Think fast — where are the hardest places to survive a winter? The odds are good that Russia is near the top of your list. Russian winters are known to be bitterly cold, especially in northern regions. In fact, the inhospitable conditions there are often seen as one of the deciding factors of World War II. Hilter’s Wehrmacht was caught unprepared during their winter invasion of Russia, and many historians agree that the cold had a dramatic effect on their eastward progress.
A YouTuber known as Survival Russia often travels into the cold northern region of the country to practice his survival skills. He also has a stated interest in WWII — specifically, how soldiers managed to survive the extreme winter conditions back then despite limited supplies. In the video below, this Danish-born survivalist uses his knowledge of history to build what he calls a “WWII bunker snow shelter”. It appears to have been inspired by the various types of dugout shelters constructed during that time.
This design is low-profile and blends into a snow bank, while providing substantial protection from the elements. It’s based around a frame of logs or saplings, notched and stacked log-cabin style. Blocks of snow are cut from underneath the center of the frame with a large snow shovel, and arranged on the top and sides of the frame. This creates a dugout snow shelter that’s wide enough for several adults.
It’s worth noting that this structure will only work in specific circumstances. First, you’ll need a deep layer of hard-packed snow, as this will form the blocks around your shelter. You’ll also need a saw or an ax to gather large logs, and a wide snow shovel to dig out blocks. However, if all these requirements are met, and you’re patient enough to build this bunker snow shelter, you should have an extremely strong and spacious structure that can last you all winter.
