My Quinze/snow shelter

[halo2]

Here's a quinze that I built with some help. It was built over several days and with several snowfalls. We finished yesterday. The tools we used were regular snow shovels, then a stick (shown on the left) to create air holes. We destroyed one kid's size shovel in the process, but it was an old one.

It's not that big inside. I could and may make it larger. It is about 4 feet high and 10 feet in diameter.

It was quite cold yesterday. Temperatures this morning are near 0 degrees F. I had a collapse at the door, so I built it back up with ice sheets and then shovelled snow back over that. I propped the ice pieces up with a stick and removed it in the morning after it had set. I did not make a gear or plastic bag pile in the middle to make excavation easier. I have done that in the past and it is definitely helpful, though you risk losing gear in the snow.

I did make this one with a shelf and cold pit area. This was my first time doing that. I'd line it with hemlock boughs if I were using it for a shelter.

This is quinze number 3 or 4 for me. Overall, not too bad.

Lessons learned:

1) Don't get wet doing this. I did and if I had to sleep wet, I'd be miserable. Dress properly next time
2) These take a while to make even with good tools. Plan accordingly.
3) Really fluffy snow means spots will collapse and makes it tough to fill in bad spots.
4) Enjoy - I did!

[coon4492]

Yea I built an igloo this winter but I didn't have as much success because it got to warm out and melted it only lasted 2 days but it was worth it

[halo2]

Yeah, I haven't built one of those this year. The snow has been too fluffy. But it hasn't gone away. My shelter hasn't melted at all and has had at least 5" of thickness added to it.

[coon4492]

yea I know whatcha mean about powder snow pennsylvania got 6 inches of nothing but powder I can't do anything with it. I'm liking your design alot better this crap might freeze enough for me to work with it. You know its a good snow shelter if its walls are 5 inches thick and it hasn't melted.