For winter camping, snow caves are superior to tents in almost every way—they’re warmer, quieter, and more comfortable. Plus, unlike igloos, they’re super easy to make.
First, you’ll need a decent shovel, something like Black Diamond’s nicely designed ($65). The trick is to find ground where you can dig horizontally instead of vertically. Look for drifted snow in the lee of boulders or against a hillside. In a pinch, you can even make your own snow drift by piling up snow. Let it settle, then start digging.
I also carry several smaller tools for shaping sleeping benches and fine-tuning the cave. A metal garden trowel works well, as does ($22).
Digging a snow cave usually means wet gloves. At the very least carry several spare pairs. You might also look into inexpensive . You can find them in nearly any garden center for $8, and they’re totally waterproof. When worn over a pair of glove liners, they make very good snow-digging gloves.
Once your cave is complete, punch a small hole in the roof for ventilation and cover the floor with self-inflating pads. ($34) will help you carve a bench for cookwear or a couple alcoves for lights and survival candles. Voila! A perfect den for a winter’s night.