[pct-l] Tent anchoring in sand, snow, and on rock

[AsABat]

A simple and light solution for anchoring tents in snow is to use lids from soup cans. Punch a hole in the middle, put a nylon cord through it and tie a simple overhand knot in one end so it can't go back thru the hole. Tie the other end to the tent. Now bury the can lid in the snow so it is standing on end. (Or dig a small hole in the snow and put the lid against the side if the hole.) By having the lid vertical it won't pull sideways but on the morning untie the cord from the tent and you can often pull the lid up and out without diggoing if the snow hasn't frozen too hard. Bring enough lids for your tent. 

------Original Message------
From: ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com
To: PCT MailingList
ReplyTo: ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com
Sent: Dec 22, 2009 1:26 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Tent anchoring in sand, snow, and on rock

The use of a "deadman" through your tent tie-out loop will save the day when you can't make a tent stake penetrate enough to do the job.

With a stake or branch, place it half-way and perpendicular through your tie-out loop at the desired tightness and lay it on the ground (or granite slab, as the case may be) or buried in the sand and stomped on. Now, pile on the rocks. If the stake is too short for the amount of wind you are dealing with, find a sturdy, dead branch to replace it with that is sufficiently long to load up with rocks on either side of the tie-out loop or stay-line.

On snow, where rocks aren't usually found nearby, you have two choices of how to deal with this issue of anchoring. One is to do the above. The dead branch laid flat and buried in the snow and stomped on works well. When above timberline, there will not be any branches to use, so you might want to bring another really good solution:

An old trick of tying out your tent to buried plastic bag loops (not a good LNT idea) spurred the idea of manufacturing at home sturdy, nylon Cordura "parachutes" with which to burry and anchor your tent. Mountain Hardwear used to make these; I don't think they still do. They are six-inch square, rolled-edge pieces of black (easy to see under snow) nylon with two, 22-inch by half-inch tubular nylon webbing loops sewn between two corners. Kind of looks like a little parachute. 

Attach this to all of your tent's tie-outs, pull to desired tightness, fill with snow, and bury and stomp. It will freeze in place shortly and make for a great anchor when you can't find rocks to pile up.

Maybe someone on this List knows where there might be a drawing for this?

These techniques have gotten us through many a windy night in places like creek drainages, snowy meadows, and on granite slabs.


Mtnned
Mountain Education
 
 
 


 
 
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