The unrelenting winter chill that grips travelers in the Northeast backcountry is no match for Aaron Gorban. Once responsible for training AMC’s seasonal employees on the ins and outs of winter camping, he eagerly led staff into the Great Gulf Wilderness in New Hampshire’s Presidential Range amid the howling winds and snow-covered terrain. “There definitely were sub-zero conditions when we were doing those trainings,” says Gorban, who is now AMC’s leadership training and risk management manager.

Learning to traverse through untamed surroundings during daylight was one thing; surviving those frigid nights—minus a tent—was another. Gorban knows equipment failure or an accident might prevent day hikers from exiting the wilderness by sunset. But what is one to do when lacking proper shelter?

Look no farther than below your feet. Using a little elbow grease and some architectural know-how, explorers can create a temporary refuge using snow as their building material. A snow cave or house (also known as a quinzhee) is an effective way of staving off the nighttime cold. While the makeshift home might not equate to a luxury inn, it can keep you alive—not to mention warmer than if you were snug inside a tent. “[Interior temperatures] typically don’t get above 33 degrees but don’t get below 28 degrees,” says Gorban.

PILING IT ON Gorban prefers the indigenous method of creating a snow shelter used by the Athapaskans, Native Americans of Western North America. Because of low-density snow-packs, they constructed quinzhees instead of tunneling four or five feet into the ground, another way to build snow caves, he says.

As when pitching a tent, make sure to choose an open space protected from the wind when you build a snow shelter. Don’t forget to look up; the last thing you want is falling matter from trees smacking into your shelter while you are in dreamland.

Once you establish a site, determine the shelter’s size. Gorban recommends a diameter of six to eight feet for a snow cave that can accommodate up to three people. If your guestimating skills are not finely tuned, outline the circumference with a ski pole or tie a rope to a planted pole and trace the outline. Using a shovel (a snowshoe would work if lacking the tool), start piling snow high inside the circle. The height of the heap’s peak should be at least six feet.

DIGGING IT Before you begin hollowing out the inside, wait an hour so the snow has ample time to settle (it’s also a good idea to compact the pile by patting and stomping on it). In the interim, put ski poles or sticks at least 12 inches long into the mound, spaced evenly throughout. These gauges will help you determine how far to dig (ideally, you want the walls to be at least a foot thick). Moreover, they provide ventilation holes once removed.

DID YOU KNOW?
Some elaborate snow caves include shelves for personal items.

Next, select a place for a “doorway” measuring three feet in height and width. Gorban recommends choosing a side that is sheltered from the winds. Start digging out the living space from the pile of snow by using an “up and in” approach, a technique that will allow the shelter to trap body heat after you squirrel into it for the evening. The excavation will be easier with two people involved—one person removing the insides while another clears the excess from the doorway.

Continue shoveling out snow until you hit the stick markers. “It’s not like you can build this in 45 minutes, but you stay warm while you’re building,” says Gorban.

SNUG AS A BUG Since the thermostat is set at or near 32 degrees, a total meltdown is highly unlikely. Gorban suggests sleeping on a tarp or something similar and not blocking the entrance. “Don’t use something airtight that’s not going to promote some sort of air exchange—and ultimately build up carbon dioxide,” he says.

Though snow caves are fairly durable, collapses can occur, so Gorban recommends keeping an avalanche shovel—a standard piece of gear in the backcountry—handy just in case.

The effectiveness of such shelters has convinced some of his light-packing friends to forego tents altogether. But practice makes perfect. “I would urge people to build one at home before you go out and build a shelter” in the backcountry, says Gorban. “It’s just a cool thing to be able to do.”

See a video on snowshelter building by the authors of the AMC Guide to Winter Hiking and Camping.