A quinzhee or quinzee is a Canadian snow shelter made from a large pile of loose snow that is shaped, then hollowed. This is in contrast to an
igloo
An igloo (Inuit languages: , Inuktitut syllabics (plural: )), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow.
Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only b ...
, which is built up from blocks of hard snow, and a
snow cave
A snow cave is a shelter constructed from snow by certain animals in the wild, human mountain climbers, winter recreational enthusiasts, and winter survivalists. It has thermal properties similar to an igloo and is particularly effective at pro ...
, constructed by digging into the snow. The word is of
Athabaskan
Athabaskan (also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan'', and also known as Dene) is a large family of indigenous languages of North America, located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific C ...
origin and entered the English language by 1984. A quinzhee can be made for winter
camping
Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...
and
survival
Survival, or the act of surviving, is the propensity of something to continue existing, particularly when this is done despite conditions that might kill or destroy it. The concept can be applied to humans and other living things (or, hypotheti ...
purposes, or for fun.
A similar, but more elaborate snow house is called a lumitalo.
Differences between a quinzhee and an igloo
Quinzhees typically have an inside height after excavation which allows for sitting or crouching but not standing.
The snow for a quinzhee does not need to be of the same quality as required for an
igloo
An igloo (Inuit languages: , Inuktitut syllabics (plural: )), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow.
Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only b ...
. Quinzhees are not usually meant to be long-term shelters, while igloos can be used for seasonal habitation. Constructing quinzhees is much easier than igloos, 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 for survival, so aesthetic and long-term dwelling considerations are normally exchanged for economy of time and materials.
Construction
Quinzhees are typically built in flat areas where snow is abundant, on days colder than . Builders break up layers of naturally fallen snow into powder and thoroughly mix bottom and top layers of snow to increase
sintering
Clinker nodules produced by sintering
Sintering or frittage is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquefaction.
Sintering happens as part of a manufacturing ...
, thus strengthening the eventual structure. Snow is typically piled high in a dome 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 can speed the bonding process and strengthen the structure. Small sticks, approximately are pushed into the structure to act as thickness guides when the interior is hollowed out. According to Halfpenny and Ozane (1989), the wall at the base should be at least wide and at the top about thick, though wall-base thicknesses of more than are possible.
[''Winter: An Ecological Handbook', James C. Halfpenny & Roy Ozanne, Johnson, 1989, p. 230-234]
Excavation may be accomplished more quickly if large blocks of interior snow are carved and slid out through a large, temporary "excavation door." Strength increases when all interior wall and ceiling surfaces follow an arched curve, with no flat sections. Once excavation is complete the excavation door can be permanently blocked using previously excavated blocks, and a smaller permanent door can be cut in the most desirable spot. Time and effort are required to hollow out the center of a quinzhee, though these can be reduced by piling snow around a hollow structure, such as a tarp-covered pile of packs or a makeshift tent or dome.
Melting and refreezing the inner side of the quinzhee can strengthen it, as it does an
igloo
An igloo (Inuit languages: , Inuktitut syllabics (plural: )), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow.
Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only b ...
; this can be done rapidly with a lam
or candl
but body heat is also adequate.
Allowing the interior temperature to rise above freezing point risks weakening the shelter significantly, especially if the outside air temperature is near freezing. A small hole for air circulation should be poked through the ceiling. To avoid dripping melt-water, irregular or bumpy surfaces are often smoothed to direct the flow of water down the walls to gather around the edges. A non-airtight fabric door cover will minimize the amount of cold air coming into the quinzhee. An empty, well built snow structure, 16 or more hours old, in weather below may be strong enough to support a group of adults standing on top of it.
Dangers
All snow shelters eventually collapse or melt. Quinzhees can
Cave-in, collapse from poor snow conditions, warm weather, blowing rain, construction problems (hitting a supporting wall), failure to let the snow sinter long enough, or from people climbing on them. Collapse poses a danger of suffocation for occupants.
Quinzhees should not be used when temperatures are warmer than due to risk of collapse. The greatest risk of collapse occurs during the excavation process. Longer sintering time generally reduces risk of excavation collapse. To reduce undue loading on the roof of the quinzhee, the interior ceiling should be excavated first, then the interior walls and floor. One person should be outside the quinzhee while another is digging inside. Place a shovel, branch, hiking pole, or such near the head of a sleeping person for roof support, to break a falling roof to create an air gap, and/or as a tool to dig out. One shovel should be left outside to mark the door and aid rescuers in digging occupants out. Some users prefer a marker to be left outside the quinzhee nearest the heads of sleeping occupants to indicate where rescuers should start digging.
Lumitalos
A lumitalo is a more elaborate snow-house or building made out of snow in a manner similar to a quinzhee. The term is
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
in origin, and literally means “snow house”.
The city of
Houghton, Michigan
Houghton (; ) is the largest city and seat of government of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Houghton is the largest city in the Copper Country region. It is the fifth-largest city in the Uppe ...
, builds a lumitalo as part of its annual
Winter Carnival
Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures d ...
held by
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...
.
''Houghton's Snow House''
. Keweenaw Peninsula. February 8, 2002.
See also
* Igloo
An igloo (Inuit languages: , Inuktitut syllabics (plural: )), also known as a snow house or snow hut, is a type of shelter built of suitable snow.
Although igloos are often associated with all Inuit, they were traditionally used only b ...
* Kamakura (snow dome)
( or ) is a type of traditional snow dome or quinzhee in snowy of Japan. may also refer to the various ceremonial winter celebrations involving those snow domes, or to the Shinto deity (), who is revered during some of those celebrations. Du ...
* Snow cave
A snow cave is a shelter constructed from snow by certain animals in the wild, human mountain climbers, winter recreational enthusiasts, and winter survivalists. It has thermal properties similar to an igloo and is particularly effective at pro ...
* Snow fort
A snow fort or snow castle is a usually open-topped temporary structure made of snow walls that is usually used for recreational purposes. Snow forts are generally built by children as a playground game or winter pastime and are used as defensiv ...
Bibliography
*
References
External links
How to Build Winter Shelters and Survive
*
How to build a Quinzhee
Video.
How to build a Quinzee Snow Shelter
{{Native american styles
Buildings and structures made of snow or ice
Indigenous architecture
House types
Traditional Native American dwellings