The Snow Trench

I

IA Woodsman

Joined
Sep 21, 2009
Messages
534
A viable alternative to a Quinzee, the snow trench is a great winter shelter. One of my favorite things about it is that you don't get as full of snow as you would with other shelters. Also, It doesn't take as much snow as others do.

[YOUTUBE]LKIfTB5H8vg[/YOUTUBE]

Pile your snow about hip high and flatten the top. You need to mix and agitate the snow so it bonds together.

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After about an hour or two of sitting, dig a trench down the middle.

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Place sticks across the top.

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Put a tarp or plastic over the sticks. Cover it with about 12" of snow that you dug from the middle.

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Nice.
How does the dog handle sleeping in the snow? Is she a four-legged hot water bottle or is she really annoying to share a shelter with?

Cheers
Craig
 
that is a very cool alternative to building a full on snow shelter. very cool sir. i did a full on version not to long ago but cheated and used a snow blower to stack it all up lol
 
Havokk said:
Nice.
How does the dog handle sleeping in the snow? Is she a four-legged hot water bottle or is she really annoying to share a shelter with?

Cheers
Craig
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She is a wuss when it come to snow. I let her hang with me during the day, but she goes in at night.
grunt soldier said:
that is a very cool alternative to building a full on snow shelter. very cool sir. i did a full on version not to long ago but cheated and used a snow blower to stack it all up lol
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Thats not cheating, it's improvising.
tonym said:
That is something I do want to try.

Thanks for posting IA!!!
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You guys should have plenty of snow to do it.
1066vik said:
nice!
yet again proving - I don't have enough snow... :(
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You are only a few hours away, come on up.
 
That is a great shelter!
And nice shoes, what make are they?

The snow trench I used to use was different.
In deep snow, I would dig out a trench.
I would dig from one side a sloping entrance into the snow.
The bottom would be wide enough for me to sleep in my bivi bag, and the top slit would be quite narrow.
I would bang the side of the trench with my shovel to strenghten it.
Over the little slit on the top, I would lay my poncho to keep out the snow and cover it with some extra snow.

It can be dug on level snow and is a very fast and easy shelter to dig.
No sweating like a snow cave.

I would use this when long distance snowshoeing in Vermont and New York
 
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tonym said:
And more coming...

Hell I can make a duplex quinzee with all this damn snow :D
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Post it up. That would be cool.
neeman said:
That is a great shelter!
And nice shoes, what make are they?

The snow trench I used to use was different.
In deep snow, I would dig out a trench.
I would dig from one side a sloping entrance into the snow.
The bottom would be wide enough for me to sleep in my bivi bag, and the top slit would be quite narrow.
I would bang the side of the trench with my shovel to strenghten it.
Over the little slit on the top, I would lay my poncho to keep out the snow and cover it with some extra snow.

It can be dug on level snow and is a very fast and easy shelter to dig.
No sweating like a snow cave.

I would use this when long distance snowshoeing in Vermont and New York
Click to expand...

Those are US issue. I picked these up on evilbay for 32 bones shipped!!! I had a pair issued when I was in. They are pretty bomb-proof.
 
Very nice demo IA. Both faster to do and I think the trench provides a more stable roof. A perfect reason why to carry a heat sheet and a garbage bag in your PSK during winter months.
 
A modification of the conventional snow trench - very creative! :thumbup:

And once again, thanks for posting pictures for us video-challenged folk.

Doc
 
awesome stuff. I'll have to try that. Do you have a personal preference for a packable snow shovel?
 
Nice... what are your thoughts on performance, after sleeping in it? (I realize this may have been just a demo model, I was refering to any past experiences.) I found that making a wall in the front and having a 2ft top entrance with a cover flap to ventilate was much more manageable as it better simulates a trench in deeper snow, like Neeman mentions... (kinda like sleeping in a coffin as opposed to a grave... lol.) What kind of flooring would you use in your area?

Any comments on location/orientation with regard to wind direction and slope? How did it compare to a quince with a cold well and elevated platform? Sorry for all the questions, I just find this stuff cool because there are so many little variables that make a big difference in getting through a bearable night in one of these.
 
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kgd said:
Very nice demo IA. Both faster to do and I think the trench provides a more stable roof. A perfect reason why to carry a heat sheet and a garbage bag in your PSK during winter months.
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Roger that
DOC-CANADA said:
A modification of the conventional snow trench - very creative! :thumbup:

And once again, thanks for posting pictures for us video-challenged folk.

Doc
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You are welcome
Joezilla said:
awesome stuff. I'll have to try that. Do you have a personal preference for a packable snow shovel?
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This may sound bad, I like a regular grain shovel I can strap to my sled. I have not had much exposure to small collapsible shovels. The exception to that is the E-tool, which I think works well for excavating snow. I very rarely find my self in areas where I don't have to pile snow to make a shelter. So, I like a big shovel for making a pile and a E-tool if I need to dig in confined spaces.
Rick Marchand said:
Nice... what are your thoughts on performance, after sleeping in it? (I realize this may have been just a demo model, I was refering to any past experiences.) I found that making a wall in the front and having a 2ft top entrance with a cover flap to ventilate was much more manageable as it better simulates a trench in deeper snow, like Neeman mentions... (kinda like sleeping in a coffin as opposed to a grave... lol.) What kind of flooring would you use in your area?

Any comments on location/orientation with regard to wind direction and slope? How did it compare to a quince with a cold well and elevated platform? Sorry for all the questions, I just find this stuff cool because there are so many little variables that make a big difference in getting through a bearable night in one of these.
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The trenches I have slept in are OK. There are better snow shelters, but these are pretty fast. Like most shelters I like the opening perpendicular to the wind. I really like the 2 ft wall idea. I will try that on the next one I build. Unfortunately it is hard to incorporate a cold well or sleeping platform. An insulation bed is key with this shelter. In my area I really like cattail. If that is not around I will get Black willow branches for a base and cover then with Foxtail or other grasses. Thanks for the great questions.
 
Thanks for the post. This shelter is a great idea. So many shelters seem to be very complicated, and the simplicity shown here is a nice change.
 
Great stuff as always IA :thumbup: !!

That snow trench reminds me another shelter I read of a long time ago..

If memory serves me, they used in AK.. The author used a tarp and positioned it 1/2 to 3/4's up the downwind side of a hill.. Not sure if he used a rope or what for the midroof support but the snow was dug out from under the tarp and covered the edges and the back to seal it from the wind.. They cut down boughs for bedding and lined the trench with their wood to dry as the had a fire going in it.. The wind would slowly drift and cover the tarp .. I think they use some of the snow as well for a reflector.. Sorry I can't go into too much exact detail, but it was from an old issue of backwoodsman that I read this...

Tux
 
IA Woodsman

Lots of questions, so here goes.

I did not realize how small the shelter is, until I saw the footage.
Do you you use this on a regular basis.
Do you go out without a tent, and rely on this shelter?

How long does it take for the snow to settle?
Could you pack down the snow as you make the mound? Like walking over it with snowshoes as you are working.
Would that speed up the hardening?
Did you try sprinkling water on the sides to freeze the inside walls?
Do you have to use such a wide shovel?
If you made a narrower trench with the shovel, the opening at the top could be closed with pine branches and not need a poncho and those heavy logs?
How practical would it to build a two man trench like this?

Could this be a practical survival shelter for an emergency?
"All" you would need is a shovel, but would you have to wait too long for the snow to compact?

For a shovel, I only ever carried an MRS attachment to an ice axe.
I tried a flat metal food tray before I purchased the attachment, it worked well and was light!

Any answers would be interesting.
 
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