Deep in the frozen woods, I carved my sanctuary into the earth. Using fallen logs and packed snow, I constructed a sturdy, insulated dugout just below the frost line. The real triumph? My heated bed: a raised platform layered with insulating spruce boughs, topped with a thick mattress of dry leaves and hides. Beneath it, a carefully banked stone hearth, fed through a small tunnel from the main firepit, radiated gentle, lasting warmth all night. Snow-covered branches camouflaged the entrance. Inside, shielded from biting winds and sub-zero temps, I slept soundly – proof that ingenuity and natural materials conquer even the harshest winter.
