possible. It might not be pretty but it is possible. They choose a bunch of Contestants with solid skills and experience, which is a huge improvement over past seasons. I think the really issue is going to be finding fat sources. I think there is enough protein out there but the fat is going to be the bigger issue. 

The four remaining contestants have good shelters and seem to have identified good hunting locations. I am not sure how many episodes are left, I think only a few, but there can't be a ton of action at this point. They are all going to be wearing down and moving into conservation mode, so they can move through days more quickly. 

I won't be surprised if no one makes 100 days but  won't be surprised if someone does.

so where's the skills? I've seen nothing so far,  Their shelters have all sucked, had t have fires inside of them, choking them with smoke and catching the shelters on fire, taking much too long to build, not being warm, etc. An igloo only takes one day to build  is MUCH warmer and  needs no fire, just hot rocks, debris, nsulation,  your clothing, a raised wooden bed. dont even need the sleeping bag.

[batesj]

On 8/1/2020 at 8:06 PM, DrewPaul2010 said:

Considering there is usually only one woman to every 5 men the odds are stacked against them. For two to remain out of four is outstanding. Woman have some advantages and some disadvantages but this is an even competition. You can nearly count on every tall HWP person to bow out. There was one woman who bulked up before her second appearance but unfortunately a fish hook deep in her hand ended her season.

I think I'd pound down the hamburgers before I left and get at least 50 pounds overweight. Lose that in the first week concentrating on a great shelter.

The funniest part of the show is where they advise us not to try this at home. No worries here...

 

 

you wont lose more than 2 lbs per day, and the shelter is stupid.  All you need for the first 6 weeks is a Kochanski supershelter, even if you dont take the sleeping bag. Then you'll have the 2 inches of snow that is all you need to make an igloo and the igloo is well proven to be the ideal winter shelter.

Just now, batesj said:

you wont lose more than 2 lbs per day, and the shelter is stupid.  All you need for the first 6 weeks is a Kochanski supershelter, even if you dont take the sleeping bag. Then you'll have the 2 inches of snow that is all you need to make an igloo and the igloo is well proven to be the ideal winter shelter. What you have to do in the first week is make net weirs for waterfowl, cause they'll be migrated in a week or so,  Then make a seine and a pontoon outrigger raft, so you can harvest  an average of 30 lbs of fish per day.

 

[batesj]

On 8/1/2020 at 6:19 AM, ProfCrash said:

Joe was too set on his game plan and didn’t adjust. A perfect shelter is not necessary. A warm shelter with a good fire place is.

Thrilled that Mark tapped because he was seriously sick. I wonder if he would have been pulled for medical reasons if he hadn’t tapped?

Amos better hope he scared off that fox. That thing had no fear. Dang was it bold.

Callie wears the camo gear, Kielyn wears the headband or red hat. They both seem to be doing pretty good. Callie has lived through some hard times; two dead brothers? Ughhhhh that sucks. 
 

I am glad Kielyn had her moment. It is better to be sad and let it out then try to hold it in. Have that time, embrace the suck, and move on.

They cast a great crew this year.

you dont need a fire place, or a fire inside at all. You need a supershelter tarp set up for the first 6 weeks, until you get the 2 inches of snow you need to make an igloo. 

[batesj]

On 7/31/2020 at 8:01 PM, TVbitch said:

When will the bunnies stop crying?! I think I would probably starve to death before I would be able to club a crying bunny, but then I have not been tested in a starvation situation, so you never know. 

Mark didn't really have a choice, but I am continue to be flummoxed why these guys do not put on 30 extra pounds for this adventure.

Joe did not use his time wisely earlier on when he had more energy. You are only going to get more weak and tired, so why put something that strenuous off. 

Go Callie! 

they do put on the weight, but it's cheating to do so. wth would GO someplace if they knew that they'd  just starve? they' should be eliminated if they have not few themselves adequately for at least a week, at the 30 day mark and at 60 days if they dont have 100,000 calories stored up.

[Canadi-Anna]

On 9/12/2020 at 12:15 AM, batesj said:

All you need for the first 6 weeks is a Kochanski supershelter, even if you dont take the sleeping bag. Then you'll have the 2 inches of snow that is all you need to make an igloo and the igloo is well proven to be the ideal winter shelter.

With no sleeping bag you will be frozen minutes after a fire goes out, and after -20 your fire won't keep you warm enough without a bag to sleep in no matter which shelter type unless you make a quinzee only big enough to trap your body warmth with a candle, kind of like a coffin; not practical. Two inches of snow is not even remotely enough to make an igloo or even a quinzee. Igloo blocks must be cut from a particular type of snow that is hardpacked but naturally windswept the right way by nature so that they are light, easy to cut, hard but filled with the right amount of air. Igloos must be replaced often as they lose their effectiveness. They are only temporary shelters for nomadic Inuit or hunting parties. They are not conducive to having hot fires, (oil was used) nor wood beds off the ground (no wood in the actual arctic) and require an animal pelt barrier to sleep on the ground. 

A better option would be to dig into a hillside for an ideal shelter -- at least half of it, with a rock fire place and sod stacked walls on the outer parts. I don't know if that's practical with the tools brought, but if it were me I'd be using that axe to hack through the hillside roots and hollow out a small home, using the sod I'd removed from the hill for at least part of the walls. If no hillside available, digging downward is good too. Heck as kids we'd make underground forts just for fun. No better insulation than mama-earth. 

Canadi-Anna

[batesj]

On 11/17/2020 at 11:01 AM, Canadi-Anna said:

With no sleeping bag you will be frozen minutes after a fire goes out, and after -20 your fire won't keep you warm enough without a bag to sleep in no matter which shelter type unless you make a quinzee only big enough to trap your body warmth with a candle, kind of like a coffin; not practical. Two inches of snow is not even remotely enough to make an igloo or even a quinzee. Igloo blocks must be cut from a particular type of snow that is hardpacked but naturally windswept the right way by nature so that they are light, easy to cut, hard but filled with the right amount of air. Igloos must be replaced often as they lose their effectiveness. They are only temporary shelters for nomadic Inuit or hunting parties. They are not conducive to having hot fires, (oil was used) nor wood beds off the ground (no wood in the actual arctic) and require an animal pelt barrier to sleep on the ground. 

A better option would be to dig into a hillside for an ideal shelter -- at least half of it, with a rock fire place and sod stacked walls on the outer parts. I don't know if that's practical with the tools brought, but if it were me I'd be using that axe to hack through the hillside roots and hollow out a small home, using the sod I'd removed from the hill for at least part of the walls. If no hillside available, digging downward is good too. Heck as kids we'd make underground forts just for fun. No better insulation than mama-earth. 

Canadi-Anna

not true at all. the double layered, debris stuffed tarp shelter, sealed with tape and similar sleeping bag, suffice just fine. No need of a fire, or more shelter than that. Their location doesnt go below 0F for more than a month and barely freezes the first month.