Im about to go outside to sleep in my snow cave!

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JoeFahey

Platinum Member
Jan 15, 2005
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When I came home for the night around 10-10:30, the idea to build a snow cave popped into my head. After getting 2+ feet of snow Wednesday, I figured I'd make good use of it. So a little after 10:30 I started piling a ton of snow in my backyard into a pile that ended up being about 5 feet tall, and about 6-8 feet wide in diameter. I just got done carving out the interior. After that, I filled in the small entrance, and made a long tunnel that curves. I will wait a little for this tunnel entrance to harden, then Ill carve that out to make an entrance that will keep the heat in. I can't wait. It has been a long time since Ive had enough snow to do this. Hopefully I'll actually get to go backpacking deep into the woods with my friends to do this later this month instead of my backyard... :p

To make this thread useful...have you ever gone winter camping? What were your experiences? What kind of shelter did you build?

EDIT: NOW WITH PICS!! (Found later in this thread)
 
A

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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0
Splash water around on the inside. The more solid the interior is, the warmer (uhh) it should be. If you've got a spray bottle (like Windex) use that for more accuracy.
 
Slacker

Slacker

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,623
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91
When I was 14/15 my family lived out in the middle of nowhere, we had a doublewide trailer and a neighbor had a similar trailer about fifty feet from ours, in the winter the wind blew through the gap and the snow drifted to the level of the roofs, we ended up with a 12' high by 40' wide by 20' long mound that we dug rooms and tunnels and turrets into, it was kind of like counterstrike :D
 
Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
19
81
Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Good luck getting your way out of 2 feet of collapsed packed snow.
Click to expand...

Yes, do have someone around to help in case the snow caves in on you.
 
I

illusion88

Lifer
Oct 2, 2001
13,164
3
81
I have done a bunch of snow camping (backpacking and climbing). The best snowcaves I have built have been more holes in the ground then an igloo. The Igloos I have made have always been dug into giant drifts. But it's alot easier to set up a tent.

Anyways, the best peice of advice is to remember to sleep on insalation (not just your sleeping bag). The pad you use to sleep on the ground should suffice (thermarest is good, although I hate them on a personal level). IF you don't you are going to wake up freezing, and in a puddle of melted snow! Not the best experience.
 
mugs

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
I did that when I was a kid. Looking back I count myself lucky not to have died.
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Same here. Except I didn't sleep in it.
 
J

JoeFahey

Platinum Member
Jan 15, 2005
2,163
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I just got it completely finished. I got the walls smoothed out and hardened, and the entrance built. Every portion of the cave, including the roof is less than a foot thick. There is a hole in every wall, just cover by inches of snow. (also, some are completely open) Since I am doing it alone, I took every precaution. (I do have a lot of wilderness/winter survival experience)

I'll be sure to take pics!
 
Whoozyerdaddy

Whoozyerdaddy

Lifer
Jun 27, 2005
19,216
1
61
Originally posted by: JoeFahey
I just got it completely finished. I got the walls smoothed out and hardened, and the entrance built. Every portion of the cave, including the roof is less than a foot thick. There is a hole in every wall, just cover by inches of snow. (also, some are completely open) Since I am doing it alone, I took every precaution. (I do have a lot of wilderness/winter survival experience)

I'll be sure to take pics!
Click to expand...

Wanna leave us your address or something? That way if we don't hear back from you in 8-9 hours we can send someone in your area over to dig out your body and end our suspense. We will not be Spidered! (Snowed?)
 
J

Juno

Lifer
Jul 3, 2004
12,574
0
76
Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy
I did that when I was a kid. Looking back I count myself lucky not to have died.
Click to expand...

yeah, me too but i didn't sleep in though. parents were scared to death so i slept in the house instead. it happened during bad blizzard in '96.
 
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