Setting up a tent in moderate weather conditions may be intimidating enough for many, but the prospect of attempting this task in the snow complicates things to a ridiculous degree. Indeed, snowy weather makes packing and unpacking, organizing, and using equipment more difficult than it would normally be.
However, with a calm demeanor, familiarity with one’s equipment, and determination, anybody can overcome the obstacles that prevent this task from being straightforward. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about setting up a tent in the snow.
Assess the Terrain
Before we discuss equipment and tent types, it is important to determine what kind of terrain you find yourself in. Also, if this is an emergency or if you are lost, you will have to make different decisions concerning your surroundings, and you may have a more limited number of options.
If you have a choice, locate an area for your tent and encampment that is large enough to work around and set up your equipment and easy to clear of snow and debris. This is arguably the most important step in the entire process of setting up your tent, as it is the literal foundation of your encampment.
- The spot you pick should be as flat and leveled as possible.
- It should be large enough to work around easily.
- It should have as little immovable debris as possible (such as large stones and fallen trees).
- The ground should be relatively firm and free of loose soil, silt, and mud.
- Try to ensure that you are not on a game trail or near an animal den.
Although this checklist is not exhaustive, it does include the most necessary elements concerning the location and condition of your camp.
Clear the Area You Selected
After choosing an area that conforms to the criteria above, you will need to begin clearing smaller debris, snow, and undergrowth from the spot you decided to place your tent. You can do so using any appropriate equipment you brought with you, such as a shovel, or anything you have on hand, such as sticks and your hands.
If the spot you picked is free of debris and undergrowth, this will be easy. But sometimes, it will be necessary to make do with an area that requires more work. In such cases, it is important not to overexert yourself with this step. It does not have to be perfectly clean, just clear and flat enough for your tent and equipment.
Take Inventory of Your Equipment
If you’ve prepared for this event, this should be relatively straightforward. And since you have brought a tent with you, it is safe to assume you prepared for the outcome of needing to set up camp in the snow.
Once you have cleared your space, it is time to lay out your tent-making equipment and thoroughly note what you have at the start. In this way, you will be less likely to leave anything behind that may be necessary for your next camping spot. Also, you need to make sure you have everything you need before you start.
Lay your equipment out in an organized fashion within your campsite, so that you can access it quickly. Keep like-items, such as stakes and cords, together in organized piles so that they do not get tangled together.
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Unpack and Prepare the Tent
Depending on the type of tent you have brought on this trip, you will have more items to keep track of and manipulate. The average two-person stake-pole tent, however, is relatively straightforward and should not take more than thirty to forty minutes to set from start to finish.
In the clearing you have made, spread out the fabric of the tent completely so that it is evenly spread flat. You should be able to clearly distinguish all four corners of the tent and it should look like a square of fabric.
Make sure there are no holes or tears in the fabric that would widen or compromise the integrity of the tent’s structure as you proceed. You can compensate for damage to the fabric or equipment by assessing the extent of the problem at this stage.
Set up Your Tent
Start with one corner of the tent and drive one of the grounding-stakes through the eye-hole or loop provided into the ground firmly. Make sure the stake is securely implanted in the ground before proceeding with the next stake. Repeat this process with each of the other three stakes until they are all firmly in the ground. Note to:
- Not overstretch the fabric;
- Preserve the square shape of the base of the tent;
- Be careful not to tear the fabric with the stakes.
This is arguably the most important step in the process as it is the stage of the setup that secures the base of the tent to the ground.
Use Fiberglass Tent Poles
If your tent has an assortment of flexible tent poles used to arrange the rigid structure or canopy of the tent, you will need to identify which of them will be used in specific areas and in what order to use them.
Most two-person tents utilize a dual-arch cross-section designed to support the main structure of the tent. This is one of the most stable and easiest-to-build designs that use the fewest parts to provide stability.
Fiberglass tent poles have telescopic or interlocking functionality, which means the pieces need to be fit together, end-to-end, and fed through the loop holes sewn into the roof’s fabric.
Thread the Poles
Once you have assembled the fiberglass tent-poles, you will notice that they are highly flexible between the joints. This aspect will become important in the next step. First, you must find, in the fabric of the roof’s structure of the tent, the tubular housing for the poles. They should run diagonally from one corner to the other across the length of the tent.
- Start at one corner and insert the tent pole so as not to rip or tear the fabric tubing.
- Carefully feed the pole through the tubing, taking care not to force the pole if it snags or becomes obstructed. Simply stop, back up a few inches, and attempt this step again.
- Once you have the poles threaded all the way through the tubing from one corner to the other, repeat this process with the other tent pole, so that both poles are installed in the tent’s fabric.
Once you are done threading the poles, you can start raising the tent.
Raise the Tent
Now, you can move on to the final step, which consists of raising the roof of your tent.
Proceed with one corner of the tent, where you should see an exposed end of the fiberglass pole. This exposed end should be designed in such a way that it can be inserted into a sewn pouch at the base of the tent, near the grounding stakes. Slide the end into this pouch and make sure it is secure.
You will now have to go to the corner of the tent opposite of this pole and bend the pole into place before you can place the end of the pole into the provided pouch. This can be difficult for many campers, but with a little practice, you should be able to complete this step effectively.
Lastly, you should repeat this step with the other tent pole while making sure the cross-section of the poles forms a stable and secure tent structure. From above, it should look like an “X” shape made of two half-circles constructed of fiberglass poles.
How Cold Is Too Cold for Tent Camping?
This largely depends on a person’s experience. Experts agree that a casual camper should not attempt staying outside in a tent in temperatures expected to reach below freezing.
Even experienced tent-campers are encouraged to take extra precautions and pack specialized equipment if they expect to be outside in freezing conditions. There is a lower limit to the temperatures your average equipment can withstand and reasonably protect you from as well.
Conclusion
Camping year-round is possible but there are certain challenges in the off-season that you need to be prepared for. If you decide to camp during winter, everything that you need to do to set up camp will be more difficult because of the cold weather and snow. If you think that setting up a tent is the biggest challenge of your camping trips, be prepared because it’s even more challenging in the snow.
The process of setting up a tent in the snow is not that different from setting up a tent in the middle of summer. You’ll be following the same set up procedure, but with a different set of challenges. In the summer, you have to deal with the heat and the blazing sun, and in winter, you have to deal with the snow and freezing temperatures. As long as you are familiar with your gear and confident in your camping skills, setting up a tent in the snow will be a breeze.
