Winter Survival Shelter: Quinzee

[Caveman Survival]

Up here in Winterpeg we are just finishing up a wicked 45 day stretch of -30 to -50c weather. Like most places this one was pretty severe, even by Winnipeg standards. In fact, it was reported that on NYE we were actually colder than Mars.

Anyways, during this stretch it got me thinking. I do a lot of highway travel across the province, and a few times I found myself in pretty dire situations. What would happen if I was stranded off road somewhere and lost the ability to use my car as shelter? Screw that noise.... I set out to find easy, reliable forms of winter shelter.

The best and most logical was the quinzee. So out to the backyard in -40c weather I went to build one in adverse conditions.

It took me about 4 hours total... Longer than a survival situation would require, but if you had more than one person that time could be cut down significantly

<note: I tried to load a pic from the app but was notified that I couldn't... I'll find away to tomorrow.)

Has anyone else constructed one of these?

[mitunnelrat]

Just as an FYI, we dont host photos. You can link them from sites like photobucket or imageshack though.

I'm interested in seeing this.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

I'm anxiously waiting to see this, I'll bet Sniper would just stack cats.

[Stormfeather]

We do this every year at the unit during the wintertime, I also make a point to build one of these as well as building a debris shelter with the kids & wife each year. Its always good to keep the skillset up and sharp!

[Fidel MD]

Quinzhees are a vital winter survival tool, in areas with snow.

Basically, you take loose snow and pile it up into a pile thats about 8 feet across and maybe 4-5 feet high. Then, let the snow sit and consolidate for an hour or two, and then hollow it out. Instant snow cave / igloo.

The beauty of them is they work with very little snow - an inch or two is enough, if you scrape it up over a large enough area. No real tools required, not much skill. And inside it will warm up to the point that it will start to drip if you're not careful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinzhee

[Sniper-T]

I'm anxiously waiting to see this, I'll bet Sniper would just stack cats.

multi use cats! I love it.

We used to build these all the time out winter camping, an still do occasionally. Something else we found that works well, and is much less labour intensive, is to simply take a dome tent, and set it up, carefully layer it with snow until you have at least six or eight inches and then let it set up for a day. cut your way in through the snow, and you can disassemble the tent and remove it from the inside. dry it well, and it's good for another day.

[LUNCHBOX]

I like the tent idea Sniper as its part of my BOB.

[Sniper-T]

when I have some time one summer, I'm going to try and make a permanent shelter in the same fashion. instead of snow, I will spray it with disolved cement powder in multiple thin layers. I may need to pump some air in for the first couple to puff it out a bit, and then make a hinged door. but in my mind it should work. cut a couple windows for some plexiglass and have a nice little hunting blind. leave as is, or cover with soil/sod, grass/garden, whatever.

put a one way flapped door in and have a kick ass cat trap! lol

[ladyhk13]

[QUOTE=Sniper-T;69811]multi use cats! I love it.

We used to build these all the time out winter camping, an still do occasionally. Something else we found that works well, and is much less labour intensive, is to simply take a dome tent, and set it up, carefully layer it with snow until you have at least six or eight inches and then let it set up for a day. cut your way in through the snow, and you can disassemble the tent and remove it from the inside. dry it well, and it's good for another day.[/QUOTE)

Oh yes, the kitties again. Maybe you should start a post: 100 Uses For Cats Other Than Loving

[mitunnelrat]

Don't think hes gotta do that, does he? I mean, c'mom, most of them would likely just end with. "It tastes like chicken" anyway...

Not that I would know though. I prefer dog.