🏕️ Which shelter, in how much time?
14 shelters ranked by construction time for a single person, required gear, and resistance to wind, rain, or snow — to decide in 30 seconds what you can pitch before dark.
★ A snow trench (30 min) protects against wind almost as well as an igloo (3 h) — an emergency can't wait for the perfect solution.
★ The quinzee and the snow cave both require several hours, but for opposite reasons: one waits for packed snow to harden, the other waits until you dig enough.
★ Mors Kochanski's super-shelter (tarp + clear plastic + reflected fire) can rival a 3-season tent's comfort for a fraction of the carried weight.
★ A stranded car blocks wind and rain better than most natural shelters — but leaving the engine running with windows closed kills more reliably than the cold.
Build time : For a single, experienced person — lower is better.