Shelter Choice, Snow Loading etc
My dedicated winter/mountaineering tent is the Hilleberg Red Label Soulo. This thing withstands incredible punishment. Both in turns of extremely high winds and heavy snow loading. It is also surprisingly warm; it eliminates drafts completely and probably adds 5-10F. Pyramid tents with lots of tie-outs are supposed to be winter worthy shelters capable of "moderate snow-loads" but I highly doubt my MLD solomidXL could take the kind of snowloads I've gotten before. I would definitely avoid anything with a sharp ridgeline.
The downside is that the Hilleberg Soulo costs about $750 (at least in the states), weighs 5-6 pounds, and is quite bulky (if memory serves, packed size is cylinder about 18" long and 6-8" in diameter). Note all these figures are for the one person version. A 2 person shelter is always more efficient than the analogous 1-person version.
I suspect a dome tent like this is required for heavy snow loads but I'm more skeptical that its the most efficient way to deal with low temps, high wind and ground snow alone. For that you are probably better off just wearing extra clothes and investing in a warm mummy bag to eliminate drafts.
The downside is that the Hilleberg Soulo costs about $750 (at least in the states), weighs 5-6 pounds, and is quite bulky (if memory serves, packed size is cylinder about 18" long and 6-8" in diameter). Note all these figures are for the one person version. A 2 person shelter is always more efficient than the analogous 1-person version.
I suspect a dome tent like this is required for heavy snow loads but I'm more skeptical that its the most efficient way to deal with low temps, high wind and ground snow alone. For that you are probably better off just wearing extra clothes and investing in a warm mummy bag to eliminate drafts.
A proper mountaineering/4-season tent will be able to handle moderate snow loading without collapsing. In this surprise whiteout in Canyonlands National Park I managed to stay warm and dry despite heavy snow and overnight temperatures down to 10F.
A surprise snow storm in Indian Peaks Wilderness in early Oct 2017. Even though this lightweight tent (Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1) works great in a rainstorm, it couldn't handle heavy, wet snow.
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Notice the "bow" center pole that forms the ridgeline. I got soaked that night.
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Once it's mostly stopped snowing you want to clear the snow off the top of the tent (too much snow will collapse any tent eventually).
If you're going to be in the same spot for more than one night, it's not a bad idea to pull the snow back from the side walls of the tent. No tent (that you would want to sleep in) is truly water proof. They are simply water resistant. The slanted outer tent (or fly) sheds excess rain or snow to the ground to minimize time spent in contact with the walls.
If you're going to be in the same spot for more than one night, it's not a bad idea to pull the snow back from the side walls of the tent. No tent (that you would want to sleep in) is truly water proof. They are simply water resistant. The slanted outer tent (or fly) sheds excess rain or snow to the ground to minimize time spent in contact with the walls.
Snow stakes/anchors
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Deadman anchors work great in snow. You can use the stakes that come with the tent or simply sticks/branches you find near your campsite. I have camped in the snow many times but have never wished I'd had "snow stakes" because deadman anchors work so well.
You can use snowshoes to dig a slot in the snow to lie the anchor in. The most effective hole is 6-12" deep and is covered with piles of compacted snow. |
Stove Choice
I usually don't take meals that have to be cooked on winter trips but I am required to take a stove to melt snow for drinking water. A liquid fuel stove like the MSR whisperlite which burns white gas is works great in cold-weather conditions at altitude (To be honest this is the only stove I've used for this purpose). The aluminum windscreen and base to sit the stove on are critical in high winds but are also helpful to trap heat which reduces fuel consumption and melt-times. The stove, windscreen, lighters etc can be stored inside the Snowpeak 1.4L Titanium Cookset.
You can boil the snow if you want but if the snow is fresh, this isn't necessary. Snow is essentially distilled water so the risk of pathogens in the snow is extremely low.
You can boil the snow if you want but if the snow is fresh, this isn't necessary. Snow is essentially distilled water so the risk of pathogens in the snow is extremely low.
Melting snow for drinking water with Whisperlite stove. Pear Lake, RMNP (Dec 02-03, 2017)
Just after a grenade went off at my campsite near Lost Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park (March 11, 2018). The mylar emergency blanket serves two purposes; (1) I put it under my sleeping pad to reflect radiant body heat and (2) as a dry place to sit for camp chores etc.