12-18-2006, 03:26 PM | #1 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,365
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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, 03:33 PM | #2 |
Charon
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the heart of darkness (Provo)
Posts: 9,564
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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.
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"... the arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice." Martin Luther King, Jr. |
12-18-2006, 03:35 PM | #3 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,365
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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, 04:59 PM | #4 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Moscow, ID
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Quote:
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. |
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12-18-2006, 06:47 PM | #5 |
Senior Member
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for us all
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12-18-2006, 08:00 PM | #6 |
Senior Member
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12-18-2006, 09:45 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Jordan, UT
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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 |
Demiurge
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 36,365
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so the snow cave thing is part of winter survival camping?
I assume you also used 4 season tents during the winter? |
12-18-2006, 10:14 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Moscow, ID
Posts: 1,151
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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.
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12-19-2006, 04:03 PM | #10 | |
Senior Member
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Location: South Jordan, UT
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Quote:
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. |
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