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Winter is upon us and it looks like much of the northern part of the USA is finally getting some good snow.
This snow will hopefully encourage people to get out and do some snow camping.
Snow camping invariably encourages people to try building and sleeping in snow caves - usually novices who read about how to make snow caves (from authors who have tried it a couple times).
I have made and camped in snow caves on several occassions and chose not to do so any more based on those experiences.
If you do build a snow cave, be aware that they gradually shrink. The inside walls of the cave become hard ice due to the warmth and dampness of the folks inside. The weight of the walls of the cave gradually start to compress and fall.
This happened to me and my three friends (one of which was my dear father who learned snow camping from me). We built a large snow cave and camped in it for four days and three nights. On morning of the fourth day (after the third night of camping) I woke up to find the roof of the snow cave only inches from my face. The cave did not fall, but it slowly shrunk down to us encasing us like a tight coffin pinning us down. Of course, we noticed the cave getting smaller every day, but nothing like it was on the third morning.
The two-feet thick snow walls turned into concrete-hard ice and there was not way we could have broken through it.
I was luckily able to inch-worm my way out the cave door, then reach inside and grab my camp buddies by the bottoms of their sleeping bags and pull them out. They were trapped because they were not near the door. It was a frightening experience and one of my friends got his face skun up from grinding against the ice when I pulled him out.
In addition to the dangers of snow-caves, they are more work to build than they are worth. Whoever digs out the inside of the cave gets drenched in sweat and snow. It is hardly worth the effort considering the options.
A better snow shelter option is snow trenches. They are easier to build, safer, and just as warm. You can be creative with the designs so that all your camp mates can enjoy the camaradarie of a shared open channel. Do not pile snow or put igloo-like snow bales on top of your trench as it is not necessary and it is dangerous. (the illustration below suggests using snow blocks on as a roof but this is ill-advised.
This snow will hopefully encourage people to get out and do some snow camping.
Snow camping invariably encourages people to try building and sleeping in snow caves - usually novices who read about how to make snow caves (from authors who have tried it a couple times).
I have made and camped in snow caves on several occassions and chose not to do so any more based on those experiences.
If you do build a snow cave, be aware that they gradually shrink. The inside walls of the cave become hard ice due to the warmth and dampness of the folks inside. The weight of the walls of the cave gradually start to compress and fall.
This happened to me and my three friends (one of which was my dear father who learned snow camping from me). We built a large snow cave and camped in it for four days and three nights. On morning of the fourth day (after the third night of camping) I woke up to find the roof of the snow cave only inches from my face. The cave did not fall, but it slowly shrunk down to us encasing us like a tight coffin pinning us down. Of course, we noticed the cave getting smaller every day, but nothing like it was on the third morning.
The two-feet thick snow walls turned into concrete-hard ice and there was not way we could have broken through it.
I was luckily able to inch-worm my way out the cave door, then reach inside and grab my camp buddies by the bottoms of their sleeping bags and pull them out. They were trapped because they were not near the door. It was a frightening experience and one of my friends got his face skun up from grinding against the ice when I pulled him out.
In addition to the dangers of snow-caves, they are more work to build than they are worth. Whoever digs out the inside of the cave gets drenched in sweat and snow. It is hardly worth the effort considering the options.
A better snow shelter option is snow trenches. They are easier to build, safer, and just as warm. You can be creative with the designs so that all your camp mates can enjoy the camaradarie of a shared open channel. Do not pile snow or put igloo-like snow bales on top of your trench as it is not necessary and it is dangerous. (the illustration below suggests using snow blocks on as a roof but this is ill-advised.
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