"Interior" heating

[Spaceman Spiff]

Mountaineers will use a candle inside a snow cave they've excavated for light, heat and an indicator of sufficient amounts of oxygen in the cave to be safe. Obviously, the snow cave has to be built right . . .

I know a lot of mountaineers and none I know have used a candle for heat.  We used to use them for light in the 60's and early 70's before you could get good, light weight camping lanterns.

You need to know what you are doing when building a quinzhee or digging a snow cave: make sure you have ventilation, as the snow will ice up on the inside surface and become impermeable.  I carried a small aluminum tube to use as a chimney.  A candle for O2 sensor does you no good when you are sleeping.

The snow cave does not get above freezing.  They might use a candle or small fire to warm up the interior but they do not go above 32F.  Otherwise it will start melting and dripping water on the person inside the snow cave.

I've had a quinzhee up to 40ºF just from cooking with a backpacking stove.  It will rain unless you have contoured the roof correctly, then the water runs down the sides into a trough you have dug.  They are at about 100% humidity anyway (down bags do not do well).  They will usually be about 35º from a couple of warm bodies sleeping in them, even at -50º outside.  That's one of the main reasons you use them instead of a tent.

 

[lenny flank]

^^^In my younger days, I did winter camping with down bags. Alas, when they got wet they turned into a big bag of heavy mushy oatmeal.

Thank the gods and goddesses for synthetic fibers.