What is it like in a snow cave? - cougarguard.com — unofficial BYU Cougars / LDS sports, football, basketball forum and message board

MikeWaters · 12-18-2006, 03:26 PM

How dry are they?

I know of a friend of a friend who died in one when it collapsed.

I'm wondering what it would be like to be inside of one for several days. Wet and miserable? How warm can they get inside absent a heat source?

Jeff Lebowski · 12-18-2006, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

How dry are they?

I know of a friend of a friend who died in one when it collapsed.

I'm wondering what it would be like to be inside of one for several days. Wet and miserable? How warm can they get inside absent a heat source?

They are not that wet. It gets you out of the wind and the insulation from the snow provides some warmth (assuming you have some body heat to spare), but it is not so warm that water starts dripping. At least in my experience, anyway.

MikeWaters · 12-18-2006, 03:35 PM

as you are sitting on the snow, do your clothes get wet?

Looks like not bringing the bivy (sp?) sack was the kiss of death.

DirtyHippieUTE · 12-18-2006, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

as you are sitting on the snow, do your clothes get wet?

Looks like not bringing the bivy (sp?) sack was the kiss of death.

Life in a snow cave sucks. It's cramped, cold, and WAY, WAY too quiet. I've slept in a cave a few times. Only once because I had to and even then it wasn't a life or death thing. Even when you have the time and energy to dig out a "nice" cave you're still going to be miserable if you don't get sufficient insulation between your body and the ice/snow. Even if you are dry and wearing very quality gear, the contact with the snow/ice just sucks the heat out of your body.

My guess is that a bivy wouldn't have helped this guy. From the description of the gear/prep these guys had and considering the temps I would assume he was plenty dry. Many of the higher end mountaineering bags are made of a waterproof/breathable shell.

I haven't read that much about the dead guy but I wonder if he was injured... I know the wind gusts were over 100mph but it sounds like his friends were still moving. In my experience it is always better to keep moving if at all possible. If you sit down to wait for help (for that long) a probability of death becomes an eventual certainty.

hyrum · 12-18-2006, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyHippieUTE

If you sit down to wait for help (for that long) a probability of death becomes an eventual certainty.

I think death is an eventual certainty for us all, maybe even the actuaries would agree.

DirtyHippieUTE · 12-18-2006, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hyrum

I think death is an eventual certainty for us all, maybe even the actuaries would agree.

Touche

Venkman · 12-18-2006, 09:45 PM

I echo Hippie's comments. Snow caves suck. Cold, wet, boring as hell. Igloo's are a little better, but it takes so dang long to make one, they suck. In scouts, we'd do a poor man's version of snow caves, which was to just head up the mountains and just burrow under a snow covered picnic table - viola, instant snow cave! They sucked too - cold, wet, AND cramped.

I despise winter camping.

MikeWaters · 12-18-2006, 10:02 PM

so the snow cave thing is part of winter survival camping?

I assume you also used 4 season tents during the winter?

DirtyHippieUTE · 12-18-2006, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

so the snow cave thing is part of winter survival camping?

I assume you also used 4 season tents during the winter?

The Scouts do a winter thing but I never went with them. I've done a few snoweshoe trips where we thought we'd be creative and make snow caves rather than take tents. Just for reference... It's not that fun.

Venkman · 12-19-2006, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

so the snow cave thing is part of winter survival camping?

I assume you also used 4 season tents during the winter?

I've used 4 season tents - and yes, it's much warmer and drier. The problem with winter camping in general is that it gets dark at 5pm and it's freakin' freezing so you end up having to spend way too much time in the tent and you're bored as hell. Not to mention getting up in the morning and starting a fire and cooking breakfast in sub zero weather.

I like snowshoeing and X Country skiing out in the woods, but I need a cabin with electricity and indoor plumbing at the end of the day.

12-18-2006, 03:26 PM	#1
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	What is it like in a snow cave? How dry are they? I know of a friend of a friend who died in one when it collapsed. I'm wondering what it would be like to be inside of one for several days. Wet and miserable? How warm can they get inside absent a heat source?

12-18-2006, 03:35 PM	#3
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	as you are sitting on the snow, do your clothes get wet? Looks like not bringing the bivy (sp?) sack was the kiss of death.

12-18-2006, 09:45 PM	#7
Venkman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: South Jordan, UT Posts: 1,799	I echo Hippie's comments. Snow caves suck. Cold, wet, boring as hell. Igloo's are a little better, but it takes so dang long to make one, they suck. In scouts, we'd do a poor man's version of snow caves, which was to just head up the mountains and just burrow under a snow covered picnic table - viola, instant snow cave! They sucked too - cold, wet, AND cramped. I despise winter camping.

12-18-2006, 10:02 PM	#8
MikeWaters Demiurge Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 36,365	so the snow cave thing is part of winter survival camping? I assume you also used 4 season tents during the winter?