Pitching a tent on snow

A stake holds in the ground because soil is dense and firm. Fresh snow, by contrast, consists largely of air between loose crystals. A thin stake finds hardly any resistance in it. An object buried crosswise, on the other hand, has to push a whole block of snow ahead of it to be pulled out. That is why it holds much better.

Snow has a useful property: when it is compressed or stirred up, the crystals bond with each other over time and the snow gets firmer. You use this twice – when stamping out the platform and when stamping snow over a buried anchor. If you have time, wait a little after stamping before you pitch the tent.

Snow walls can block wind but have a catch. Behind every obstacle the wind slows down and drops the snow it carries. If a tall wall stands too close to the tent, this snow lands right on the tent. A low wall at some distance protects better.

Choosing the site is the most important safety decision. Avalanche terrain, the foot of slopes, hollows below steep slopes, cornices – overhanging snow edges on ridges – and trees with a heavy snow load are ruled out. Avalanche knowledge is a field of its own that this entry does not replace; anyone who has not mastered it stays on flat terrain well away from slopes.

No cooking or heating inside the tent or vestibule. Carbon monoxide from stoves is invisible and odourless, and in winter it is tempting to seal the tent. At night snow can also drift over the vents. That is why they must be kept clear regularly.

Snowfall and drifting can collapse a tent. Knock the snow off regularly during the night and dig it out if necessary. Watch for signs of hypothermia: heavy shivering, clumsiness, confusion. Anyone reacting like this needs warmth, shelter and if necessary help via the local emergency number (112 in the EU).

Stamp out a platform larger than the tent so that you can also stand safely around the tent and set the lines. Walk over it several times until it is evenly firm. Soft spots turn into hollows overnight.

Wind is your biggest opponent while pitching. A tent that you let go of for a moment can slide or blow away very quickly on snow. Always hold it or tie it down, anchor the windward side first and only then tension all the lines. Extra cord to extend the lines helps, because anchors sometimes have to be buried a little further away.

You can dig a pit in the vestibule. Then you sit in the entrance like on a bench and can put on boots more comfortably. In the evening it is worth checking the anchors: tie the lines so that you can release them in the morning without digging out the frozen anchor – or simply leave anchors made of natural material in the snow.

A tent keeps out wind and snow but is much colder than a well-built snow cave, because the thin fabric hardly insulates. Warmth at night therefore comes mainly from your sleep system: two sleeping pads stacked, a suitable sleeping bag and dry clothing. More on this in the entry on sleeping on snow.

Condensation is especially annoying in winter. The moisture from your breath freezes into frost on the inside of the tent and trickles down in the morning. Open vents reduce this. Shake or wipe the frost off in the morning before it melts and soaks your things.

First get to know your tent well in normal conditions. Then practise the winter pitch where nothing can go wrong: for example in a snowy garden, near a hut or near the car. Try out different anchors and note which ones hold in which kind of snow.

A winter camp with experienced people or a course is a good way to work up to it gradually. Spending a night in the snow alone and without winter experience is not recommended. Allow plenty of time: with the platform, pitching in snow takes much longer than in summer.