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Thread: Winter Shelters

  1. #1

    Default Winter Shelters

    Hey guys! What is your favorite winter shelter? God knows there is a whole lot out there! Personally i like building quinzhee I am staying for a couple of nights. Gives great shelter from the elements, and I am never cold in one of those!


  2. #2
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Will be looking forward to pic'........

    Kinda like the "shebang" style myself........If I gonna be there awhile.

    Civil war era....

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    Senior Member MrFixIt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    Will be looking forward to pic'........

    Kinda like the "shebang" style myself........If I gonna be there awhile.

    Civil war era....

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    That is an awesome looking shelter!
    And you look so young hunter...
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    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrFixIt View Post
    That is an awesome looking shelter!
    And you look so young hunter...
    It is an awesome looking shelter!

    Just don't let him fool ya on the age. This photo was taken in 1862, he just had it digitally remastered!
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    Senior Member MrFixIt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by natertot View Post
    It is an awesome looking shelter!

    Just don't let him fool ya on the age. This photo was taken in 1862, he just had it digitally remastered!
    LMAO!!
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    Not a Mod finallyME's Avatar
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    At a bare minimum, I like a very warm sleeping bag, and a gortex bivy.
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    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    I don't do winter. Not on purpose anyway.

    Every winter, at some point, I have to bring the camping gear inside the house in order to survive.

    If I am forced into an effort at survival camping, even with a prefabricated roof over my head,

    Why should I leave the house, on purpose, in an attempt to freeze my @$$ off?

    To each his own.
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  8. #8

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    Hunter63,

    What is the tall structure behind the standing fella?
    Last edited by sjj; 05-02-2015 at 04:45 AM.

  9. #9
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sjj View Post
    Hunter63,

    I'm embarrassed to have to ask exactly what is the tall structure behind the standing fella? I initially thought it looked like some kind of outside chimney for a stove on the inside - but its made of wood?

    Have to admit....this shelter isn't mine....but what would be preferred in the winter months.

    Yes wood chimney....lined with mud....
    Actually pretty common in old log construction....
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    Not meaning to steal the thread, but...........
    The snow caves, quinzhee, igloo's, are not favorite of mine..... left over for childhood....and a collapsed "snow fort".......so prefer to be in the open.
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  10. #10
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    It is a chimney.

    "Back in the day" you used what you had and often there was no rock to be found, depending n the area you inhabited.

    Chimneys were fashioned of wood, just like the cabin, and lined with whatever clay was available.

    Lots of house fires back in the day. Almost everyone knew someone that had died in a house fire and almost everyone considered being "burned out" a normal part of pre-central heating life.

    They also built the chimney so it leaned away from the building slightly and could be knocked over, away from the house if necessary.
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  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by finallyME View Post
    At a bare minimum, I like a very warm sleeping bag, and a gortex bivy.
    Me to, if the temperature is not to bad that is, guess I am minimalistic when it comes to shelters

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    Will be looking forward to pic'........

    Kinda like the "shebang" style myself........If I gonna be there awhile.

    Civil war era....
    Thats one nice looking shelter in my opinion! not something you throw together when the snowstorm hits you in the face! But looks very comfortable!
    Do you usually stay in one place or do you do any hiking as well? Just writen an article about safely crossing frozen lakes, want to take a look and let me know what you think? You will find it at my profile page under the "Home Page" link

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Mostly all my camping these days is at a re-enactment, we call Rendezvous.
    Many time periods can be covered....but mostly 1750 to 1860's.

    What you are talking about is slightly different type od shelter, a temporary, throw up to spend a night or two......

    Didn't mean to steal your thread......but the question was "What is my favorite shelter "....and that would be a tent.....and have used a wall tent, lean-to, as well as a Tipi for winter camping....covering the ground with grass or straw, as your ground cloth freezes to the ground.

    So anyone else like snow caves and such?
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  14. #14

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    Very cool hunter63! Don`t worry about it A tipi is great if you want a little bit more space, there is no shortage of tipis here in Norway, it`s more or less a traditional housing for the natives up north. Lean to are great, quick to set up, usually just use a tarp or a jerven bag to make it. Snow caves can be risky if you are not careful where you start your digging. But a quinzee is great if all you have is snow

    Was thinking about writing a short E-book on winter shelters, anything you guys would have found interesting? Just wondering if there is any marked for it

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    Ever built a quinzhee (not sure about spelling?); I have built one almost every winter. It is similar to an igloo, but is not built out of blocks of ice/snow. It is a very sturdy pile of snow about 6-7 feet high that you pile up and then hollow out after it settles for about 3-4 hours. Poke a hole in the top for air. The snow crystallizes and becomes extremely sturdy, so much so that you can stand on the top when the walls are half a foot thick. Ive slept in them, and I find them to be rather spacious and warm.

    To build, it takes a lot of initial energy. It is best to pile a lot of snow as quick as possible so that the structure of the snow is consistent and so it is easy to hollow out. Watch out for sweat, and the chance of hypothermia. Best done with a lot of help from several people.

    EDIT: Oops, I guess I should have read the OP before posting.
    Last edited by silverjack100; 11-05-2014 at 07:00 PM. Reason: didnt read OP

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    I suspect it is an outdoor fireplace with a heavy clay coating that we cannot see.
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    Senior Member wilderness medic's Avatar
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    Are you talking about natural survival shelters, or what you prefer to use in general, packed in with you?

  18. #18

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    kyratshooter, ive winter camped a few times here out in the yard . and then asked my self wtf are you thinking. yer not 25 any more
    just trying to see i guess how much adventure is left in me i guess. and lighting a couple of candles for warmth really
    are you kidding me. it was -20 i guess i,ll try it this winter when it,s not so cold.almost forgot to mention
    the cats were using the shelter as a kitty box. try smelling that and try sleeping honest to goodness.uffda
    Last edited by hayshaker; 11-05-2014 at 09:59 PM.

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    I don't get much practice close to home because in AR, OK, TX it almost never gets down to 0F. But when visiting relatives in Alberta and BC especially in Jasper National Park it can actually feel like winter, well below 0F. A key feature of a winter shelter for me is that it have a floor of dirt or wood not fabric (like 3 season tents) and a vent in the roof that allows for heat (propane, wood stove, or candles with river stone in a pot etc). In relatively mild weather, freezing down to 0F, I have used silnylon tarps but a tiny ember can melt a hole in it and moisture builds up fast on it (frost), so heavier, breathable canvas is better. Portable shelters that work OK for me are 4 season tents or a canvas sock over hammock with a lot of down and heat to reduce the moisture or dry it out if there is no sun the next day.

  20. #20
    Senior Member wilderness medic's Avatar
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    Hmm. Apparently the term winter shelters is different! For me it's only a little below freezing, I have no idea what extra things would need to be done for those temps. I think the lowest temperatures I ever "camped" in were in Afghanistan.

    Speaking of which I just googled Afghanistan to check out the average lows in winter. Wiki makes that place look like a freakin dream vacation.

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