How to Build a Snow Shelter
A "quinzee," or snow hut, can provide vital warmth and shelter in the snow. It can also be a lot of fun to make.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Backcountry Snow Shovel
- Backpacks
- Downhill Ski Poles
- Four-season Sleeping Bag
- Snow Shovels
- Snowshoes
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1
Clear a circular area in the snow about 7 or 8 feet across.
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2
Use a shovel or other digging tool to mix up the snow in the clearing, making sure to bring snow from bottom layers up higher and vice versa. Mixing snow of different temperatures will facilitate the hardening process, which is called sintering.
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3
Make a large pile (about 6 feet high) of snow on top of the clearing and shape it into a dome. The snow should be heaped, not packed.
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4
Allow the mound to sinter for 1 to 3 hours depending on weather and snow composition.
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5
Begin to hollow out the mound once it has hardened sufficiently. Dig straight in at first to create your initial opening, then dig at an upward angle in order to make an elevated sleeping area. This will allow cold air from inside to flow down and out of the shelter.
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6
Use the snow you dig out to make a windbreak in front of the entrance, or heap it onto the exterior of the shelter to thicken its walls and increase the available interior space.
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7
Smooth out the interior walls and ceiling when the hollowed area is large enough.
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8
Poke a ventilation hole through the top of the dome using a ski pole or long stick. Make sure this hole stays clear of ice and snow.
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9
Use ski poles, sticks or other clearly visible items to mark the outside of the entrance in case it gets covered up while you're away.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The walls of your shelter should be at least 1 to 2 feet thick.
While waiting for the snow to sinter, prepare a meal, go for a hike or perform some other task to remain active and warm. Don't just sit around.
Keep your shovel inside while you sleep in case you need to dig your way out.
Use your pack to block the entrance of the shelter, but leave space for air to flow in and out.
Don't cook inside your shelter. This can lead to a lethal buildup of carbon monoxide, even with the ventilation hole.
Building a shelter is hard work, so you can expect to sweat a great deal. This can cause hypothermia. Make sure you have an extra set of dry clothes to change into after you've finished building the shelter.
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Comments
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yourlittleness7
Nov 27, 2008
this is called a quinzy -
yourlittleness7
Nov 27, 2008
this is called a quinzy
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Jan 24, 2006
Hollowing out a quinzee is hard work, and you will sweat. In addition, both kneeling/sitting in the snow and snow falling on you while you work will make your clothing wet. When you're done, you will thus be wet and cold. To prevent that, while digging remove outer clothing and put on a full rainsuit, with hood. This will keep the snow off your clothing. Switch places (and the rainsuit) with someone outside often, to allow yourself to cool down and dry off before you get cold.
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Jan 24, 2006
Once the quinzee is hollowed out, light a candle inside and allow it to burn for a few hours. This will heat the interior, causing the surface of the walls to melt slightly. When the walls re-freeze, they will be ice, and then each time you brush the walls you won't get snow flaking off and falling on you and your gear.
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Jan 24, 2006
Once the quinzee is hollowed out, light a candle inside and allow it to burn for a few hours. This will heat the interior, causing the surface of the walls to melt slightly. When the walls re-freeze, they will be ice, and then each time you brush the walls you won't get snow flaking off and falling on you and your gear.
