How to Build a Quinzee in Three Easy Steps
Building a snow quinzee is straightforward and easy, if you know and do some simple steps. First let me explain the word snow quinzee vs. igloo. A snow quinzee is made from a pile of snow and then digging it out vs. an igloo is made from blocks of snow being stacked. I have never made an igloo completely only started and gave up making the blocks. Whereas, making a snow quinzee is easily made in a day.
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Three Easy Steps
Step 1: Make a pile of snow Decide where you would like to build the quinzee. I suggest choosing a location that your children can easily get to and you may see them from inside. I have made the mistake of building one right beside the road. I realized after building the quinzee that all a car must do is loose control and slide into the quinzee.
Also when making the pile of snow consider how high you would like the pile and wide. When we don’t have a lot of snow we will use sleds to bring snow from all over the yard to have enough snow for a large pile of snow. Great lesson in hard work and the need to work together.
Key: After making your pile of snow let it sit for a couple of hours. The snow needs a chance to firm up. A lot of times we leave it set over night but one could easily make the pile in the morning and start digging it out after lunch. I have not found a difference patting the pile with your shovel vs. doing nothing. Making the pile firms up the pile enough.
Step 2: Insert Paint Sticks Into Your Pile of Snow or break sticks Twelve Inches Long. One can easily use sticks broken a foot long. This last quinzee we made I was headed to a paint store and figured why not pick up 10 paint sticks for free and use those.
Why paint sticks? They are your friend because you insert them all the way into the pile of snow at the opening of where you are going to make your entry and higher. Insert them all the way into the snow so you don’t see them sticking out of the snow. These are important because as you begin digging out the roof you will stop once you see a paint stick hanging down. Your entire roof will be the thickness of a paint stick. If you only have a couple sticks as you dig pull out the stick once you find it and move it to where you are digging next.
I wish I knew to use paint sticks or sticks years ago as I had made countless quinzee’s cave in on me as I dug/carved the roof too thin.
Step 3: Dig Out Your Quinzee. Decide where you want the entrance. Think through the entrance. I like to make sure the entrance is where my wife could look out the window and see our children going in and out. Also think of a place that is open around the entrance. Space is needed as you are going to be digging out a lot of snow and that snow must go somewhere.
The entrance I usually make it the width of a normal shovel and a shovel and half high. Every time I make it the height of a shovel I end up knocking it down at some point going in and out.
Tip: Use a sled to help get the snow out. We like putting the sled in backwards and have the person fill the sled with snow inside and person on outside pulls sled out and dumps it and slides it back in. Eventually two people can be on the inside digging out the quinzee and being careful to only go as deep as the paint sticks. This is the fun part! Digging out your house and carving and sculpting! My boys made me a shelf for my glasses.
Notice sled in front of picture being filled to easily get snow out of quinzee
Note: If you want to sleep in your quinzee you simply need to poke a hole in the middle top. I poke a hole large enough to reach your hand through. The hole is made to bring fresh air into the quinzee. Mainly you need it if you fully close up the door, which I am never successful at fully doing. There have been cases where people have suffocated because they didn’t poke a hole so be sure the hole is as big as your fist to be safe. And obviously we claim no responsibility and it is your responsibility to be safe and smart.
This is the hole we put in the roof for breathing
Three easy steps to make a snow quinzee: Pile, Sticks, and Dig. Lots of fun to make a snow quinzee. Get out there a make a family fun memory! Check out this article about us making ours quinzee and sleeping out.
Please share your experiences of making a snow quinzee or if you have questions or comments.
