Snow Caves And Other Shelters
(Page 4 of 6)
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Though many snow-cavers agree with Mr. Wilkinson's theories concerning vent holes, some do not. One possible compromise would be to thrust a couple of long sticks through the roof but leave the shafts in place, so that they can be pulled out for immediate ventilation if occupants begin to feel the symptoms—which include dizziness and difficult breathing—of oxygen deprivation.)
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Interestingly enough, the same people who recommend roof vents will often also instruct you to build a small fire in your cave for warmth, and/or to use a cooking stove in the chamber for preparing meals . . . but these procedures also tend to get in the way of the intended function of your den. Combustion consumes oxygen, of course, and—in addition—the extra heat it produces will tend to increase the interior's humidity . . . which in turn will make you feel colder, and cause a crust of ice to form on the cave wall that effectively seals off the passage of air from outside. If you don't use a fire, the inside surface will remain dry, and any snow that gets on your clothes will brush off. But if you do use one—even a small backpacking stove—you'll get wet virtually every time you come in contact with the walls.
A much better idea, I think, is to reserve the cave strictly for sleeping and resting, and to do your cooking outdoors. If there's a strong wind, you could build a semicircular breakwall of snow blocks near your abode, and light a fire within its borders.
OTHER SNOW SHELTERS
Although a cave is certainly one of the most effective shelters you can make from snow, it is by no means the only kind. In fact, there are a number of ways you can use snow to obtain protection from the elements.
If there's deep cover, for example, you can build a home simply by digging a 3- or 4-footwide trench to a depth of 4 (or more) feet. Then put skis, snowshoes, or tree boughs across the opening . . . place brush (or a sheet of plastic) over that . . . and pile an insulating layer of snow on top. Some folks also cut blocks and stack them around the trough (to make raised walls) before installing the roof, and others actually carve additional underground chambers—for storing gear and such—into the sides of the trench.
In forested areas you'll often find a funnel-shaped "bowl" in the snow on the windward side of a tree . . . and this can be fashioned into a snug home by lining the floor of the depression with boughs and covering the cavity with a roof made from layers of whatever materials are available, finished off with a thick coating of snow.
Of course, there's also the igloo . . . the classic Eskimo shelter, which—unless you've had considerable practice—can be pretty difficult to build. Here again, however, I've developed techniques that, I believe, make the task easier.
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