Building A Quinze Or Snow Cave

JThompson · 08-23-2006, 07:06 PM

BUILDING A QUINZE OR SNOW CAVE
might save your life. A Quinze is an above ground "Igloo-like" structure formed from snow rather than blocks of ice. It can be built for one person or groups of three or four. It may provide an environment up to forty-degrees warmer than the outside environment. It is fairly hard work, so pace yourself. Here’s what to do:
1) pile your gear in a cone shape (draping a tarp over the mass of gear is optional).
2) shovel snow onto the gear pile, allowing it to loosely fall onto the pile and re-crystallize, shovel only about a foot or two thick to begin with, compacting the snow as you go.
3) after thirty minutes, add more snow, compacting it as you go; every two feet of wall thickness, wait thirty minutes.
4) once the structure is large enough for your purposes, compact snow and wait at least one hour and preferably two hours to allow structure walls to fully re-crystallize and harden.
5) here’s a trick – insert a number of sticks about two-feet in length so that only six inches protrudes – these "thickness guides" should be spread around the entire surface and point to the center of the structure.
6) starting as low to the ground as possible, begin digging an entrance large enough to crawl through – keep the entrance low, even under the wall if possible; remember, warm air rises, so this helps retain heat inside the Quinze
7) carefully remove gear
8) excavate/remove snow inside structure, taking care to stop at sticks you inserted – this will ensure proper wall thickness and stability of walls
9) carefully drill out several "ventilation holes" in the upper half of the structure
10) mark your home with a brightly colored marker so you can find it again in a snowstorm. Large structures may accommodate sleeping benches made of snow and a center cooking table of snow. At night, you may wish to block the entrance to keep out wind – do this only after adding adequate ventilation vents.

In emergencies, when time does not permit the four hours to build and "cure" a Quinze, dig a trench in a snow bank large enough to accommodate your party, cover with sturdy limbs in a weave or criss-cross pattern, and then add branches or even a tarp or tent fly; again, be certain to allow ventilation that snow fall will not plug; lay boughs on the floor to sit or lie on; carefully shovel six inches to a foot of snow over the roof.

08-23-2006, 07:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
JThompson Administrator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bellingham WA Posts: 5,156 iTrader: (6)	Building A Quinze Or Snow Cave BUILDING A QUINZE OR SNOW CAVE might save your life. A Quinze is an above ground "Igloo-like" structure formed from snow rather than blocks of ice. It can be built for one person or groups of three or four. It may provide an environment up to forty-degrees warmer than the outside environment. It is fairly hard work, so pace yourself. Here’s what to do: 1) pile your gear in a cone shape (draping a tarp over the mass of gear is optional). 2) shovel snow onto the gear pile, allowing it to loosely fall onto the pile and re-crystallize, shovel only about a foot or two thick to begin with, compacting the snow as you go. 3) after thirty minutes, add more snow, compacting it as you go; every two feet of wall thickness, wait thirty minutes. 4) once the structure is large enough for your purposes, compact snow and wait at least one hour and preferably two hours to allow structure walls to fully re-crystallize and harden. 5) here’s a trick – insert a number of sticks about two-feet in length so that only six inches protrudes – these "thickness guides" should be spread around the entire surface and point to the center of the structure. 6) starting as low to the ground as possible, begin digging an entrance large enough to crawl through – keep the entrance low, even under the wall if possible; remember, warm air rises, so this helps retain heat inside the Quinze 7) carefully remove gear 8) excavate/remove snow inside structure, taking care to stop at sticks you inserted – this will ensure proper wall thickness and stability of walls 9) carefully drill out several "ventilation holes" in the upper half of the structure 10) mark your home with a brightly colored marker so you can find it again in a snowstorm. Large structures may accommodate sleeping benches made of snow and a center cooking table of snow. At night, you may wish to block the entrance to keep out wind – do this only after adding adequate ventilation vents. In emergencies, when time does not permit the four hours to build and "cure" a Quinze, dig a trench in a snow bank large enough to accommodate your party, cover with sturdy limbs in a weave or criss-cross pattern, and then add branches or even a tarp or tent fly; again, be certain to allow ventilation that snow fall will not plug; lay boughs on the floor to sit or lie on; carefully shovel six inches to a foot of snow over the roof. __________________ Tired of ads? Become a member for an almost ad free site! Also we give away monthly prizes just for posting! Register today! Looking for places to ride! Want to review a riding area? Check them out! PRE-ORDER MOTOTIPS Stickers now. Help keep mototips running! Get your order in today! Buy NOW! Special Discounts for members only! Check out our new discount forum for retailers offering to help you save money! Mototips Discounts

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