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Monday, February 27, 2012

To build a snow cave

There have been lots of snow cave designs over the last three or four years of klondike campouts.
This year was the best.
Troop 104 made two types.  First the traditional cave.


The scout leaders went up a week early and piled up a bunch of snow.  The digging was easier than ever and the cave was big enough for six toasty warm scouts.

Rustin and the boys used the trench method this year and it was awesome!

They just dug a huge trench--six feet wide and 12 feet long.  The digging was fast--they used shovels and pick axes where the snow was packed--and not nearly as wet as the burrowing method.  They lined the interior with a tarp then covered it up with wood, more tarp and snow.  All four slept in the trench together two by two with their heads together.  They slept through the raging wind and snow and didn't stir until after 8:30 in the morning.

Everyone made it home warm and happy. And smelly.  And tired. And covered with dirty laundry. Awesome.

2 comments:

Erin said...

Hello! I am in the process of designing a Wilderness Survival "game" for the non-profit North America Outdoor Institute (www.naoiak.org) and on one of their cards they would like a diagram of a snow shelter. Therefore, I was wondering if I could get permission to use the great snow shelter illustration from your Feb. 27, 2012 post? If so, who would I give credit or copyright to?

Thank you,
Erin McLarnon
Alaska Business Concepts, LLC

Kimberly said...

Erin, I found the image on a google search. Google says its from sfbay.sierraclub.org--buat I don't see the image on their site. For what it's worth! I don't mind if you use the image at all!