snow shelter

A

andrew7978

Joined
Mar 19, 2007
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I had been planning on building a debris shelter, however, when I finally decided to do it there was snow on the ground so I decided to build a snow shelter instead. As there were only about 5 inches on the ground, I had to shovel it all into a pile. It took me about 3 hours to build. Now that I had finally completed it, I felt I had to test it out. I ended up spending the night in it. I slept in what I would normally wear on a winter hike: hat, gloves, a few layers, and a winter coat. It was just around freezing outside and it got up to 46 degrees in my shelter.

Because I was tired of shoveling snow, I only got the walls to a little under a foot and a half. For a good shelter, it is really better to have 2 feet.
shelter.jpg


The cave part was just big enough for me to curl up in. The camera case was in the front of the door, which doesn't really give a good perspective of how big the cave is.
shelter1.jpg



Analysis of this type of shelter:

-It is very uncomfortable having to curl up the whole night.
-The floor I was lying on ended up as frozen snow and was pretty uncomfortable
-You loose the most heat to the floor, so if you have a towel or extra clothes use them as a sleeping mat
-While this wasn't the best sleep I ever got, it would keep me alive throughout the night
 
You needed an "Eski-Mama" (Eskimo female) to curl up with you in there to heat things up.:D
 
The ket to success in a snow shelter is staying off of the snow. Use boughs from an evergreen to insulate the floor if nothing else is handy. Also it is best to build a "shelf" to lie down on.Staying above the floor keeps you warmer. Neat attempt though! something primitive and comforting about staying in a shelter you build yourself.
 
Nice shelter you have there. Certainly would protect you from the elements for a while. Here are a couple pics of my shelter on winter camping trip in Chateaugay, NY last February.

Kevsfinishedsnowshelter3.jpg


Kevbuildingsnowshelter10.jpg


Kevbuildingsnowshelter9.jpg


When I make my modified snow shelters, I first build up a large pile of snow. If it is powder, you'll need to build it up, pack it and let it set. I then dig a "T" shape into it. This will be the sleeping area and the entrance way. You can also simply dig a straight channel into it. Over the top, I layer boughs and then more snow. While this takes a little more time than burrowing from inside it, it keeps you relatively dry and in the winter that is so important.

With this shelter, I didn't use boughs underneath me since I had my sleeping pad and bag. However, cutting the channel will let you easily put a good base of them under you.
 
I've read in many manuals, that if you are using a snow cave for survival and you want it to be comfortable, that you should elevate the sleeping platform. You would dig a deep (around a foot) trench around your sleeping platform. That way the cold air is "forced" to seep into the lowest portion of the cave and leaving you above the coldest portion of the cave. Its forced into this lower area because cold air is heavier. I would have to agree with sleeping on ANYTHING to elevate you above the snow would help keep you warmer longer. I have also heard that a single candle lit will increase the inside temp by 10 deg. Of course, if your not careful, you may end up staying in there for the rest of the winter :-)

Great job though on your snow cave! I've been wanting to do that for over 10 years now, but just lack the sack I guess :-)
Some professor here in Michigan, does it every year. There was a new article about him several years back. Of course most people think he's nuts, but I admire him and people like you. Keep up the good work and maybe this dreamer will do it some day!
 
How many of your dogs could you get in there with you? It could be a 3 dog night.
 
"it would keep me alive throughout the night"

Correction - it did keep you alive during the night. You did a great job. Mac
 
Elevating a platform means you are still sleeping on snow. YOu need to have a minimum of 6 inches of compressed plant material under you to mitigate cunductive heat loss.

Skam
 
Thanks for the compliments guys. I had never really thought of building an elevated sleeping platform. That is a really good idea. You learn something new every day. Sometimes two things on this forum;)



markhait said:
Keep up the good work and maybe this dreamer will do it some day!
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I encourage you to do it, it really gives you a sense of accomplishment.
 
i have built them when I was younger playing on snow piles that the snow plow made in parking lots. I never did get the chance to sleep in them though. I can see what Skam is talking about with extra padding and insulation between you and the snow. It hard enough to camp during the winter and not have a sleeping mat or something underneath you.
 
GEC said:
I can see what Skam is talking about with extra padding and insulation between you and the snow. It hard enough to camp during the winter and not have a sleeping mat or something underneath you.
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I have seen people freeze with -30 sleeping bags in a tent, easily fixed with some ground insulation. The ground will suck the heat out of you, you need dead air space at least to counter it. Good ground insulation is almost or more important than the roof of your shelter, it is the first thing you consider or build when it comes to shelters.

Not talking summer here only in the cold seasons.

Skam
 
I had once the dubious honor to sleep on a rock below freezing, with sleeping bag, but zero sleeping mat or material. Not a pleasant experience.

IMHO spending (both in terms of money and in terms of carried weight) a bit less on sleeping bag, and a bit more on ground mat is a good investment.
 
I have wanted to build one for a long time, I am in the perfect spot for it.
I just got a new workout mat too, a green foam rubber thing, more substantial then the common blue ones, it should work good.
I may grab a few caribou furs too, it does get to -30C out there now.
 
Aways remember the 5 types of heat loss...conduction, convection, radiation, respiration and persperation!
 
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