snow shelters? need some thoughts

[Proud Eagle]

The recent snow storm, while causing many problems, has presented a Scouting opportunity.

 

We now have more snow on the ground than any other time on record save one.

 

I have never built a snow shelter, never seen one built, and don't have any idea what to do.

 

Could someone provide some ideas on how to go about building a basic one person snow shelter (and where to look for more information)?

 

Most references seem to deal more with solid packed snow, or ice. What we have is mostly fine grain loose powder, the sort of stuff skiiers love.

 

I need a response quick, since I will probably only have a few hours tommorrow morning to work on this project before the folks will decide it is time to hit the road and start the slow and dangerous drive to visit the relatives. (I think both my parents are nuts. I personally wouldn't even think of going any place tommorrow. After all, there is still a state of emergency, and yet they want to drive 120 miles. Oh well, I guess I will go along like always.)

[EagleInKY]

Sorry I didn't read this in time Proud Eagle. I've got some information in the Okpik book. I could scan and send to you via e-mail. You're probably already on the road. PM me if you are not.

 

I feel your pain. We normally get together Christmas Eve (today) with the inlaws. We had to convince them to delay, but they would only hear of delaying until tomorrow. So, we're on the road anyway. They're in the central part of the state and only got rain. We're sitting here with 10-12 inches of snow and the roads aren't cleared. But that's not what's important, right?

[Proud Eagle]

Right.

 

The important part is spending Christmas night on your sisters floor in a sleeping bag breathing pine stuff that you are alergic to all so you can give and recieve the oh so proper gifts with the relatives, take the proper holiday photos, and record the family movies that no one will watch until they are too old to see or find a compatible play back device.

 

Yep, I understand.

 

Since we are still snowed in, we ordered up some fried mushrooms, hot wings, and pizza, watched a beutiful sunset across the river and the snow covered landscape, drank some Fosters, put on a Christmas CD, and exchanged a few gifts.

 

We may go see relatives tommorrow.

 

Or not, just depends on the roads.

 

In any case, I am in the Christmas spirit, and I get to sleep in real bed.

 

 

[nldscout]

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/index.shtml

 

Go to this site, on left is winter tab. It takes you to a page you can download the Outdoor Action Guide on Snow shelters. Its an excellant resourse on building snow shelters.

 

As to the snow, loose fine snow works good to build a snow shelter called a Quinzhee. Just pile it up and wait a few hrs for it to settle. If after looking at the quide you still have questions Email me

 

Paul Lamson

 

[FScouter]

The BSA Fieldbook has some good sections on winter camping, including snow shelters.

 

Enjoy your family while you have them.

[johnmbowen]

In the past, our Troop specialized in snow caves and shelters.

The best cave: Cut back a snow bank saving some snow blocks. The snow should be relatively consolidated for safety. Dig out a T shaped entrance. The T shape includes the entrance (the vertical part) and the cross piece starts the snow shelves that you will eventually sleep on (you need to sleep above the floor as that is where the cold air migrates. Dome the roof once inside for strength of the cave. The open T allows for easy shoveling. Be SURE to use a ski pole to push a vertical vent through the roof for air. Finally fill in the cross piece parts of the T, leaving only the bottom of the vertical piece which you will close with a pack. Dish out some candle spots! Also be sure to have plastic tarps to put your sleeping bags on, and to go over the top. The temp gets up to about 40F and the cave has a tendancy to drip. 3-4 candles make enough light to read by. Be aware that in a cave, there is no sound, to you cannot hear the boys in nearby caves. Good sleeping!

 

A Quinzie is also fun to build. Here you just make a large mound of snow (stomp it down periodically to consolidate it) Shape the outside into a dome. Stick sticks in all around the outside of the dome to go in about 1 to 1.5 feet. Dig a low hole in the leeward side of the dome and dig out the interior till you hit the sticks. Poke a vent hole in the ceiling. Alternately, you can buy a form called "POLARDOME" that makes a very nice dome.

 

The coffin shelter: A one person emergency shelter can be made by making a trench in the snow. Carve out flat "blocks" of snow that are wider than half way across your trench. Make sure your trench is about 3 feet deep. Stack the blocks on the top of the trench such that you make a roof. We always used some sticks to help support this roof. For true emergencies, you can line the bottom with boughs for insulation covered by the ubiquitous plastic tarp, and build a small fire at the open head end with a heat reflector wall aimed into the trench. We always taught the boys this one as insurance in case they got caught out in the mountains so that in a pinch they could survive the night.

 

Be aware that the first two take all afternoon to make, and make you pretty wet. We always had rain gear along to wear. Towels to dry off are also very useful. All but the last are pretty labor intensive, but are fun. Practice yourself so that you don't have one collapse on you. I was always paranoid about this and made my roofs as thin as possible. I also went for really hard snow. The boys made a "cave" in loose snow that collapsed on them once, but with the thin roof, they got out with only pride as the casualty. This means that one ought to check their work.

 

Hope that you get to try these!

JB

[VentureScoutNY]

 

This post got me thinking of one of my best memories as a scout. I had built many snow forts and shelters before as a kid, but on this one trip we would be sleeping in one! I can't explain how excited I was, but I'm sure most of you know that feeling. I was with my best friend on the trip and we began construction of the shelter. I am no expert in snow shelters, but I would call what we built a snow cave. All day long, with a few other scouts we piled and pield snow up to form a small mountain of it. We then began to dig into it. After a while we made use of an old radio flyer sled. We took turns laying on it, with our backs on the sled; we would go in and dig until we had snow all over us, than we'd shout to the scout outside to pull us out for the next scout to do his shift. In time we had a snow shelter for two. We constructed walls at the opening of the shelter to make it look more igloo-like. My friend went looking for downed pine braches to line the bottom of the cave and some of the walls with. When he returned, he had a sled full of fresh pine branches! Our SM had to give him a quick refresh on what NO TRACE camping meant ie. dont cut live braches off of the pine trees!

 

We used the pine branches anyway, and the place smelled great!! We got our sleeping bags and canteens and went in for the night. My buddy said he would bring the necessities with him, so when we were all settled inI asked him what he brought, all that came out of his pack was a football!! I guess everyones necessities are different! It was truly a great experience. That's my trip down memory lane...

 

YIS