Do you have to build yourself an emergency shelter in the snow? Do you want to camp in the snow or go hiking? Do you want to build the best snow fort your city has ever seen? Whatever the reason, follow all the steps carefully and your snow pit won't collapse on you. You will be able to make a quarry to be proud of in a few hours of hard work, with the right consistency of snow.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choose a Point and Prepare It
Step 1. Avoid areas prone to falling rocks and slopes exposed to wind
Be careful not to dig into the snow under a pass that is potentially prone to avalanches and rock falls. Slopes exposed to the wind could be dangerous in the night, because snow could obstruct the tunnel entrance and block the exit.
Step 2. Find an area with deep snow
If you can find a snowdrift at least five feet deep, you will have carried on. Look for areas where the wind has blown snow against a slope. Remember that you need an area large enough to contain all the people who are with you. A 3 meter diameter quarry can comfortably hold three or four people.
Step 3. Test the consistency of the snow
Light, thin snow may be difficult to work with and also tends to collapse. Fortunately, snow tends to harden after it is pressed, so you will have plenty of time to accumulate it and wait for it to harden to give it the shape of a hollow.
Step 4. If conditions aren't great, dig a hole
In emergency conditions, you can dig a hole in the snow and use oilcloth to cover it. You can support the hole with ski poles or branches. It's much easier and faster to dig, but it won't be as hot as a snow pit and can get covered up during a snow storm.
Step 5. Make sure you have the right clothing and equipment
It is essential that your clothes are warm and waterproof if you find yourself in a wilderness. The ideal would be to take off a couple of layers of dry clothes before starting to work, so that you can have a change if your clothes get wet while you dig. As with the equipment, a couple of compact snow shovels will make the construction of the quarry easier. A light source that does not overheat is useful for passing the night. You can also use candles or small flames if you create a ventilation hole.
The ventilation holes are described below
Step 6. Find a friend to help you
It is recommended to build the quarry in at least two people. Always keep a person out of the quarry with a spade. In this way, if the quarry should collapse during excavations, the person outside can shovel the snow to help the one trapped inside.
Part 2 of 3: Empty the Quarry
Step 1. Work methodically and slowly
Work in shifts if there are at least two of you and take a break to eat and drink. Working slowly, but efficiently, without getting tired, will help keep you warm and safe rather than getting the job done quickly. Sweating can cause heat loss and increase the risk of hypothermia.
Step 2. If necessary, accumulate snow
If the snowdrift in your area isn't deep enough, you'll need to shovel the snow and make a pile at least five feet high and wide enough to hold all the people you want to protect.
A quick way to accumulate snow is to find a small slope and use your spade to push the snowdrift to the base of the slope. Beware of higher slopes with snowdrifts, as the quarry could be buried by an avalanche
Step 3. Compact the snow solidly
Compact the accumulated snow, or the snowdrift, by beating with your snow boots or by putting on a board and climbing on it. If the snow is light and fine, you will have to repeat the operation several times to create a snowdrift, in addition to compacting it when the accumulation is high enough.
Step 4. Let the snow harden for a couple of hours
This way you will have the most compact snow and reduce the risk of collapsing while you are digging. It is recommended to wait at least two hours, or 24 hours if the snow is too fine and dry.
Step 5. Dig a tunnel in the snow
If you make a snowdrift, dig a tunnel so that it is wide enough to crawl into and a few meters deep, inclined upwards. If you are digging into a mound, drill a hole deep enough to stand in it, then dig a tunnel at the base of the hole. This is easier if you have a compact snow shovel, available in hiking or mountaineering stores.
If you are building a snow pit for fun and time is not an issue, you can avoid hassle by digging an "access" instead of a very deep tunnel. Once the snow pit is complete, build the access with extra snow, leaving space for an exit tunnel
Step 6. As a guideline stack the sticks in the snow
Drive them into the snow for 30-45cm. As you pull the snow out of the quarry, stop when you encounter the sticks. Without guidelines, you could accidentally dig the ceiling too thin and expose the quarry to bad weather and collapses.
Step 7. Empty the dome of the quarry
Shovel the snow from the center of the pile through the tunnel. After digging enough and getting the necessary space for your body, you can stand at the end of the tunnel and with your feet you can push the snow through the tunnel. Make sure that the quarry ceiling is at least 30 cm thick to avoid the risk of collapsing. The sides should be more than 8 cm thick compared to the ceiling.
Loads to make the floor of the quarry higher than the access. In this way you will have the area to sleep warm, because the cold air remains inside the tunnel
Part 3 of 3: Complete the Quarry
Step 1. At low temperatures, reinforce the quarry by putting water outside
If the temperature is very low and you have enough water, sprinkle some water outside the quarry to make it freeze and create a solid structure.
Never pour water on the quarry if the temperatures are not low
Step 2. Sand down the interior ceiling and walls to prevent dripping
Scrape the ceiling of the quarry to smooth it. The irregular and bumpy surfaces will cause the water to drip onto the quarry floor, instead of directing the water along the walls and collecting it.
If dripping is a problem, make grooves along the base of the walls
Step 3. Mark the outside of the quarry
Use brightly colored equipment or visible branches to mark the top of the quarry, to help people find the quarry and to prevent them from walking on it causing it to collapse.
If you are in an emergency situation and are waiting to be rescued, make sure that the equipment is visible from above and not hidden by trees or other obstacles
Step 4. Sleeping benches are needed
The highest platforms are the best because the cold air comes down, keeping you warm. You should create shelves for equipment and a hole to sit or stand comfortably.
Step 5. Create a ventilation hole
Snow pits can also insulate the air from the outside, especially if the humidity of your breath creates a layer of ice on the internal walls. To avoid choking, use a ski pole to make one or more corner holes in the sloping area of the ceiling. Make sure the hole goes through the entire ceiling.
The ventilation hole could cause heat to escape. Cover the hole with a snowball or other objects, then remove the snag if the environment gets too hot or if someone feels dizzy. Remove the object before falling asleep
Step 6. Cover the ground with insulation material
Collect pine branches and place them on the quarry floor to slow the heat loss through the ground. Sleep on the camping mat, but remember that the inflatable ones may not keep you warm in cold water.
Step 7. Keep the spade inside
While you are in the quarry, make sure you have the spade inside, to be able to dig in the event of a collapse or blocked entrance. Shovel the entrance regularly during blizzards.
If there is too much heat loss for entry, block it with a backpack or other easily removable objects. Don't brick yourself up. This way you can easily hide from the quick attacks of animals such as cougars and bears
Advice
- If the water is melting, compact it with more snow.
- If the snow is not easy to accumulate and there are many of you, it is easier to build several small quarries than a large one.
Warnings
- If you are planning to sleep for several days in the snow pit, remove a few centimeters of snow from the walls every night, to make the snow permeable and to allow moisture to escape instead of staying inside and wetting people.
- Always leave the entrance uncovered, if you have a candle or a burning flame. A small stove or a candle can be lethal, because they could accumulate too much carbon monoxide, which is heavier than air and therefore does not come out of the highest holes.
- Building a snow pit can be difficult. Get help from others to share the effort, and always have someone prepare warm, nutritious food to keep the team always strong.
- It is not recommended to make a fire or light a stove inside the quarry, because they consume too much oxygen and produce harmful gas. It can also cause snow to melt, which then re-freezes into a layer of ice. In this way, moisture remains trapped inside, wetting people.
