Being prepared for just about anything are good skills to have. You hope that you will never need to use survival skills but if something happens that puts you to the test and may be the difference between life and death then it's better to have the knowledge and not need it, then need it and not have it.

Today we are going to go over the how, when and why including a small science lesson on building a winter survival shelter. You may remember making a snow fort as a kid but I bet you didn't know why it worked as it did. Well I'm going to tell you.

The survival shelter we are going to go over is a modified snow fort which is called a quinzee. First built by the North American Indians, it consists of mounded up snow with a domed chamber hollowed out on the inside. Seems pretty straight forward but there is some science involved on why it works.

Science class 101

Snowflakes are covered with millions of tiny microscopic water bubbles. When they fall, they pile up and sit on one another making accumulative snow that you see. If this snow stays unagitated then it really doesn't change much at all. However, if you pile the snow, walk on it, groom it such as a ski hill or trail then all these tiny water droplets will freeze to one another. Now instead of having millions of snow flakes you in effect have one giant snowflake which makes it very stable and hard to manipulate. This is called Sintering. This is why it so hard to shovel your driveway or walkway after you have walked on it or driven on it. This is why a quinzee works and could save your life some day.

When do I Use This Shelter?

If you ever have the chance to take a survival course or study on what to do when you get lost. The very first thing you are told is forget your pride and stop trying to get yourself out of trouble by keep walking etc. This will only make things worse and make it very hard for searchers to find you.

STAY PUT!

So you have made the right choice on staying put but it is winter time and you don't have a tarp, tent or anything to be used as a makeshift shelter. This is where the quinzee survival shelter comes into play. Here are the steps required to build a simple snow shelter.

1. First thing you need to do is find an area that has adequate shelter and accumulated snow. This will make it much easier to build but not necessary. You can carry snow snow to your location but this requires a lot more work and you are using up much needed energy and calories. Approximately 6 inches snow depth will give you enough snow to build the shelter. If the snow is not that deep then you just have to gather it from a larger area is all. Of course the deeper the snow the easier it is to pile it up.
2. Now that you have selected the area to build then the next thing to do is start piling the snow into a pile big enough for you to lay down inside in. You want to make your pile minimum 3 feet tall and 6 foot long. If you can do more then that, it just gives you more room inside to function etc.
3. The next 2 step are the important steps. Once you get your pile of snow heaped up it is important to pack it in slightly. This will make all those little water bubbles freeze together as mentioned. Once packed slightly then go and find yourself a dozen or so12 inch long small sticks. Push these sticks into the pile from the outside until they are flush. Do this all over the pile. This is critcal in a few more steps.
4. The next important thing to do is now wait. You have to wait at least an hour for the whole shelter to Sinter. This takes a while depending on the temperature. Use this time to take stock of your provisions and items you have at your disposal. Grab a snack if you have some. Write out help in an open area with logs etc.
5. Now that the timeline has passed it is time to start digging out your shelter. this is where those small sticks are super important. Start digging in on one end which will become the door. Don't make it too big but enough for you to get in. Now start holloing out the inside. Start digging it out and once you hit a stick, stop! This will ensure that the walls stay 12 thick around the whole structure. Leave an area for you to sleep on that is slightly raised off the ground. This is where you could put your seeping bag if you have one or spruce boughs.
6. Make sure to make a hole in the top with a slightly larger stick. This will act as vent for the shelter.
7. The last thing to keep in mind is to make sure you bring your shovel into the shelter with you at night. It may snow a lot and you will have to dig your way out depending on where you are.

So there you have it, a simple yet super effective snow shelter if you ever get stranded in a survival situation. Check out the video below on how I make a quinzee that can fit even me inside it.