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

[ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com]

Great idea!

Mtnned
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "AsABat" <asabat at 4jeffrey.net>
To: <ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com>; "PCT MailingList" 
<pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 1:28 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tent anchoring in sand, snow, and on rock


>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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