I used to go igloo camping with my scout troop every winter so I’ve had lots of experience building igloos and a-frames. If it’s just 1-2 people an a-frame is m

I used to go igloo camping with my scout troop every winter so I’ve had lots of experience building igloos and a-frames. If it’s just 1-2 people an a-frame is much simpler and quicker to build, although a snow cave can be even faster if the conditions are right for it. Depending on how deep you dig an igloo will fit 3-5 people and can be expanded with multiple a-frames if you have even more. The more people you can cram in, the warmer it is. A few years ago I went on an 3-day snowshoe trip with a couple of friends in Montana. On the second day it was significantly colder than the first and one of my friends had been complaining about being cold at night. Luckily our other friend had packed a portable snow saw so we decided to stop early and build an igloo. We lucked out and the snow was in good condition so we didn’t have to prepare it first. If the snow is too dry and powdery you first have to stomp down a large area with snowshoes and then wait an hour or so for it to harden before you can cut good blocks from it. If I remember correctly it took us about 4 hours to build a decent size igloo and shovel it out. It’s amazing how warm they can get inside. It was about 0°F outside that night not including windchill, but inside it was warm enough that I needed to unzip my sleeping bag a bit. If you get the chance to build an igloo and sleep in it, I highly highly recommend it. It’s super fun and is something you will remember forever. Bring a tent as backup unless you already have experience :)