Quinzhee

A quinzhee or quinzee /ˈkwɪnziː/ is a snow shelter made by gathering a large pile of snow and then hollowing it out. This is in contrast to an igloo, which is made from blocks of hard snow. The word is of Athabaskan origin, and entered the English language by 1984. A quinzhee can be made for winter camping and survival purposes or for fun.

A similar but more elaborate snow-house is called a lumitalo.

An igloo is made by cutting blocks from packed snow and stacking them. A quinzhee is made by making a pile of snow, then hollowing out the inside. Quinzhees typically have an inside height after excavation which allows for sitting or crouching but not standing.

The snow for a quinzhee need not be of the same quality as required for an igloo. Quinzhees are not usually meant as a form of permanent shelter, while igloos can be used for seasonal habitation. The construction of a quinzhee is much easier than the construction of an igloo, although the overall result is somewhat less sturdy and more prone to collapsing in harsh weather conditions. Quinzhees are normally constructed in times of necessity, usually as an instrument of survival, so aesthetic and long-term dwelling considerations are normally exchanged for economy of time and materials.

Quinzhee are typically built on a flat area where snow is in abundance, on a day colder than -4C (+25F). Builders break up layers of naturally fallen snow into powder and thoroughly mix bottom and top layers of snow to increase sintering, thus strengthening the eventual structure. Snow is typically piled 1.5 to 2 meters (6 to 10 feet) high in a dome 3 to 4 meters (10 to 12 feet) in diameter. It is then left for at least 2 hours to sinter, allowing both temperature and moisture in the snow to homogenize and the snow crystals to bond with each other. Packing is not necessary, but may speed the bonding process and strengthen the structure. Many builders insert small sticks of the same length, approximately 30 to 35 cm (12-14 inches) toward the center of the structure to be used as thickness guides when digging out the interior. According to Halfpenny and Ozane, the wall at the base should be at least 30 cm (12 inches) wide and at the top about 20 cm (8 inches) thick. Many users find wall-base thicknesses to be >60 cm (>2 ft).

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