Snow Shelters
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What you will learn
- 1Describe a snow trench and a quinzhee
- 2Put the steps of building a quinzhee in order
- 3Explain why a snow shelter needs a vent hole, a raised bench and a low door
- 4Choose a safe place for a snow shelter and avoid dangerous ones
Mini Lesson
This is an "if you live where it snows" lesson. If you don’t get deep snow where you live, read it to learn how snow shelters work. Snow may feel cold, but it is full of trapped air, so it holds warmth like a thick blanket. A well-built snow shelter can feel much warmer inside than the wind outside. You only ever build one with your grown-up, in deep, firm snow.
🌿 The Wild Way (two kinds of snow shelter)
- SNOW TRENCH: dig a trench in deep, firm snow, just big enough to lie in, then cover the top with branches or a tarp and a layer of snow.
- QUINZHEE: pile snow into a big mound, let it settle and harden, then hollow it out from the inside.
- LET IT SETTLE: freshly piled snow is loose. After a few hours it sets harder, so the roof holds. The adult decides when it is ready.
- THICK WALLS: push sticks into the mound before you dig. When you reach a stick from inside, stop. The adult checks that the walls are thick enough.
🌿 The Wild Way (make it warm and safe inside)
- VENT HOLE: poke a small hole through the roof so fresh air can get in. Keep it clear.
- RAISED BENCH: cold air sinks, so shape a sleeping bench higher than the floor.
- LOW DOOR: keep the door lower than the bench, so the coldest air drains out.
- MARK IT: put a tall stick or a bright item outside, so everyone can find the shelter.
- DIGGING TOOL INSIDE: keep a shovel inside with you, in case snow blocks the door.
- STAY DRY: digging is warm work. Take off a layer before you start and brush off snow, so sweat and melted snow don’t soak your clothes.
Only build a snow shelter with your grown-up, in deep, firm snow, and never alone. The adult checks the walls and roof, and someone always stays outside while anyone digs inside. Never dig into a snowbank beside a road or a path that is cleared by machines, and never build under an overhang or below a slope that could slide. Never bring a flame, stove or heater inside. If anyone is trapped or hurt, shout for the adult, and the adult calls your local emergency number.
Words to know
quinzhee
A snow shelter made by piling snow into a mound, letting it settle, and hollowing it out.
e.g. We built a quinzhee with my grown-up in the backyard.
snow trench
A trench dug into deep snow and covered with a roof.
e.g. The snow trench was just big enough to lie in.
settle
When piled snow slowly packs down and gets harder.
e.g. We let the snow settle for a few hours before digging.
vent hole
A small hole that lets fresh air into a shelter.
e.g. We checked the vent hole was clear.
sleeping bench
A raised shelf of snow to sleep on, above the cold air near the floor.
e.g. The sleeping bench was warmer than the floor.
overhang
A ledge of snow or rock that sticks out over the space below.
e.g. We never built under the snowy overhang.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: cut sticks about the length of your forearm and push them all over the mound once it has settled. When you hollow it out, a stick tip showing through means "stop digging here". That way the walls end up the same thickness all around.
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