Lovers of outdoor recreation need to know how to act in unforeseen situations, have basic survival skills and setting up a camp. This is especially true for those who love outdoor recreation in winter time. When going on a hike in the forest in winter, you need to prepare in advance and take more useful things that will come in handy. One of important knowledge necessary for survival in the forest in winter - to know how to stay warm and not freeze. It is necessary to build a winter shelter and know how to properly heat and build it.

Shelter in the forest: features of the structure

Winter hiking in effect weather conditions have their own characteristics, and the construction of a winter shelter differs significantly from a summer one.

1. In winter, it is more difficult to find available materials for building a shelter, as well as to find the right place to build it. In summer this task is much easier.
2. In winter it is more difficult to stay warm. If in summer you only need to warm up at night, then in winter you need to maintain heat constantly.
3. It is important to build the shelter correctly so that the structure does not fall apart and to heat it correctly so that the heat is retained.

How to build a winter shelter with your own hands in the forest - step-by-step instructions.

Search for a place

The first thing you need to decide on when building a shelter is the right place. If you are in the forest, these are good options:

If you are in a mountainous area.

• You need to choose a place that resembles a cave, some large gorge in the mountains, in order to fit freely there.
• A flat area is suitable if you have a tent or tarpaulin.

Tools for building a winter shelter

Having decided on the location, you need to move on to construction. Let's consider each case separately.

woodland

To build a winter shelter in the forest, you need to decide on the type of shelter. The most suitable temporary shelter is a winter cave. An interesting paradox: to escape the snow and cold, you need to hide in the snow. If the location you choose is a small hill or flat area, then you need to dig yourself a hole.

Make sure that the cave or hole will not fall through and that the place is secure. Dig a hole of the required length to accommodate the required number of people. Make a small trench along the walls. With its help, cold air will fall down and accumulate there. Remove all snow outside. The exit can be covered with snow so that less wind gets inside. If you are digging a hole on a flat area, then build a roof from scrap materials.

If you have tarpaulin, use it. In its absence - with branches, leaves and everything else you find. Finding something in winter is much more difficult than in summer. Your shelter is ready. If you have a tent, you need to set it up on a more level surface and clear the area of ​​branches and thickets.

Shelter in the crevice

Highlands

Having decided on a place (most likely it is a gorge or a cave), dig the necessary hole, if necessary. If you find a real natural cave, you won't have to build it yourself. Rules for building a cave shelter like in a forest. It is necessary to additionally take into account that stones or snow may fall. You need to make sure you don't get hurt if this happens. If you have a tent, set it up on a flat surface, having first cleared the area of ​​debris. Make sure that it will not fall from the wind, as the winds in the mountains are quite strong.

Snow Shelter

The next step is heating the winter shelter. The rules are the same here. Inside the shelter you need to make a fire from branches and sticks, but you need to be careful that it does not get too hot. Don’t rush to throw away wet branches; try cutting or breaking them in half. They may be dry inside and burn better.

You may have taken candles, they will also work. Any source of fire will warm the shelter if it is built airtight. The peculiarity of heating a snow shelter is that due to temperature changes, the snow begins to stick together inside and the walls become strong. During this process, cracks may form; they need to be covered with snow. The fire should not get too hot, otherwise you may be injured by the fire.

Ideally it should be small and create a lot of warm coals. Then the heat will remain for a long time. Find stones and put them in the fire. They will create additional heat like a stove. We should not forget that you need to dry things thoroughly so as not to sit in wet things. This will make it harder to stay warm.

Types of winter shelters

What other types winter shelters You know? Briefly about the types of shelters.

1. Open type shelters. These are natural caves and gorges. There is an opening in the shelter and it can be ventilated. It is advisable to do this if you plan to build a strong fire, and if there is no strong snowstorm.
2. Shelters closed type. Pits, “burrows” in the mountainside. Such a shelter should have as little ventilation as possible and be closed on all sides.

There are a few more useful tips, they are suitable in any situation and in any terrain.

When going into the forest for a long time, a person must thoroughly prepare for the trip. Be sure to have a minimum survival kit (at least matches, a knife, a mining shovel). These items will be useful to you for organizing three vital processes.

1) Find a food source
2) Light a fire.
3) Build a shelter in the forest.

Of course, when a survivalist is armed with everything necessary items and tools, it will not be difficult for him to carry out these processes. But what to do if a person is left alone with nature, without any items for survival? In this case, you urgently need to take care of building a simple shelter in the forest. Today, more than a hundred structures are known for the construction of temporary shelters, which differ in their size, the complexity of the structure itself and the materials used. The choice of design depends primarily on the specifics of the extreme situation - type of relief, presence of vegetation, time of year, etc. The main factors influencing the choice of shelter type are presented in the figure below.

To build complex shelters you will need: an ax, a knife, a saw. It is worth noting that all these tools can be replaced by a “Soviet sapper shovel”; it performs all functions - chopping, digging, hammering. Shelter in the forest should protect the traveler from various adverse weather conditions - wind/rain/snow. Traditional materials for the area are used to build the shelter.

If you have some kind of fabric or plastic film, you can very quickly build a canopy that protects from direct sun rays and rain. True, an ordinary canopy is not intended for long-term parking. If you have enough time, you can build a tent or wigwam. The same materials are used to build these shelters (film, fabric, long branches). The advantage of the tent and wigwam is that they additionally protect people from insects and low temperatures. In addition, the design of the wigwam allows you to light a fire right inside the shelter.

At complete absence additional building materials (film, fabric, rope), the most simple option is the construction of a canopy. As a roof, the lower branches of the tree are used, on which branches for the roof are laid. A hut is considered a more reliable shelter. The frame for such a structure is a tree and poles that are leaned against its trunk. Branches are laid on top of this structure.

Fallen trees can be a good base for a hut. It is necessary to remove all the lower branches and lay them on the side ones, which descend to the ground. This hut can accommodate up to two people. If there are no suitable trees nearby, then any other construction method can be used. You can see some options in the picture below.

IMPORTANT!

The branches that serve as the roof and walls should be laid from bottom to top, like tiles. This is necessary to prevent water from getting inside. In all shelter construction options, it is necessary to dig a drainage system so that water does not flow into your shelter. If you don’t have a sleeping bag, you can use dry grass or spruce branches as bedding. If the ground inside the hut is very damp, then you must first make a flooring of logs, and then a flooring of grass or spruce branches on top of it.

You can build a shelter in the forest using only the terrain. For example, in mountainous areas these can be small caves and grottoes. One of the most accessible shelters in the forest will also be a dugout. Most importantly, do not forget to determine the safety level of the place, whether a collapse, flooding or rockfall is possible.

In the winter season, it is much easier to build a temporary shelter. Snow is beautiful building material, just find natural snow holes, slopes or large snowdrifts and quickly dig a small cave. If the terrain does not allow you to do this, then we return to building a hut. All walls of the shelter should be covered with snow to create thermal insulation.

And most importantly, when you find yourself in an extreme situation, never allow fear to take over you. A healthy mind and planning your actions will bring much more benefit than pointless panic. We wish you not to find yourself in such situations and go into the forest only prepared.

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How to build a shelter in the forest

As we all know, people who find themselves in extreme situations, cut off from civilization, can live for a long time in the wild if they can find a source of water in a timely manner and build a shelter in the forest with their own hands. In addition to protection from atmospheric precipitation, the temporary shelter is also a visible landmark from the air. A structure in the forest, especially one marked with some bright object, will be a noticeable sign for rescuers, which will speed up the search (Figure 1).

However, in order for your temporary shelter to be reliable, you need to choose the right parking spot. It should be as safe as possible, especially if you plan to stay in one place for a long time. Do not place your shelter on shallows and river banks, in narrow gorges, steep ravines with unstable soil, or dry river beds, especially if the weather is damp and rainy.

Figure 1. A brightly colored shelter will make it easier for rescuers to find a lost tourist.

Also, you should not settle in open places, on the ridges of hills and mountains, on peaks, where there is a high risk of getting caught in a thunderstorm.

Do not place your camp site next to animal trails; animals may react aggressively to a person invading their territory. Smell food products may attract wild animals to you, so keep your camp clean and hide food securely.

Also pay attention to the presence of forest anthills nearby; they can cause a lot of inconvenience during your stay (Figure 2).

Don’t even think about building a shelter in the forest with your own hands next to rotten, dry or hollow trees; during bad weather they are very likely to fall on you!

Figure 2. Focus special attention to the location of your shelter

Another important requirement for the place to build a shelter is the presence of a source of water in the immediate vicinity and a sufficient amount of fuel for a fire.

How to build a shelter in the forest from scrap materials

If you decide to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands, decide for what needs it will be used (overnight, storage of things, food, protection from precipitation, cold, heat). The type of construction is also influenced by the amount of materials and tools available, the duration of your stay and the number of people needing shelter.

To simplify the work on building a temporary home, you can use natural shelters.

They require only minor modifications, which will help you save effort, time and materials. Natural shelters include fallen tree trunks, shallow caves (Figure 3) or depressions in the ground, rock ledges or snowdrifts in winter.
Figure 3. If you find a small cave nearby, it can be used as a shelter

Having found a natural shelter, make it more convenient and reliable. For example, a fallen tree can be used as a base for a hut, single- or gable. Depending on the situation. You need to make sure that the tree trunk is securely strengthened and will not fall on you during the night, and then, with the help of branches and additional poles, build walls or a canopy that protects from rain and wind.

Shelter walls can be built by attaching a “frame” of sticks to the main pole (lay out the frame in the form of a lattice). After installing this frame, start filling each sector with spruce branches and brushwood, working from bottom to top. This method of laying out will prevent rain from flowing into your shelter.

In winter, the walls of the shelter should be covered with snow - this will give additional thermal insulation properties.

In winter in the forest you can hide under the lower branches of large coniferous trees, densely covered with snow. They form a small cave between the ground and the tree trunk, where it is quite possible to wait out the bad weather.

Sometimes need or danger forces people to spend the night in a tree (Figure 4). This is not the best way out, but when there is no other option, try to protect yourself as much as possible from falling and hypothermia (use a stretched awning or polyethylene, ropes).

Figure 4. If you had to spend the night in a tree, take care not to fall in your sleep

If there are no natural shelters nearby, then you will have to rely only on your own strength. It will be very difficult to build and equip a camp alone, especially in the cold season. In winter conditions, the most important thing is to stock up on enough firewood for the night, and build at least a minimal shelter before dark.

In order to build a hut, you need to install a strong pole horizontally between two trees, or on two spears. It will become the basis for the frame of the future structure. Next, thinner poles are laid on the base at an angle, and long branches are tied to them, parallel to the ground. This lattice structure is gradually filled with small thin brushwood, dead wood, grass or reeds, laid from bottom to top. Make one or two walls and place the fireplace near the exit.

You should not make the shelter too high; it is enough so that you can fit in it while sitting or lying down. This way, you will save energy, and it will be much easier to heat your sleeping area.

During frosts, never fall asleep without a fire, you risk freezing to death.

It is also not recommended to go to bed on bare snow. Build yourself a bed from pine and spruce branches, brushwood, reeds, polyethylene. A tightly packed high bed will prevent dampness from the ground from rising to your clothes.

Figure 5. A hut or canopy is one of the easiest shelters to build.

IN summer time in the forest, the easiest way would be to build a canopy or a simple hut with your own hands as a shelter (Figure 5). Prepare everything before building necessary materials in sufficient quantities: branches, poles, spruce branches, ropes. If you don't have an ax or knife with you, try to find sharp stones - this will make it easier to process materials for construction.

Remember that the need to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands most often does not imply a large-scale and durable structure (although there are such cases). Often, this is the construction of shelter in extreme conditions for the purpose of survival. Usually, in moments of unforeseen situations, a person does not have the necessary tools, sufficient time for preparation and strength. Therefore, you have to use any available materials and show ingenuity to quickly build a shelter in the forest with your own hands. Therefore we will consider different types shelters and ways to build them.

Do-it-yourself shelter in the forest: types of shelters

Temporary shelters built in the forest with your own hands can be divided into several types, regarding their purpose and method of construction.

Figure 6. Open (left) and closed (right) type shelter

Shelters come in open and closed types (Figure 6). Enclosed structures are protected from animals and precipitation. These include all types of closed huts (wigwam, gable hut), dugouts, huts, and snow igloos. They are more reliable and safer than open ones, but they require tools, time and the help of a partner to build them.

Open type shelters include canopies, lean-to huts, hammocks and deck beds. Their construction takes much less time and does not require tools, however, they are best used only in the warm season.

Also, temporary shelters can be divided into “group” and “individual”, depending on the number of people located in them.

The purpose of self-built forest buildings can also be different, depending on climatic conditions: protection from cold, precipitation, sun rays, wind.

Depending on the period of operation, shelters can be divided into: one-day (one overnight stay or short shelter from bad weather), temporary (Figure 7), and long-term (for a season).

Figure 7. Temporary (left) and long-term (right) shelter

Depending on the available materials used in DIY construction, buildings can be divided into snow, earth, frame (using fabric or branches), in some cases also stone and wood, they are built with the availability of materials and special preparation.

Main types of street huts and stages of their production

Huts can be divided into three types: single-pitched, gable and hipped (Figure 8). Tent-type shelters can also include shelter in a recess.

A lean-to hut consists of a so-called “frame and one wall. It is a small canopy structure located at an angle to the ground, protecting from wind, precipitation and shielding heat from the fire. It can be built either near a fallen tree or by installing a pole - the base on two horns.

Figure 8. Single-slope, gable hut and wigwam (tent)

A gable shelter involves adding one wall to a lean-to hut. Thanks to this, the protective and thermal insulation properties of such a structure are increased.

The tent-type hut resembles an Indian wigwam in its appearance. The advantage of this structure is the ability to place a small fireplace inside, provided that the hut is high enough and spacious enough. To place a fire, it is also necessary to leave a hole for the smoke to escape at the top of the “tent”.

Even in the cold, don’t forget about fire safety in your hideout. The fire inside should be under constant supervision (so it is better if you do not spend the night alone). Do not let the flame flare up too much; it should be even and low. Do not use coniferous wood for kindling - they produce strong sparks, which can jeopardize the safety of your building and your life.

A shelter in a recess is a shallow hole in the snow or in the ground, designed to fit your dimensions, and covered on top with a canopy of branches and spruce branches. If you want to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands during the cold season, you cannot do without a shovel. Frozen soil is hard to dig and takes too much precious strength. Instead, find a natural depression in the ground. However, in wet weather it is better not to take risks, otherwise you may get very cold while spending the night in this way, and there is still a danger that you will be drenched in rain.

A few important reminders:

If you need to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands, the presence of plastic film, waterproof fabric or a raincoat (tarpaulin) can play a big role. Thanks to them, you will spend much less time arranging your accommodation for the night, and will be more protected from various atmospheric phenomena.

Don’t forget that we left many recommendations for people who are in extreme situation. Creating a temporary forest dwelling for them suggests a way to save and maintain life. If you are just a traveler on a forest hike, do not break or cut down trees and bushes unless absolutely necessary.

Basic rules for building a snow shelter
When organizing a winter emergency bivouac, victims forget or do not know that snow can be used to escape from their main enemies - the debilitating cold and piercing wind. Traditional methods of building shelters in harsh winter situations are simply not suitable, since they do not provide the main thing - airtightness and heat retention. Snow is an accessible, plastic material that can be easily processed. Do not build shelters at the base of snowy slopes, near areas of possible rock falls, or under rotten or leaning trees.

Using an ordinary stearin candle, at an ambient temperature of 30-40° C, the temperature in a snow shelter rises to 0°. Do not build shelters hastily; it is better to do it once than to rebuild it several times, thereby losing extra vital energy. If the snow shelter you have built is not strong enough, you can strengthen it in the following way: light a small fire or a few candles inside. Warm air will melt the walls, and they will “grab” with a thin ice crust, which will strengthen the shelter well. In addition, the ice crust will prevent melted water from dripping . In this case, gaps may form in the shelter, which must be covered with snow on both sides. If the strength of the shelter cannot be increased, then you should start building again.

The more frosty it is outside, the more comfortable it is in a snow shelter. This happens because, as frost accumulates, the air inside becomes drier, the heat from the fire is compensated by the cold outside, the snow melting limit is set as if inside the walls, which only adds strength. And vice versa, as the external temperature increases, the internal temperature approaches zero, the melting limit approaches in the inner surface of the walls, as a result of which it begins to drip from the ceiling and puddles form on the floor. To protect yourself from getting wet, make the beds at some elevation from the floor. Remove excess warm clothing to keep it dry at all times.

A snow shelter is built by one person, the rest shovel the snow, break the spruce branches, since it is easier for one member of the group to dry out than for the whole group. The main rule that should be followed when building snow shelters is that the larger the internal space, the less heat. In small shelters it is more cramped, but it is much easier to heat it. Moreover, if you have sleeping bags and warm clothes, then the shelter can be made more spacious.
Open snow shelters

Shelter type snow trench Suitable for treeless mountainous areas. Building a snow trench takes a little time and will help save you during a storm that overtakes you by surprise. A snow trench is dug in the snow, at least 1.5 meters deep, using skis, shovels, pieces of plywood, a bowl, a pot, etc. In the absence of handy objects, the hole is hollowed out with feet. The ceiling is made of poles, skis, which must be covered with fabric, polyethylene, and pressed around the perimeter with stones, pieces of ice, logs or snow blocks. Finally, a layer of snow 15-20 cm thick is laid on top. front door you can leave the end of the material hanging freely from the roof, or each time crawling into the trench, lift the material.

Snow trench

In the taiga, a snow trench can be dug around a tree to a sufficient depth. The role of the roof will be played by the lower branches reaching the snow. A layer of spruce branches is placed on top of them and sprinkled with snow. You get a kind of cone hut for several people.

Trench around a tree

Shelter snow pit it is built on a flat surface with a snow depth of at least 2 m. A tunnel is made into the snow to a sufficient depth, where it further expands to the side, and the ceiling height should be at least 15-20 cm. The difficulty in building a snow pit type shelter is that the snow rises to surface through a narrow tunnel. It is almost impossible to build this shelter in dry, loose snow. But of all the open-type snow shelters, the snow pit is the warmest.

Shelter snow pit

Snow hut shelter built in the absence of deep snow can be built. To do this, you need to dig a hole in the snow all the way to the ground. The shelter is lined with snow bricks around the perimeter to such a height that when sitting inside, you do not touch the ceiling with your head. The top of the shelter is covered with an awning, cloth, polyethylene and nailed down with the same snow bricks, stones, and logs. If the snow is sticky, you can roll balls of suitable size and lay them around the perimeter instead of snow bricks, filling the holes with snow. You can also build a round or triangular hut. Shelters such as a snow hut are better suited to the wind and can withstand even uranium.

Snow hut

Snow plague it is built when the thickness of the snow cover is no more than 2-3 cm. First, a frame is built from poles or skis, firmly tying them at the top. After this, the frame is covered with thin snow slabs as in the picture, covering the cracks with snow. A snow tent type shelter can accommodate no more than 2-3 people.

Snow plague

All open-type shelters have several disadvantages - they do not hold the body well and there is no free ventilation, which leads to the accumulation of carbon monoxide. Therefore, if you need to light a fire inside the shelter, or primus stoves, candles, you should constantly monitor your well-being - headache, palpitations and noise in the ears - an indicator that a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide has accumulated in the shelter.
Closed shelters.

Snow cave shelter, built according to classic scheme, is built within 1-2 hours with minimal experience, but will warm you up no worse than any block structure. Such caves are dug on snowy slopes with a snow depth of at least 1.5 m and a low risk of avalanches. First of all, you need to make sure that there is no groundwater, stones, or ice under the snow. Next, take off your warm outer clothing, if the ambient temperature allows, so that it does not get wet. When working inside a snowdrift, if possible, place polyethylene, spruce branches, and branches under you to reduce the area of ​​contact between clothing and snow.
Start the construction itself with a small tunnel with a diameter of no more than 60 cm, which is expanded upward by 70-90° using improvised means, while the rest of the group members (if any) scoop out the snow from the outside, which is dumped from the tunnel. As you move deeper, you will have to climb completely inside the shelter, while encouraging yourself that every minute your work is getting closer to the end. You can cut niches in the walls for backpacks and equipment. If a cave is needed large sizes, then it is necessary to leave 1-2 columns with a diameter of 40-70 cm, depending on the quality of the snow, so that the ceiling does not collapse. The main advantage of a cave built according to the classical scheme is that the entrance is located significantly below the floor. This allows cold air to escape and warm air to remain trapped.

A snow cave built according to a non-classical design is built with the difference that the entrance tunnel is flush with the floor. The entrance must be covered with snow blocks, backpacks, and covered with cloth. The bed should be located at a certain elevation above the floor, for example in a niche in the wall. If you plan to make a fire, you need to make a smoke hole in the ceiling.

Snow cave

Snow hole being built in exceptional cases when other types of shelters cannot be built for one reason or another. in a hole it is not as warm and comfortable as in a cave, but warmer than in open shelters, because... not blown by the wind. The diameter of a snow hole designed for one person must be at least 50 cm. The hole is dug at an upward slope so that, if possible, the legs are higher than the entrance. This will allow the person to be completely in a cushion of air. The bottom is lined with jalapia and branches. During a blizzard, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that if a hole is dug deep into a snowdrift, and not parallel, then the entrance can be heavily swept away, and it may not always be possible to knock out such a hole.

Snow hole
Block type shelters

Block-type shelters, as a rule, are built in treeless areas, where winds and frosts form a strong snow crust. This kind of crust presses down slightly if you stand on it. The most famous block shelter is the Eskimo igloo. Igloo allows a person to protect himself from any bad weather. Eskimos have been building igloos for many years. It is known that one Eskimo can build an igloo for 4-5 people in less than an hour. For a beginner, this time increases several times. You need to start by cutting snow blocks. A long knife, shovel or saw is suitable for these purposes. Snow blocks are cut into a hole with dimensions of 1x1 m and a depth of 50-60 cm. A block cut out from 4 sides is not strongly kicked out of the snow crust.

The first blocks are used for laying the foundation and have dimensions of approximately 100x50x30 cm. The diameter of the igloo is drawn based on the calculation for one person - at least 2.4 m, for two - 2.7 m, for three - 3 m. The first row of blocks is cut diagonally along the entire length to the very bottom edge, thereby forming the beginning of the spiral, after which subsequent rows are laid, with the first rows being laid with an internal slope of 25-30°, and the last with 40-45°. In this way, the blocks are laid with a constant slope and the upper part is closed, forming a dome. The dome hole is closed with several blocks laid on the last row.

Main secret Eskimo igloo buildings - blocks standing in the same row should not touch with their lower corners, thanks to this the blocks do not fall inside and high reliability of the building is achieved. The vertical joints of adjacent rows should not coincide. Otherwise, a large crack will form, cutting the shelter to the floor. It is better to lay snow blocks with the strong side inward. Large cracks are sealed with pieces of snow, small cracks are covered with snow. An entrance tunnel is dug under the constructed igloo on the leeward side, which should be lower than the floor of the shelter itself. It is permissible to do it at floor level, then it must be closed snow block. For heating, a candle or a small fire is enough, which will melt the walls and cracks of the shelter, and make it more durable. At the same time, a chimney hole is made in the ceiling.

There is also a simplified method of construction, when the igloo is built in a non-spiral pattern. The first row is not trimmed, the last block in the row is made of non-standard sizes with a height 30-40 cm higher than the others. The first block of the second row is placed next to this block, and the next one is placed next to it, and so on, with the last block bursting and preventing it from collapsing inward. The blocks are laid with the same slope as in the spiral pattern, plus each row is slightly shifted inward.

If for one reason or another it is not possible to cut a sufficient number of snow blocks, then you can build igloo over the pit. To do this, dig a hole with a diameter of 1-1.5 m and a depth of at least 1.5 m. And a dome of snow blocks is built around the perimeter using the method described above. So that this shelter is not so cramped, the walls of the pit can be expanded in the shape of a truncated cone - the lower part expands more, the part under the blocks less. To achieve maximum rigidity, the angle of inclination of the walls of the pit should, as it were, continue with the angle of inclination of the snow blocks.

Imagine the situation: you fell behind your group on a ski trip and got lost. You don't have a tent, you only have a sleeping bag and matches. Evening, snowstorm. You need to do something to avoid freezing.

Or you deliberately went into the forest without taking a tent with you (you decided to save weight).

What do you need to know?

1. How to build a snow shelter (snow caves, igloos)
2. How to set up your own bivouac
3. How to make a long-burning fire
4. How to make a shelter from what you have (booth, canopy, etc.)

So, the tourist got lost, wandered for a long time in search of a path and decided to spend the night. How to arrange an overnight stay?

Overnight with a campfire

1.Choosing a place to stay overnight

• The bivouac must be protected from the wind (the slightest wind increases the frost)
• It is best to spend the night in dense forest or a small hollow
• Avoid clearings, forest edges, hills (the wind is strong there)
• If the snow is shallow, then dig a place for a fire to the ground; if it is deep, make a fire on a site made of damp logs, or use special types of fires (Evenk fire, see below)
• Prepare more firewood (so you don’t have to run around at night and look for it) or if you have an ax, knock it down sushi(dry standing tree) thicker

How to identify dry wood

• knock on it with an ax, the tree makes a characteristic ringing noise
• the bark of such trees often peels off in pieces, leaving the wood visible
• Pay attention to the top, it is “naked”
• Do not use trees lying on the ground (snow), their wood is wet
• Do not use sushin without a top; as a rule, such sushin is unsuitable

Harvesting firewood (how to properly fill up a dry land)

• From the side where you will cut the sushi, make a hem
• On the opposite side, about 15 cm above the first, a second cut or cut is made

• When the tree bends, rest your stick (slingshot) against it and start swinging
• The tree must fall

Option for a large group and for singles (BALAGAN)

You can have a good night in the forest by doing peculiar appearance A “booth” is a suitable place for a camp; the snow is shoveled all the way to the ground. A snow bank is poured in a semicircle around the cleared area, 2 long poles are prepared, which are stuck into the snow bank; their tops are moved crosswise and tied with twine.

Then skis are stuck along the entire shaft, the ends of which rest on the cross of connected poles. After this, the entire structure is covered with blankets, creating something like a “wigwam”, open at the front. Inside, the entire floor is covered with a thick layer of pine needles; if there are no needles, then a flooring is made of poles, which are stuck at the bottom of the snow bank at some distance from the ground. The needles or flooring are covered with two blankets - and the “booth” is ready. Backpacks are brought inside and placed near the snow bank. In front of the booth, on a plot of land cleared of snow, a long taiga fire is made from thick trunks of cedar, fir, resinous spruce, dead wood, etc. When the fire burns, it is very warm inside such a room, even in severe frosts. The "booth" of the dimensions shown in the figure can accommodate 8 people. Of these, 6-7 people. 1-2 people sleep covered with a blanket. They are on duty, adding wood to the fire. When camping for the night in a booth, you should place your feet towards the fire. This method is good for both large groups same for one person

"Balagan" (or rather, barrier) can be made from sticks and covered with pine needles. A “nodya” (if there are 2-3 people in the group), or a large taiga-type fire, is lit in front of the barrier.

When building booths, the direction of the wind should be taken into account. For example, you cannot cut down forest for a fire on the windward side of the bivouac, thereby destroying the protection from the wind. To adjust thermal regime in the “booth” of a simplified design there should be one side wall make it from a blanket. By folding the blanket to a greater or lesser angle, you can use maximum quantity heat from the fire.

The floor of the booth should be covered with spruce branches; if spruce branches are not available, make a flooring of logs. To prevent sticking your feet into the fire, a damp log is placed near the entrance (the support log is placed at a distance of 1-1.5 meters from the fire) and reinforced with stakes or stones so that it does not roll off

Fire bed (controversial method)

Industrialists Far East In winter in the taiga they use the following method of spending the night. Having chosen a place protected from the wind, they shovel the snow to the ground, clear a small area, make a large fire from thick resinous or dry trunks and warm the ground for 2 hours (during this time food is cooked and people have dinner). Then the ash is leveled, and the industrialists, having spread the skin, settle down in this place for the night, covered with a blanket. Almost all night, the warmth of the slowly cooling earth warms sleeping people. (I used this method, but only in the fall). It works in the fall, I don’t know about winter

Canopy reflector

First option:

stick sticks into the snowdrift and shovel snow on them. The snow bank will gradually begin to thaw and will look like a canopy. It will be warm between the fire and this improvised canopy.

Second option:

Stick poles into the snow at an angle of 50 or 60 degrees, and hang a piece of polyethylene (raincoat, tent, awning) or any other fabric on the poles. Such a screen will reflect heat from the fire and a person will be warm both in front and behind

The downside of a canopy is that you can’t fully relax near it, but you can in a booth.

However, it should be noted that these methods of spending the night are applicable only in wooded areas!!!

Snow caves, pits, snow huts

In a treeless area, having a sleeping bag, you can spend the night in a snow hole dug in a snow drift or in a place where there is a deep layer of more or less compacted snow. The hole of the pit is protected with snow bricks, a piece of tarpaulin, etc. Such a snow pit can be dug for 1-2 people. For a group with a large number participants can be dug out, if the density of the snow allows, a depression like a wolf pit, which is covered on top with skis and a piece of tarpaulin.

You can easily spend the night in the mountains V snow cave, dug - in a snowdrift with dense snow or V slope of hard firn. The ceiling in the cave is made dome-shaped, then when the primus is lit and the snow thaws, water does not drip from the ceiling. If the depth of the snowdrift allows, it is advisable to make the entrance tunnel longer and communicating with the cave through a hole in the floor of the latter. With this design of the entrance, warm air, heated by the breath of people, accumulates in the cave.

It is very warm to sleep in a snow cave, having a kerosene stove and sleeping bags. Such caves are often used by climbers during difficult ascents. WITH great success Snow caves were used for overnight stays and housing during Wegener's polar expedition in Greenland.

General rules for constructing snow shelters and choosing a site for construction

• Do not dig a snow cave near a steep (snow-covered) slope; an avalanche may occur.
• Do not make a shelter at the base of loose rocks or overhanging snow cornices
• You cannot set up a bivouac near dry and rotten trees (the wind can knock them down)
• In a snow shelter, the warmer the temperature outside (at zero, the shelter may “leak”) Protect the ceiling inside with polyethylene
• The smaller the volume inside the cave, the warmer it is (heating a large volume with breathing is problematic)
• It is better to build a snow hole or den alone, while taking off your outer clothing

Open type shelter

1.Snow trench

Such a shelter is dug out of snow at least 1.5 meters deep. You can use skis, a bowl, or a piece of plywood as a shovel.

Very good shelter is obtained in ravines and hollows. Essentially, it’s just a slot-like hole one and a half or 2 meters deep and covered on top with fabric or polyethylene. The roof is made from tree trunks and branches or skis and sticks (if you are in a treeless area). The roof can be sprinkled with snow on top (additional thermal insulation).

In the taiga, you can build a similar cave near the trunk of a fluffy spruce or cedar. The paws will serve as a kind of roof. Clear the area of ​​snow around the trunk in a circle. In such an improvised hut you can even make a small fire

2.Snow pit

This structure is very reminiscent of a hole. As a rule, it consists of a pit tunnel and the hole itself. The minimum thickness of the ceiling should be 20-30 cm, otherwise it may collapse. If the snow is loose, then it is almost impossible to build a snow pit.

Closed shelters

1.Snow cave

A snow cave digs into the slope. Remove excess clothing so that it does not get wet, fasten all cuffs, buttons, and zippers.

Classic snow cave

Cave construction algorithm

1. First a hole is made
2. A narrow tunnel is being dug
3. The end of the tunnel is expanded upward to the size you need

Non-classical snow cave type 1

Non-classical snow cave type 2

2. Snow den

The snow den digs around windbreaks and rubble in the taiga; there are very large accumulations of snow there. A snow den is dug in the same way as a cave.

Single snow hole

In cases of extreme necessity, you can wait out the night in a single burrow of small thickness. You need to dig a hole so that the dead-end side is raised. In such a room it will be less comfortable than in an ordinary hole, but warmer than on the street. The point is that the person who spends the night in it should be above the entrance level and be in an air cushion, the bottom is lined with a layer spruce branches or sticks.

If your feet are frostbitten or you have lost your shoes, you can spend the night in such a hole with your feet inward and cover your head with plastic or wrap it in fabric.

Single hole

Snow hut

50 cm and 50-90 cm long. These snow “bricks” must be strong enough to withstand own weight during carrying and laying on edge.

It is recommended to build the hut on a flat snowdrift with a depth of at least 1 m. Using 2 ski poles tied to the ends of the twine, a circle is drawn in the snow. The diameter of the circle depends on the number of inhabitants of the future hut and is determined in each specific case by simple calculations. The first block is laid on its edge, slightly cutting its inner edge with a knife so that the block tilts inward (if a large snow hut is being built, the angle of inclination should be small; for a small hut, a fairly significant inclination is required).

The remaining blocks are placed next to the first block, close to one another, along the line of the circle. Once the first tier is laid, the second can be started in several ways.

The simplest of them is to make a diagonal cut from the top edge of one of the blocks of the first tier to the bottom edge of the same one. blocks or a second or third block of snow (Fig. construction of hut a1)

The first block of the second tier is placed in the resulting recess so that its end is adjacent to the block of the lower tier. Then, close to the first block of the second tier, the second block of the same tier is laid, etc., continuing the construction as if in a spiral. The blocks of each subsequent tier should be inclined inward at a large angle, i.e., a more or less regular dome should be obtained. When the dome is ready, a tunnel is dug through the snowdrift leading to the hut and ending with a kind of hatch in the floor of the latter. With this design of the entrance, the warm air accumulating in the hut (people's breath, primus stove) does not allow cold air from the tunnel hatch to penetrate inside the hut (Fig. construction of hut-d).

Drawing "building a hut"

I think that building a hut in the middle zone is very labor-intensive.

If a snow hut is being built by 4 people, then usually one cuts out the blocks, the 2nd carries and serves them, the 3rd builds the hut from the inside, and the 4th follows the builder outside and fills the gaps left between the blocks with snow.

After building the hut, it is recommended to light a primus stove inside, heat the air to +20-21° and, having made a hole in the dome, freeze the hut for several minutes. After such an operation, the walls of the hut inside are covered with a shiny crust of ice, as a result of which, in case of accidental contact with the walls, snow does not fall onto the floor of the hut. The hole in the dome is sealed with snow (only a small hole is left for ventilation).

Villamur Stefanson and his two comrades built their first hut within 3 hours. After some training to build a snow hut for 3-4 people. (hut diameter 3 m, height 2 m) took 45 minutes.

In a snow hut you can sleep in a sleeping bag without waking up from the cold when the outside temperature is very low. If you light a primus or fat lamp inside the igloo, it becomes very warm here, and you can sleep covered only with a blanket. Such a hut is indispensable when setting up a long-term bivouac (especially in treeless areas and in the mountains). If during a winter hike it is planned to build a snow hut at each bivouac, then the group should practice building it long before the hike.

You can make a snow hut of a simple design, but it will be colder than an igloo. Snow “bricks” for this hut are prepared in the same way as for the “igloo”; then they are made into a square-shaped structure, which is covered on top with a piece of tarpaulin or blankets (see building a hut). You can also put skis on top and pile snow bricks on them. All cracks between the blocks are sealed with snow. It is warmer to sleep in such a hut than in a tent.

When spending the night in the snow, it is always very important to thoroughly dry your equipment (socks, ski suit, boots) before going to bed. At night, boots should be removed and hidden in a sleeping bag, and warm (fur) sleeping socks should be put on your feet, which every member of the group should have on a long ski trip in winter.

If you have to spend the night without sleeping bags and you can’t make a fire due to lack of fuel, you need to build a snow hut or dig a snow hole, cave, etc., take off your frozen boots, put on dry woolen socks or fur socks and put your feet in a backpack. You can't sleep in this position.

To set up a winter bivouac you should have a snow shovel

Long-burning fires (winter fires, overnight fires)

I have previously written an article about anyone interested in taking a look.

Making a fire requires a lot of skill and dexterity; This is a kind of skill that needs to be learned so that even in winter you can breed it without problems.

In winter, before making a fire, they use a shovel or skis to rake the snow to the ground, otherwise the fire will sink deeper and deeper into the snow, eventually forming a deep snow pit. Or they make a fire on a base of logs.

Taiga fire(rice. bonfires-d) is made up of whole or cut into two pieces of wood 2.5-3 m long (cedar, resinous spruce, dead wood, etc.). The firewood is stacked either lengthwise (long fire) or in an irregular well. The fire produces a large hot flame and a lot of coals; used for cooking food, drying clothes, for overnight stays large group in summer and winter by the fire. The taiga fire is a long-lasting fire.

"American fireplace". This type of fire is a very long-lasting fire. Thick short logs with chopped off knots and small branches are stacked as shown in ( rice. Bonfires - e.) The fire is lit below, at the base of the “slide”. As it burns, the lower log gradually crumbles into coals, the next log slides into its place, etc. The “American Bonfire” is used by Canadian trappers when spending the night near a campfire in summer and winter. It is inconvenient to cook food over such a fire. Only 1-2 people can spend the night near such a fire.

Nodya (Fig. bonfires- and ) is a very long-lasting fire (the Finnish Rakotum fire belongs to the same type). It is necessary to find suitable fuel for the node, otherwise it will burn very poorly. The best fuel for it is dead spruce or pine, resinous spruce, cedar, and in the Ussuri region - elm. Fir, which an inexperienced tourist can mix with spruce, is not suitable for Nodi. The spruce must be cut into logs 2.5 - 3 m long, 2. of them are stacked on top of each other and secured with pegs, and the third, serving as a regulator, is applied to the side. The node is ignited by placing kindling between the logs of the node regulator, or gutters are cut down along the entire length of both logs, which form a kind of tunnel when the logs are laid on top of each other. Here! Along the entire length of the trench, kindling is placed from birch bark, dry moss, incendiary sticks (see below) and a fire is made.

Nodya gradually flares up and burns evenly for several hours, giving great heat. If you need to reduce the heat, the regulator log moves back a little. Nodya is used for overnight accommodation by taiga hunters of Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Siberia, etc. Near the node you can spend the night well for 2-3 people by building a reflective barrier of branches or skis and an awning, so that sleeping people are between the barrier and the node

Node can be made up of 3-4 logs. In this case, it must be lit with a fire built at the base of the log wall of the node.

Surviving in winter without a tent